The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1880-02-24 00:00:00

ATTEMPT ON THE CZAR'S LIFE.

A Reuters St. Petersburg telegram states that an
explosion took place OD Tuesday in the Winter Palace.
No member of the Imperial Family was injured. The
mine by which the explosion has been effected was laid
below the guard room, which is situated under the
dining-room. Luckily, through accidental delay, the
Imperial Family had not assembled for dinner.
Several men of the Palace Guard were killed. Tbe
explosion made a hole ten feet long and six feet wide
in the dining-room fbor. The Queen has telegraphed
her congratulations to St. PeteraWrg on the escape of
the Imperial family from attempted assasdnation.
The Duchess of Edinburgh is at present staying with
her parenta at St. Petersburg. The official Russian
announcement respecting the affair states that the
explosion occurred at seven o'clock on Tuesday night.
Eight moldier. were killed and 45 injured. An
official enquiry is proceeding.
Si. Prtiliaßollo, Wechillethly Evening.—General
Schweinitz, German Ambaseadke, has congratulated
the Czar on his happy escape. Several members of
the diplomatic body afterwards attended the celebra-
tion of • re Dee* at the
M. Jules Grevy, President of the French Republic,
has telegraphed his congratulations to the Czar on his
Majesty's fortunate escape.
The explosion reached the very centre of the
Imperial dining room, completely destroying the table,
&c.
_ . . . . . . .

The cellars had long been used for storing Purposes, and
appear to have been occupied by four workmen, three of
whom have been accented. The fourth man is, however,
missing. In addition to the large gap made in the Boor
of the dining-hall. the force of the explosion caused a
large breach in the outer wall of the guard-room facing
the court-yard. The fire brigadee were called out im-
mediately after the explosion, in order to prevent the
palace from being destroyed by fire.
Many arrests have been made in the Winter Palace and
the immediate neighbourhood.
The shock proceeded from the bseement containing the
central heating apparatus. The force of the explosion
was so great that the stone arched roof of the basement
and the vaulted ceiling of the guard-room, were destroyed,
boards of the flooring wrenched from the joists, and tables
and the dinner service scattered in all direction& The
gas lamps were blown out, and complete darkness pre-
vailed. . . . . .

'Two more bodies of soldiers, besides the eight already
reported, have been found, and several of the 45 injured
have mince died.
The Csar's entrance into his dining-room was delayed by
the failure of the Prince of Bulgaria to make his appear
ance at the appointed time. The Czar and his daughter,
the Duchess of Edinburgh, were meanwhile waiting in an
adjoining room.
The news of the diabolical attempt to assassinate the
Imperial family of Russia by blowing up the Winter
at St. Petersburg caused the utmost consternation
and indignation in the metropolis. The first intelligence
reached this country in a message from MR.H. the
Duchess of Edinburgh, who telegraphed to her husband
announcing that an attempt had been made to blow up
the Palace, and that all the Imperial family had been
mercifully preserved, although eight persons had been
killed and forty-fire dangerously wounded. Generally
about half • company of the Imperial Guard, numbering
US men, are on duty at the Palace The Russian officials
in London fail to understand, taking into consideration
the isolated situation of the Palace, how the explosive
materials could be introduced without the oonvinanoe of
some of the household. A number a servants most have
been in the dining room at the time of the explosion, but
it is not stated whether any of these are among the Injured.
The Palace is 700 feet square, and its inmates number 6,000
persona when the Czar is in residence. It is built on the
banks of the Neva. In front there is a lame open
called the Palace-square, in which stands Alexander's
spec.
Column, a monolith of red granite 80 feet high. On the
right of the Palace is Peter's-square, which contains the
celebrated statue of Peter the Great, and the Field of
Mars, a parade ground large enough for 40001 men to
manceuvre in. On the east side of the Palace is the
Empress Catherine's Hermitage, now a museum, and
connected with it by • covered way. This is the fourth
unsuccessful attempt on the life of the Czar within a few
months. Last April he was shot at by Solovieff, still more
recently an attempt was made to take his life when land-
ing at Odom' ; and later still a mine VMS exploded while
the Csar wax travelling by rail from Odessa to Moscow.
It is a curious fact that reports of the Winter Palace
being mined have been in circulation for some time past,
but have obtained little credence, especially among the
Russian people. The telegram received from the Duchess
of Edinburgh stated that the report of the explosion had
not been heard by the Empress, who was asleep at the
time, and that the Imperial family had not, up till the
hour of the deepsitc.h of the message, communicated to her
the news.