The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-02-24
THE WINTER PALACE.
SCENE OF THE: LATE EXPLOSION.
Why the Csar Disregardod The Announcement Of
characterization and Solutions, 0hamborlains
and Laokeys Gather in the Corridors
Description Of tho Interior.

London, Feb. ga portion of letter
from Prince Alexander, Of Hesse,
to his wife, dated st. Peters
burg, February 18th, and published here
saws, II was received at the railway station
by all the sons of the Emperor and by
Prince Alexander of Bulgaria and was
thence conducted to the Winter palace.
The Emperor waited on me at the stair case.
We we're escorted through large corridor to
His Majesty's apartments, when suddenly
a fearful explosion was heard.
The flooring was raised as by an earthquake,
the gas extinguished, and we were left in TO-
tai darkness; at the same time horrible dust
and smell of gunpowder and dynamite filled
the corridor. Some one shouted to us that
the chandelier had fallen down in the room
where the table was laid for dinner. hast
ened thither with the Czarowitch and
Grand Duke Admir- while Count Adel5erg,
in doubt as to what might
have happened, held back the Emperor. We
found all the windows broken and the walls
in ruins. Dinner had been delayed half an
hour for my arrival, and it was owing to
this circumstance that the Imperial family
had not yet assembled in the dining hail.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PALACE.
In order to fully comprehend the boldness
of the attack glance at the above map,
showing the inner disposition of the Winter
palace and all its surroundings, is necessary.
The dining room underneath which the ex-
plosion took place, is clearly designated on
The map. 1t is situated, together with the
other private apartments of the Emperor
and Empress, on the second floor Of the
southeast wing of the huge building, Imme-
diately beneath this room the watchroom,
which has chiefly suffered from the explosion,
is situated. The entrance to it lies under the
main gateway (gg) leading into the inner
court of the palace. Beneath the watchroom,
which Ia reached by an open staircase several
steps high, as indeed beneath the
hrst floor throughout the whole palace,
runs high basement, the windows OF
which are on level with the street and 10
which the kitchens, servants rooms and ~
rious localities devoted to the service of the
hundreds of people inhabiting the palace are
situated. Beneath the basement lie the cell
lars wood and coal store rooms and such
like. II thus becomes evident that the mine
must have been laid in the ground beneath
the cellars, for it is virtually impossible that
the conspirators could have accomplished
their work undetected either in the basement
or in the cellar, both localities being con-
stantly occupied by officials of the palace
and closely watched day and night by the
agents Of tho palace police. The terrific
force Of the explosive used in this case may
be Judged by the fact that in order to dam
age the dining-room in the second floor
1t had to pierce (1) the cellar
vault; (2) the basement floor; (3) tho floor
of the watchroom, and (4) the flooring Of the
dining ROOM The laying Of q mine Of such
proportions, and under the obvious difficult
ties and dangers the situation presented
must have taken many weeks if not months
Of incessant labor.a
THE BASE OF OPERATIONS.
Another question which the Interior inves.
tigation will probably solve is whence the
mine was conducted and where the conspira-
tors located the base of their operations.
Here two alternatives are possible: Either
the nine was laid in the palace or it was con-
Quoted from outside. The map shows that
the latter alternative is improbable, if not
impossible. The surroundings of the palace
arc such as to render any mining