The archive is kept as a set of gzip files, each containing 100 news articles. For example, 3400.tar.z contains articles 3400 to 3499. The archive is kept in directories containing groups of 10 gzip files. For example, the directory 06000 holds files 6000.tar.z to 6900.tar.z. The subjects directory holds the files with the subject line. For example, 03000subject holds the subject lines for files 3000 to 3999. These files are ordered by subject, not by article number. The dates file gives you a rough chronology of the files archived on minnie.
Warren Toomey wkt@cserve.cs.adfa.oz.au, January 1994