Siberia and the exile system . % like those in the cells that we hadalready inspected; their windows were small and heavilygrated, and no provision whatever had been made for ven-tilation. In one of these cells were eight or ten dvorydne,or nobles, who seemed to be educated men, and in whosepresence the warden removed his hat. Whether any of themwere politicals or not I do not know^; but in this part ofthe prison the politicals were usually confined. The air in 88 SIBERIA. MAKING UP AS EXILE PARTY IX THE TICM^N PRISON. THE TIUMEN FORWARDING PRISON 89 the corridors and cells, particularly in th


Siberia and the exile system . % like those in the cells that we hadalready inspected; their windows were small and heavilygrated, and no provision whatever had been made for ven-tilation. In one of these cells were eight or ten dvorydne,or nobles, who seemed to be educated men, and in whosepresence the warden removed his hat. Whether any of themwere politicals or not I do not know^; but in this part ofthe prison the politicals were usually confined. The air in 88 SIBERIA. MAKING UP AS EXILE PARTY IX THE TICM^N PRISON. THE TIUMEN FORWARDING PRISON 89 the corridors and cells, particularly in the second story, wasindescribably and unimaginably foul. Every cubic foot ofit had apparently been respired over and over again untilit did not contain an atom of oxygen; it was laden withfever germs from the unventilated hospital wards, fetidodors from diseased human lungs and unclean human bodies,and the stench arising from unemptied excrement bucketsat the ends of the corridors. I breathed ^s little as I pos-sibly could, but every respiration seemed to pollute me tothe very soul, and I became faint from nausea and lack ofoxygen. It was like trying to breathe in an undergioundhospital-drain. The smatritel, or warden, noticing perhapsthat my face had grown suddenly pale, offered me his cigar-ette case, and said: You are not accustomed to prison a cigarette : it will afford some relief, and we will getsome wine or vodka presently in the dispensary. I acted


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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectsiberiarussiadescrip