South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-04-22
REFUGEES CROWD
CITY OF OMSK
Population Increased From
Hundred Thousand in Nor
NAL Times to Million.

oMsK, Siberia, Feb. 25.-(By
Mail America readers OF the
grest Russian novelist. Dostoievsky.
who, eXiled for a political crime.
spent four years OF hard labor in the
fortress-prisou OF Omsk, would hard
y recognize in the Omsk OF today
the terrible conditions which he de-
picted in his book, "Recollections OF
the House OF the Dead" IL was IN
1S49 that Dostoievsky began his
term Of exile and passed through
the experiences which he 50 power
fully pictured later. The house OF
the dead" no longer exists at Omsk.
II has passed 10 give room for the
building OF a more modern and more
hopeful city.
IL is difficult % realize how the
present half million population OF
Omsk lives. The normal population
is 100000 but the constant influx o.
refugees from the center Of bolshCv-
ism has swelled the number OF in
habitants. To ind a house or apart
ment Is not 10 be thought OF in the
present-day Omsk. chosen as the
capital Of the provisional all-Eus-
sian government The most humble
room IS not TO be obtained without
the Intervention OF friends or the
help of the authorities. who do not
hesitate to reQuisition rooms in case
Of urgent need. The city is without
electricity except in a few sections
and the streets at ni6ht are in OBJ
security. + or that reason few per
sons 20 out after or 9 o'clock be-
cause Of the possible danger of rob
berry or worse. Public safety has
however. greatly improved in the
past two months.
Many Fine Buildings.
Omsk in its main thoroushfare
has many finely appointed office
buildings and some modern apart
ment houses. The residential sec
ton consists Of low-built houses Of
wooG or mortar. There are several
fine views due 10 the presence Of
many dOmed churches and the long
cxpanses afforded by the rivers r.
fish and ON. which meet in the very
heart OF the city. AT 40 below zero
few women are seen in the streets.
but the advent Of a day when the
"A large number OF ladies'. who lOc6
very attractive in their great-coats
OF varied colored furs and their over
shoes, always prettily bordered with
mink or hare The Siberian hare's
fur is utilized in the fashion1ng of
warm and attractive hats with long
streamers covering the ears and tying
under the chin. Hare are so plenti-
full that these hats are within the
financial reach OF almost everyb Ody.
II is the orthodox cathedral. dedi-
Gated BY the late Emperor Nicholas
in 1891, which looms up, vast and
. imposing as the dominating struc-
ture OF the capital ON one SIDE is
the former residence of the civil gov
ernOr OF Omsk. now used by the for
eign office, and on the opposite side
OF the square Is the imposing Minis
try OF Justice. as yet uncOmpleted.
The cathedral. which is called the
Church OF the Ascension of the Sa-
viour, is q vast edifice capable of
holding 1 500 persons. During the
Saturday night and sunday morning
services the brilliant ard glittering
auditorium Is crowded with people,
all STANDING in accordance with Rus
sian custom. The cathedral has "a
great dome surrounded by several
turrcts and mas on one side a high
tower of nnely sCulptured stone sur
mounted by a spire.
In I714 peter the First sent com
mission 10 the Omsk region 10 erect
small fortress on the bank of the
river ON, from which the city later
took it's name In 1865 began the
construction OF a new and more solid
t0rtress IL was in the form of a
polygOn with five bastions. Beside
il was erected later the wooden pris-
on. surrounded by nigh palisade.
which served 10 imprlSOn Russian
political exiles. and i'm which Dos
toievsky spent his four years for hav-
ing been in the Pougatchof riots.
1'his was the Dead House" which ne
later described TO the world in pro-
test Of the horrors of Siberian ban
ishmenL.