The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-05-21
FACES DEATH. N
MOSCOW BATTLE.
Seattle, Woman Tells Of Plight Of
Americans in Russian
City.
LIVE luxe RATS EIGHT BAYS
pescrlbes, I srrlble Experiences During
( Elaht Hstween the 6oishevIki and
cadets-ln Very centsf
of the, Battle.

< Fiaht between the Bolsheviki and
cadets-in Very centsr
of the Battle.
Seattle, Wash. How Americans hud.
died for eight days in the basement
Of hotel In Moscow. Russia. while
the battle between the bolsheytki ana
cadets loyal to the government ragged;
over their heads, Is told in q wildly
interesting letter received here BY
relatives Of Mrs. Helen Meserye, for
merly of this city, who has spent the
last three and one-half years with her
husband, In Russia. s,rsa ,,g-
Harry Meserye, her husband, 70
representative Of the National City
bank Of New York In PetrOgrad and
Moscow. tt5.5s
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, Meserye says,
was an experience she hopes never
to undergo again." III sHe3l4 =.
The first part OF her letter Is dated
November II, 19l7. ct Moscow. y
says: 81 IS
Yesterday we. were able to leave,
the hotel in Moscow and are now at
the French military headquarters.
For eight days we were under BON ! =
bardmept and. for three hours the
guns Of the anarchists were turned
directly on the Hotel National. where
great damage was done. Al the
windows were, broken and the walls,
torn by the big shells.
2sN Like, Rats In Cellar. II,
."The last few days we. lived like
rats in the cellar, running from place
to place to safs shelter. 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'Elrope ia Pc
trograd. The letter continues:
ave arrived here yesterday IN =
Red Cross train and are. leaving for
home just as soon as we. possibly
can get out. willl,try and. tell lit
Ne more about our experiences "
Moscow. a&
lathe firing began at ten o'clock at
night. At first only 9. few. shots were
lred. There was positively no warn
ing any kind, as We knew the gov
eminent had been taken over BY the
holsheyiki lthis party Is composed q
anarchists and socialists. the former
u great majority. /.
s,"Our rooms were on. the corner Of:
The hotel'an our windOws were nd.
died, with bullets while We were dress !.
tEiag early In the Z Pern'aE reparat g
1--WE were in the very center of the
hattleAeh. The fight was between
the bolshevlki and the cadets, the lat
ter standing by the government and
the former trying to overthrow 1t.
There was very little to eat In the
hotel, and again the Red Cross men
Game to our rescue land, we did our
own cooking.
ION, Sunday the cadets took possess
sion Of the hotel. On Monday the
bolsheyiki began to fire on it with
rifles only. Nearly all the windows
were broken and we lived in the halls.
On Tuesday the big guns were turned
Immediately on us and the two upper
stories destroyed. The big gun firing
continued for three long and horrible
hours.
csdets Driven Out. "a.
'1The entire hotel became so filled
With smoke and gas it was dificnlt to
breathe, aud we could scarcely see
ten feet away.
.ss'The finug from the anarchists
drove the cadets from our hotel, and,
Oh Tuesday night the anarchists took
possession.
1.-THE batt:e. continued for four days
more. the bolsheviki firing from our
hotel and the cadets firing back. On
Wednesday the firing was 80 heavy
that the halls were not even safe, and
we went to, the. cellar. where we stayed
couple Of days and nights. G
ut was not only the .firing-that
was expected-but the bolsheviki had
demanded the keys to the wine cellar,
which had been refused. No ope knew
when they might use force and get
them. You cannot imagine what aw-
ful looking people these .nens are. A
large part seemed to be dsseftera from
the, army aud they looked as Il there
was nothing they would atcp at.
sFinally 1he nrng seemed to dimin-
ish, aud on Saturday We learned the
cadets had been defeated
pAye 4 cENTs TO COL ECT s