The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1919-03-26
GRAPHIC PICTURE
OF SIBERIAN CITY
HOUSES RlDDLED WITH SHOT
AND SHE'LL


Of The Associated Press Delayed y
IrklitIk is of considerable military
and political interest because ii has
definitely marked the westerly limit
of the Japanese occupation great
Trans-Sbeiian railroad, the westerly
limit OF the zone of influence CT Gen
eral Semeaoff, the Cossath leader,
the beginning Of the sphere Il
territory clearly dominated by the
AllRussian government at Onsk
headed by Admiral Kolchak.
For the newcomer, unused to the
severity Of Siberian winters Irkutsk
possessed much of the dramatic and
unexpected. The city is separated
from the railroad station by the tur-
bulent Angara river and when we
arrived the pontoon bridge across
the river had been destroyed by float
ing ice. The river steamer, used to
transport passengers when the bridge
was down, was imm0bilized by a
heavy fog that hung over the Argara.
TO cross the river to the Ameri
can consulate and telegraph 0ffice
the travellers were compelled to de-
pend upon a score OF hardy rivermen
in st0utly built rUwbOats. On the
shore stood thousands OF people |
whiting and clamoring to get across |
the river. Hundreds OF sleighs or
droskles had driven down 10 the |
rivers edge waiting for passengers /,
from the other side Of the stream. AS !
the fog shifted slightly one caught |
glimpses Of floating and swirling |
miniature ice.bergs out in the river |
The cold was terrible. Almost it |
froZe the very breath as it painted |
from the mouths OF the waiting |
sbiverlng travellers. The polor aspect |
Of the scene. the crowd Of iCe-covered |
epole, the shouting and cursing boat
men the excited dr0sky drivers
elamorIng for fares, the general
wildness Of everything made it all
a picture not soon to be forgotten
AS the row-boats struggled in the
foes one Of the Americans exclaim.
ed, "it reminds one Of the picture of
Washington crossing the Delaware"
Thirty persons had persisted that
day in attempting to cross the river
in small boats. Nevertheless the
Americans embarked in one Of the
boats and after struggle for life
IN the ice-floes, crossed in safety 4
Fortunately the fog lifted In the ear
ly afternoon and the big river
steamer was able to make the re.
turn trip.
EFkutsk is an imprcssive,Iooking
city in the heart of winter with its
fine-looking buildings and its many
green-domed churches. The Amerl-
can consulate is located in spacious.
wellfurnished apartment which was
the scene Of exciting events during
the stirring incidents Of the year 1917
when battles occurred In the streets
between the R0lsheviki and the
cho-Slovaks, who were fighting
with the Siberian army The Bolshe-
Wiki rushed into the house, which
was then occupied by a, Russian mid.
dle-class family hacked the furniture
TO pieces with their bayonets. drag
ged the women of the house to the
streets by her hair and shot over
the head of her husband in an effort
TO force him to hand over his money
and Valuables. The terrorists also
menaced the parents with the death
Of their children Later the consul
late authorities took over the house
and the family was glad to have the
protection which the presence of the
American consulat afforded.
In December, 1917. some 5000 cas-
ualties occurred in the street fight
in lrkutsk and today one may see
the houses, riddled with shot and
shell.