The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-04-22
HOUSE OF DEAD"
 HAS DISAPPEARED

Omsk, Siberia. March s0-(Corre- spondeuce of The Associated Press)- American readers of the great Rus sian novelist Dostoevsky, who, eXiled for a political crime, spent four years at hard labor, in the fortress prison of Omsk, would hardly recognize in the Omsll of today the terrible con ditions which he depicted in his book. "RecolIecuons of the House of the dDesd," It was fin 1s49 that Dos Joievsky began his term of exile and passed through the experiences which he so powerfully pictured later, The. house of the dead" no longer exists at Omsk. It has passed to give room for the building of a moro modern and more hopeful city,
 It Is difficult to realize how the present halr million population of Omsk lives, The normal population Is 100000 but the constant influx of refugees from the centres of Bolshe- vlsaa has svelIed the number of in- habitants, To find a house or apart srent Is not to be thought of in the Kresent-dRy Omsk. chosen as the cap 3tSI of the provisional AH-Russian government. The most humble room 1s not to be obtained without the 1n IeCvention of friends oT the help of tho auth hoTIties who do not hesitate to rsQuaSition rooms in case of urgent need. The city Is without electricity except in a few sections and the BtrEets at night are 4n oloScUT1ty, For that reason few persons go out after i9 or g o'clock because of the possible danger of robbery or worse Public safety has, however, greatly tnnprov- ed in the past two months.
 Onslx In Its main thoroughfare has many finely appointed office buildings and some modern apartment houses The residential section consists of loEE-built houses of wood or mortar ghere are several fine views due to 1hs pz zesence of many dOu7ed churches and ahe long expanses of spacs afford ed by r]ls rivers Orttsh and Om which meet in tl2e very heart of the olty- At 70 below zero few women arc seen Hn the streets, but tho advent of a day when tho mercury rises nearer zero hTinEs out a large number of ladiss who look very attractive in their Ereat-coats of varied cOlOred Surs and their ovPrshoes always pret- tilly bordered with mink or hare. Ths Siberian hare's fur Is utilized 4n the fashfOninE of warm and attractive hats with long streameTs covering the ears and tying under tho chin Hare are so plentiful that these hats are within the financial reach of almost everybody.
 It 3s the orthodox cathedral, de11-
 
 sn 1891, which looms up, vast and i'm posing. aB the dominating structure Of the capital On one side is the 5ormer residencs of the civil gover- g7or of. Oulslz, now used by the foreign office. and on the opposite side of the square Is the imposing Ministry of Justice, as yet uncoupIeted- The cathedral, which Is called the Church Df the Ascension of tho Saviour, is vast edifce capable of holding 1,6o0 persons During the Saturday night and Sunday morning services the bril- liant and glirtering auditorium is crowded with people, all standing fn accordance with Russian custom The cathedral has q great dome sur rounded by several turrets and has on one side a high tower of finely sculptured stone surmounted by a Epsre-
 In 1714, Petar the First sent a commission to the Omsk region to erect a small fortress on the bank of tho river Om, from which the city later took its name. In 1T65. began the construction of new and 7nOre solid fortress. It was in the form of a polygon with five bastions. Beside il was erected later the wooden prison. surrounded by a high palisade, which served to i'm prison Russian political ex1les. and in which Dostotavslzy spent his four years for having been in the Pougat- Chof riots This was the Dead House" which he Later described tc 1he world in protest of the horrors GaL-a--nn-- -L.L-..