Identifier: throughsiberia00lans (find matches)
Title: Through Siberia
Year: 1883 (1880s)
Authors: Lansdell, Henry, 1841-1919
Subjects: Prisons Prisoners Work camps
Publisher: London : S. Low, Marston, Searle and Rivington
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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aydown for a quiet night. Early in the morning theofficer in charge of the prison came to say that whenhe had made us the promise on the previous eveninghe had intended to telegraph to Irkutsk for permission,but that there was a fire in Irkutsk, and telegraphiccommunication was stopped. He must therefore askus to wait until the return of the chief, who wasexpected hourly. Accordingly, on his arrival we wereconducted to the house of the Director; and thoughhe had been travelling all night he received us at once,accorded us a hearty reception, and introduced us tohis wife and friends. He was a Pole—by name PavoloSchwekofsky—and his house was elegantly furnished,all his servants, however, being convicts. There wasan appearance of comfort, not to say of luxury, aboutthe place; and he had in a side room a turning-latheand English tools. To this we called attention. Ah,yes, said he, we could not do without the English.And then, after drinking a glass of tea, we started tosee the prison.
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CHAPTER XXI. THE ALEXANDREFFSKY CENTRAL PRISON. Prison wards.—Punishment cells.—Communication with friends.—Nationalities of prisoners.—Their work.—Food.—Distribution ofbooks.—Our reception.—Lunch.—Departure.—Runaway horses.—An accident.—Left alone.—Return to post-house. WE found the prison a huge building, which hadbeen originally erected for a brandy distillery.Hence it was, and sometimes still is, called theAlexandreffsky zavod, or factory. It contained 57rooms, in each of which, according to size, wereplaced from 25 to 100 prisoners. We went intoseveral of the ordinary wards, and found them lofty,but overcrowded. Also, in some of the oblongrooms, the inclined platforms for sleeping occupied somuch space that only a narrow passage was left forwalking about between them. When we entered suchwards, therefore, the order was given that the menshould mount the opposite edges of the platforms, andthus we passed to the end of the room and back.Further on we came

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