By Saturday the inhabitants of the city began to feel the effect of the
disorder; cars were not running, telephones were barely working, factories
and shops were closed, banks and stores were locked, there was little to
eat, for the only provision on hand was water; every one who could filled
the tubs for fear the water mains would be blown up. The crowd on the
streets was larger than ever, more red flags were in evidence, but all this
failed to give the impression of a revolution. Such demonstrations had been
seen before; revolutionary talk was cheap and was not taken seriously.
As on the day before, the soldiers and Cossacks tried by gentle means
to disperse the crowd, but failed, for the men and women in the crowd
complained that they were hungry and pleaded with the military for the
sake of their own families to stand by the people. It was easy to see that
these guardians of the peace were in trouble, they knew that every word
said was true, and what was more to the purpose, members of their own
families were in the crowd. An officer who was sent with his company to
shoot on the people told how that same morning his own sister took part
in the demonstration and called for bread for her children. This was no
exceptional case. But as soldiers they must do their duty and keep order.
Realizing that the stratagems of the day before failed in their purpose,
the Cossacks tried other tactics on this day.
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