The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1918-04-24
FACES DEATh|N
MOSCOW BATTLE
Seattle Woman Tells of Plight Of
Americans in Russian
! 1f city. |
LIVE LIKE RATS EIGHT DAYS
Describes Terrible Experiences During
Fight Between the BoIsheviki and
= Cadets-In Very Center
of the Battle.

Seattle, Wash.-How Americans hud-
died for eight days in the basement
of a hotel in Moscow, Russia, while
the battle between the bolsheviki and
cadets loyal to the government ragged
over their heads, is told in a wildly
interesting letter received here by
relatives of Mrs. Helen Meserve, for
merly of this city, who has spent the
last three and one-half years with her
husband in Russia.
Harry Meserve, her husband, is
representative of the National City
bank of New York in Petrograd and
Moscow.
Living like rats and running from
place to place to avoid the bullets of
the machine guns and the shells of
the larger guns" Mrs. Meserve says,
'was an experience she hopes never
to undergo again.
The first part of her letter is dateF.
November II, 1917, at Moscow. 1t
says:
Yesterday we were able to leave
the hotel in Moscow and are now at
the French military headquarters.
For eight days we were under bonn
bardment and for three hours the
guns of the anarchists were turned
directly on the Hotel National, where
great damage was done. All the
windows were broken. and the walls
torn by the big shells.
Like Rats in Cellar.
"The last few days we lived like
rats in the cellar, running from place
to place to safe shelter.N During all
the bombardment we did not take our
clothes off and sat up two nights"
Four days later the letter was con-
tinued at the Hotel d'Europe in Pc
trograd The letter continues:
"Ne arrived here yesterday in
Red Cross train and are leaving for
home just as soon as we possibly
can get out. l will try and tell a lit
tie more about our experiences in
Moscow.
"The firing began at ten o'clock at
night At first only few shots were
fired. There was positively no warn
ing any kind, as we knew the gov
eminent had been taken over by the
Dolsheviki (this party is composed of
anarchists and socialists, the former
n great majority.
"Our rooms were on the corner of
he hotel and our windows were rid
He'd with bullets while we were dress
ng early in the morning preparatory
o leaving.
'sWe were in the very center of the
battlefield The fight was between
he bolsheviki and the cadets, the lat
er standing by the government and
he former trying to overthrow it.
There was very little to eat in the
lotel, and again the Red Cross men
anne to our rescue and we did our
wn cooking
"On Sunday the cadets took possess
ion of the hotel. On Monday the
olSheviki began to fire on it with
ifles only. Nearly all the windows
we're broken and we lived in the halls.
IN Tuesday the big guns were turned
on us and the two upper
tories destroyed The big gun firing
ontinued for three long and horrible
ours.
Cadets Driven Out.
'sThe entire hotel became so filed
-ith smoke and gas it was difficult to /
reathe, and we could scarcely see
en- feet away.
1.-THE firing from the anarchists
sove TIM cadets from sur hotel, and
( Tuesday night the aAarchisf toola
ossessioe. @s 4 81
"Tne hAttle qpntinufd FIR four days
lore. the 6olshevilzfs firing from our
otel and the cadets firing back. On
Wednesday Che firing waS so heavy
lat the bang were notseve4 safe, ands
.eSwent 10 tie cellar wAere we stayed