The Washington herald., 1920-11-18
ny ID. +. K0SPOTH.

ny b. +. KOsPOTH.
sEBASToPoL, Nov. ID (via Con-
stantinople), Nov. 1.-THE climax
OF the tragedy of sebastopol came
this afternoon when Gen. wrangei
with the remnants of his guard
went on board the Russian cruiser
Ksrnilov-named after the daring
patriot who sacrificed himself tc
save Russia in the early days OF
Bolshevism-ands steamed out OF the
historic bay. followed by q score OF
American, French and British war
ships and merchant ships bearing
the foreign missions and about 2O,-
900 Russian refugees-wounded Of
ficers and soldiers, women and chill
dren-beyond reach of the fast ap-
preaching Red terror.
Before embarking Gen. Wrange
assembled the oeacers and men still
bearing arms in the square on the
harbor front and thanked them fol
their self-sacrifice and devotion tc
duty. From their depleted ranks
there rang out a deep-mouthec
"Hurrah"-the farewell tribute OF
the gallant men to their great
leader. 1t was a scene as dramatic
Is NdpOltOn IdIC"ch dI Oh-
tainebleu. At that time the Red
Saril, only twenty miles away.
Begns In Early Morning.
The evacuation of sebastopol be.
gan in the early morning hours OF
November IL. When the news spread
that All hope OF stopping the Red
advance had been abandoned. the
city. ordinarily so tranquil. awoke
to feverish activity. In a few
minutes thousands of wagons ant
carts loaded with trunks, boxes and
goods of every description. blocked
the streets. The people turned out
of their houses staggering under
the weight of their most ehrishe6
belongings Grand pianos. canariei
in cages. sewing machines, furni'
ture, oil stoves. carpets and -tenni,
racquets were piled up on the pave'
ment in pathetic heaps. Prices, al
ready fantastically high, scared yet
higher. For a ten minutes ride IN
a drosky your correspondent pai(
$4,000 roubles- The exchange rat
for one American dollar rose Il
500 900 roubles. On the last da,
of the evacuation 100000 roublei
would not have bought a dollar
And yet so great was the prestig'
of the Grangel government unit
the last that these paper roubles
which were bound to become abso
IuteIy worthless as soon as the Bal
shevists entered the city were still
accepted as legal tendr in restau
rants. Bfore going aboard th'
United States ship Edwards" you
correspondent lunched well and wa
quickly served by walters for tn
moderate sum of 100000 roubles
paid and accepted without question
in wrangeFs now absolutely worth
less paper money
Tears Replace Mirth-
Like every great tragedy. the
evacuation of Sebastopol was rich
in comic relief Of this kind. But
the laughter 1t evoked was choket
by tears.
Out OF a total population of ESQ,
900 at least 100. 900 men, women and
children were filled with the. one
passionate desire to get out OF the
city before the arrival of the Reds
All these were people who had def
mite reasons to fear Red vengeance
Officers and officials and then
families who have long figured or
the Bolsheyist lists as counter rev.
olutionaries" and who could expect
no mercy at the hands of the VIC
o tors. In the end 10000 got away
in the ships, the rest face the tor:
lures of the extraordinary commits.
sion' and the savagery of Gen. Bud.
denny's wild horsemen who were
promised by Trotsky that they
would be allowed to loot and ravags
Sebastopol for three days IL they
succeeded in breaking through
wrangels lines. .....' q.
There were other people still
more unfortunate who were Offered
passage in ships and who, aftel
long hesitation, refused TO leav,
through fear Of being cast abso'
lutely without means and even with.
out possibility Of earning their. liv
ing out in the wide, selfish world
I'VE would rather take our chanc,
with the Bolsheviki," said there dis
i1lusioned. ones, than be sent u
Prinkipo o. rto Africa"
Orderly Evacuation.
Such. as IL was. the evacuation
was carried out in good order. Their
was some looting and shooting. fl
the course of which a storehouse o.
the American Red Cross was burn
ed down. but on the whole the Boil
shevist elements In the city remain
ed quiet. in wholesome fear Of tn
troops. who kept their good dis
cipline to the last
Wren they arrivethethe Reds vii
find rich booty. Immense stocks o
merchandise were bought quite re
Gently from Constantinople, most o
which had to be abandoned. on
Of the most tragic features of tn
evacuation is that thousands If mil
its;y slackers WIN abounded in Sc
basycpoi surceeded In making thei
escape In the ships. the real night
ing troops. the heroic oficers ant
men who covered the embarkatioi
BY holding up Budehnys cavaIr,
at Simferopol. wer- moss of then
H"ed or captu-ed- IL was Gen
WrangePs intentis.h to sako fhrs,
t,oops to Poland to join the Isps
sian army that has been formc,
there. or even to Siberia t. ;oip ssen
Semsnov's arrsJ. But only som,
. hundreds OF these heroes yeaehe'
Sc n:,stopol in .ifrA to embark VIII