The Hermiston herald., December 10, 1920, Image 6

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ESCAPE HORRORS
OF BOLSHEVISM
Canadian Mining Engineer and
Wife Tell of Days of Terror
in Nikolaievsk.
J-
MANY TIMES NEAR DEATH
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Americans and British In Siberian
Mining Camps Have Miraculous
Escapes From Massacre—Rescued
by Chinese Gunboat
Seattle, Wash.—With harrowing ex-
periences and tales of terror, Mr. and
Mrs. E. H. Barker of Vancouver, B.
C., arrived here, after three years
amid the Bolsheviki of eastern Rus­
sia. For two months, as prisoners
of the Bolshevist leader Ghiroloff and
bls wife, Nina, they lived In hourly
peril of their Ilves, and were finally
rescued, with sixteen other foreigners,
by a Chinese gunboat.
Mr. and Mrs. Barker set sail for
Vladivostok In the latter part of
March, 1917. They arrived in Nik­
olaievsk In June of the same year,
and soon after Mr. Barker assumed
the position of assistant manager of
a mining camp In the Orsk gold fields
belonging to a British company 60
miles from Nikolaievsk.
Nikolaievsk is a far cry from Petro­
grad, so the overthrow of the czar
made little difference In the daily life
at the mining camp on the Amur. In
October, 1918, Admiral Kolchak took
over the administration of that sec-
tlon, and soon after a Japanese gar-
rison quietly took possession of Nik-
olaievak. According to Mrs. Barker,
It was after the overthrow of Kolchak
that trouble began. One day Ghiroloff
appeared at the head of a band of
Bolsheviki and unceremoniously took
over the mines. At the same time
Reds overran Nikolaievsk territory.
Reign of terror ensued, during which
do one's life was safe.
was operating dredges under penalty
of being shot for disobedience if he
refused. On May 18 it was planned
to massacre the entire Barker fam-
Hy. ' Kamanov, a Russian, who was
at heart no Bolshevist sympathiser.
frustrated this plan by placing an
armed guard around the house.
Jailed for Wearing Collar.
The Reds continued their reign of
merciless terror. Ghiroloff and his
wife vied with each other in their di-
a bol leal plots and cruelty.
A Mr.
Dyer, an American manager of a gold
plant, nearly became a victim because
he Insisted on wearing a white stiff
collar. Dyer was thrown into Jail,
while the council quarreled among
themselves as to whether he should
be killed slowly In the public market
place or shot outright by his wife.
Dyer’s life hung In the balance for
three days, while his wife was on the
point of collapse. Then the remain­
ing officials of the mine went in a
body to Red headquarters and pre­
vailed upon Ghiroloff to release his
prisoner.
Lives Threatened Many Times.
Time and again thereafter Mr. Bar­
ker said their lives were threatened.
On May 23 the Bolsheviki decided
to kill or torture every soul In the
village. They bad learned of the ad­
vance of Japanese troops, with rein-
forcements. The Bolsheviki burned
the city to the ground, and then, de­
stroying the mining camps, fled into
the bills.
At this junction the commander of
a Chinese gunboat, which bad been
Icebound in the Amur river during
the winter demanded that the foreign­
ers be delivered to him. While the
baggage and few valuables of the for­
eigners were being loaded into open
boats three Bolshevist cutters came
alongside and opened fire. A vigorous
engagement followed. Luckily for the
fugitives the Chinese were victorious.
The Chinese succeeded in landing
the refugees at an obscure port, how­
ever, from which they soon left in
a dilapidated Japanese freighter.
They learned later that the Bolshev­
iki had returned to the city after the
gunboat had left, had killed all the
remaining Russian children at the
mines, and carried off their mothers
as slaves into the woods.
Georgia College Has Girl Fire Department
"Bord
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John Paul Jones Statue Unveiled
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The Are department of Agnes Scott college, Decatur, Ga., composed of college girls, under the leadership of Miss
Ruth Virden as chief, Is ready for immediate action. A combination hose and chemical truck has been obtained, and
the 12 members of the crew have not only learned how to wear their Iron helmets and slickers, but to handle a nozzle
and extinguisher as well.
Plan Airships
800 Feet Long
V
y
:
garding the future of the heav'er-than.
air machine. The constantly increas.
Ing size of these aircraft is calling
serious attention to the possibility
that the ordinary gasoline engine may
have eventually to be replace either
by the Diesel type or by the steam
turbine.
It also Is probable that in the mult,
motored machine to be built In the
time to come, the pilot will not have to
occupy his time with the care of the
machinery or the actual steering ol
the plane, but will telegrapn his or
ders to the engine room, muen as the
captain or a ship now communicatee
with the engineer from the bridge.
A device which attracted much at­
tention from the experts was one de­
signed to “flatten” out a machine auto­
matically as it nears the ground. This
appliance consists simply of a trailer
arm which, touching the ground be­
fore the wheels of the undercarriage
come in contact with
it, auto­
matically sets the controls for a land­
ing. Planes to be controlled by wire-
less, and to carry no pilots, a so were
predicted.
The problem of landing in fogs and
ar night came in for its due share of
attention. At present the energies
of the Investigators are directed
toward seeking artificial means to dis-
pel the fogs; while lights on the
wingtips of the planes, both as sig­
nals and to light the space where the
machine may be about to land, were
advocated.
«--------------------------------------------- -- ——
, and allowing them to float at the end
Prediction Is Made That Huge of their cables. It is said that a
skillful captain can. In still weather,
Craft Will Be Used in Regular
bring a huge dirigible'to her mooring
Transatlantic Trips.
with the aid of only half a dozen men,
and that even in heavy winds nothing
, like the small army which now is nec­
essary to place a dirigible in Its hangar
Werk of Vengeance.
will be needed safely to moor the great
—
In March last an arrangement was
airships.
Long-Distance Craft of the Future May
concluded between the. Japanese gar­
A great mast, to be fitted with lifts,
rison and the Reds, whereby the lat­
Be Plane, but Experte at London
petrol and water mains, and with pow­
ter were to hand over their arms for
erful cables and hauling apparatus. Is
Conference Predict Lighter-
one day, on which the Bolsheviki pro­
to be erected at Howden, Yorkshire,
Than-AIr Type.
posed to hold funeral services for
to test the practicability of this ar­
1
their fallen soldiers. The day was
London.—In awarding prizes recent­ rangement
set, but Instead of fulfilling their part
It is obvious that English aircraft
ly for new types of airplanes built by
4m re
of the agreement the Japanese sur­
British manufacturers, the govern­ firms are much interested in the Ger­
rounded the headquarters of the Reds
ment took occasion to deplore what it man bld for air supremacy, and ap­
24 hours before the exercises were
viewed as a retrogression in the field parently a little worried by it. The
6
to have been held and wiped out the
of aerial research. Manufacturers of rumor of an early service of super­
& EWBG
entire headquarters staff of the Bol-
aircraft, in answering the criticism, re­ Zeppelins from Berlin to New York,
shevikl.
plied that one could not hope, in times Chicago and San Francisco, which has
the un- of peace, for as rapid developments as been bandied about for a month
Next day the enraged Reds began
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Gordon Woodbury speaking
their work of vengeance. Streets were veiling of a tablet on the John Paul Jones statue, Potomac park, Washington. were possible when .the exigencies of or so, was seriously treated at the
strewn with bodies of slain Japanese. Hundreds of people, including government officials, diplomats and naval offi­ war made expense and human life com­ Guildhall conference; in fact, it was
Mrs. Barker said several attempts cers stationed In Washington, paid tribute to the founder of the American paratively of little importance.
made the basis for an appeal for
on their lives actually occurred, navy. The event marked the 145th anniversary of the founding of the United
Nevertheless, some bold predictions prompt British embarkation upon a pol­
despite the fact that her husband States navy.
have been made at the air conference icy of the construction of similar or
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which met at the Guildhall.
There greater airships.
Dirigible Floats Over London.
were, of course, speeches which embod­
The appeal finds the more response
ied the dreams of every reader of
Fish Seven Inches Deep
Jules Verne or H. G. Wells, and there because London recently has witnessed
Ages of Man and His
were graphic pictures of the great air the sight, unusual since the days of
on Shore After High Tide
Bride-to-Be Total 136
liners of the future. But there also Zeppelin raids, of huge dirigibles float­
were sober talks by distinguished sci­ ing far above it On the occasion of
Scituate, Mass.—Residents of
New York.—The combined ages
entists, who paid more attention to the Prince of Wales’ homecoming the
the South Shore caught large
of Chester Osterhauer of 49 Wi-
quantities of fish without net.
such practical details as wing tips and R-32. manned by the American crew
low street, Brooklyn, and Lulo
which will take the 4-38 back to Amer­
when he carried Amoy money
line or bait when thousands of
I automatic controls than to visions.
Foreign Banks in the Republic curred
Alice Robbins of 125 Fort Greene
to Swatow. No matter how often the
sperllng and smelts were left by
The air liner is on the way, there is ica next spring, sailed gracefully above
- place, who appeared before the
Heretofore in Control of
Mexican dollar had to be changed the
the tide on the beaches after im­
no doubt about that ; but It is going to the procession made up by the prince’s
marriage license clerk in Brook­
banks got their commission and the
mense schools had been driven
come as a result of tireless and patient carriage and Lis escort. Later other
Her Currency.
lyn, Is 136 years. Osterhauer, a
traveler paid.
ashore by larger fish. In many
research and experimenting; It is go­ large ships from the airdrome at Croy­
retired farmer, formerly of
A New York business man tested the
places the fish were seven Inches
ing to embody a detail here and a sug­ don were employed to give the dele­
Kingston, N. Y., said he was
plan by changing a $20 bill into Mex­
deep. They were quite fresh and
gestion there, and when it is finally gates to the air conference a demon­
aged eighty-three, and this would
ican dollars In Hongkong and then ex­
edible, and people came with
turned out on a profitable basis it stration of their ability.
changing the money for local currency
wagons and automobiles to
It is computed that the cost of carry­ : be his fourth marriage. The
will provide a mode of travel as safe
bride-to-be gave her age as fifty-
at each port going up the coast, and
gather them.
as and Infinitely more swift than any ing passengers in one of the great
Charge Commissions Whenever the visiting Peking and Tientsin, Amoy,
three.
dirigible airships of the future would
land transport.
Swatow, Foochow and other places en
Coins of One City Are Changed for
be about 20 cents a passenger mile, or
Craft Eight Hundred Feet Long.
route. By the time he reached Shang­
These of Another—-American’s
The long distance aircraft of the fu­ approximately twice the present aver­
hai he had nothing left of his $20 bill, kong and Shanghai In the local cur­ rare may be an airplane, but it is more age first-class steamship rale. The
Interesting Experience.
Smiling Face Means Much.
and had not spent a cent of it. The rency.
I often meet people on crowded
likely that a lighter-than-air type will rate for carrying mails would be from
Cash transactions In the banks prevail.
New York.—The new currency sys­ banks had taken it all in commissions
ten to sixteen cents an ounce for 3,000 streets whom I have never seen be
throughout China are all handled by
tem that is to be introduced in China on exchange.
fore and whom I may never see again,
What are the requirements for a miles.
Chinamen, called compradores, who craft capable of carrying out a sus­
In the near future will make a consid-
Interesting prophecies also were whose hopeful, smiling, cheerful faces
Handled by Chinamen.
are bonded In amounts varying from tained flight, say, from England to made at the Guildhall conference re­ are very helpful to me.—Thoreau.
arable difference to the foreign banks,
Before the war the Mexican dollar
mostly British, which have had con­ was worth 53 to 55 cents In China, 8100,000 to $250,000, according to the Australia?
trol of the money circulated In the and at present, on account of the rise status of the house and the amount of
According to the experts at the
The Guildhall, each craft would be about
country for the last 00 years. Prac­ in the price of silver, the American financial business transacted.
tically the only money made by the dollar Is worth about 90 cents in Hong- clerks, usually sent out from London, 800 feet long, with a gas capacity of
examine the drafts, checks or letters at least 4,000,000 cubic feet. The “R”
Chinese government was the “cash,"
presented at the counter In the bank dirigibles already constructed in Eng­
as It was called, a brass coin with a
and, after initialing them for payment, land hold more than 3,000,000 cubic
hole In the center so that it could be
SAVING AN OLD TREE
the compradores hand out the money. feet, so that this seems by no means
carried on a string by the poorer
On account of the “chit” system, an impossible provision. An average
classes, and valued at 1.000 to the
which means credit until the first of speed of 00 miles an hour would be
Mexican dollar.
i the month, the employees of the banks required—something already achieved.
The system of exchange and com­
are usually In debt to the compradores, It Is estimated that a dirigible con­
mission by which the foreign banks
and tn many cases when the time structed on this basis would carry 100
were able to pay their stockholders
comes, at the end of five years’ con­ passengers, for whom comfortable,
from 40 to 50 per cent, with occasional
tinuous service, to go home on six properly heated and well ventilated
handsome bonuses, was very simple.
months' leave at full pay, the clerk Is living, dining and sleeping quarters
Ina was taels I
The nominal money tn China
not able to go because he owes too would be provided.
made of silver and shaped like a tiny
much to the compradora and has to
wooden shoe. As taels were not In
Inasmuch aa the dirigible would fly
use his vacation money to pay his In a direct line. It would be able to
circulation In the country they were
debts.
changed into Mexican dollars, so that
make the London-Cape Town journey
The Chinese compradores are well- in five days, whereas the ocean trip
the bank drew two commissions In
educated
men
and
speak
English
flu-
cashing a draft or a letter of credit.
now requires 18 days.
India might
ently. They gaze with surprise at a
be reached In four days, as against 16
stranger who may address them In the
at present
old-fashioned pidgeon English. After
Even though passenger-carrying at
a moment's pause the compradores
first
might not prove practicable. It
will explain, “Pardon me; I do not
quite grasp your meaning. Do yot | seems probable that before long malls
tance had its own particular manner
wish to change some money?" Then for the fringes of the British empire
of marking Mexican dollaro except
the traveler, realising that he baa been may be carried by the air route. It Is
Hongkong and Shanghai, where they
calculated
mail
"stung" by the hotel clerk who told ‘
- that
. the
— whole weekly
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wove circulated Intact At Foochow
him to talk that way, replies: won from Britain for Egypt, South Africa,
the dollar had a hole punched through
I wish to-draw some India, Australia and New Zealand
the middle; at Amoy a piece was
money upon my letter of credit." and could bo transported In one dirigible
clipped from the side and It was
for each route. Sir Trevor Dawson,
the incident closes.
known as a “chop” dollar, and at Swa-
vice-chairman of Vickers. Limited,
tow a stamp was made in the middle
the great aeronautic firm. Is authority
One of the only two Japanese acacia
of the coin. These dollars were only
World’s Fattest Woman Dies.
for
the statement that the fire danger
good for their face value at the port trees In the United States, both located
Bristol. Eng—Lucy Moore, 43 years
or elty to which they belonged, and In the White House grounds. Is “sick” old, reputed to be the heaviest woman for a dirigible Is really no greater
a person taking a Foochow dollar to from rot at the ripe old age of forty- in the world, died of cancer here. She than that of any ocean liner.
One of the great drawbacks to the
The Gould Memorial church of the Holy Trinity, presented to the ST,
Amoy would have to pay a commission five years. J. Rebaume, the White weighed about 600 pounds and had
at the bank to have it exchanged for House tree doctor. Is trying to save traveled all over the world on exhibl. use of the dirigibles— the difficulty of speaking colony at Maison Lafitte, a suburb of Paris, by Frank J. GO"",
housing them In storm»—may he avoid-
local currency, and the same thing oc- it’s life.
tion.
millionaire sportsman, was consecrated recently by Bishop or
of England.
AIR LINER IS ON THE WAY
gllig
“*r
China Is to Have
New Money Plan
2
MAKE PROFITS IN EXCHANGE
Church Given by Frank J. Gould
F
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.Y
4’4
American