Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-07
THE CZAR'S ESCAPE.
An Eye Witness Describes the SMASH
ing up of the Imperial Train.
Prom the Pail Mall Gazette.

Prom the Pail Mall Gazette.
Private letters from st. Petersburg give
thrilling details of the narrow escape of the
imperial family from death in the recent
railroad accident which smashed the imperial
car into fragments. The car, the empress,
the crown prince and two or three more OF
the imperial children were at dinner when
the wreck came, and this is how an eye.
witness describes the escape Of the royal
family:
"Out Of the crushed woodwork OF the car,
which appeared to be most completely ruined,
the illustrious family were rescued, one after
another. and all unhurt save for few bruises
and cuts. That they were not all killed from
first to last il now the subject OF the profound
est amazement for all Russia. A dog-Kamt-
chatka-the cars favorite hound, lying at his
feet; a servant presenting to him tray with
a glass of tea; both the servant and the dog
killed instantaneously, and the car remains
unscathed Under the feet of the whole i'm
perial party seated around the dining table.
the floor sinks. the whole bottom of the car
rage disappears. The four walls are crushed
tog Their in the sudden smash; the unsupported
roof gives way, and is prevented from falling
on the heads of the empress and the august
children only by the powerful arms of the en-
perOr, who for several moments supports 1t
alone above the heads of the family. The lit
tie Grand Duchess Olga is thrown out to a dis
lance of several feet down the embankment; the
little Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovitch is
buried under the ruined carriages so deep that
he could hardly be discovered, and then dug
out and rescued from under the debris with
the greatest diffculty-and both children are
perfectly safe and unhurt The Grand Duke
George (the second SOM finds himself squeezed
between two seats. and at the same moment a
heavy iron bar is descending on his head; but a
al a sacOn1 n hoo bro FRO,
falling onto the same seats il found vertically
dovetailing into the two, leaving a recess Just
large enough to contain and protect his body,
and meanwhile Count Sheremetief arrests the
heavy bar in its fall which brushes and almost
tears three fingers off his hand, but George re-
mains uninjured
THE empress" continues the letter. ''was
the first to extricate herself from the wreck,
and her terrible cry, Where is the emperor?
Where are my childrenT was more heartrend-
ing than any words can describe. But heaven
gave them all back to her-all-out from that
heap OF ruin. 1t was miraculous. There is no
other word. As looked at what had been the
dining saloon, and then at those who had been
there, the brain refused to think; one stood
COMPOUNDED before some inscrutable but horri-
Bile mystery. Out of the carriage the little
Olga Alexandrovna was hurled with her Eng
lish nurse, who had barely time to snatch her
up IN her arms. and the two must have fallen
at least 20 feet on the slope, slippery with rain
The nurses first idea was that she must run out
of the way of further danger, but in doing so
she let go of the child, who got up and ran
wildly on. crying, Don't kill me. good God.
Don't kill me, good Godr Her nurses
cries brought her back to her, and then the
little frightened soul. when she saw her
papa and mama. her brothers and sisters. were
all safe, threw her little arms round her nurses
neck, crying: How l should like to throw my
arms round Gods neck and kiss HIM for saving
us allp And that little one touched the cord,
which by this time vibrates in the hearts of
millions of grown men and women in this great
empire. i was very stupid, you know, very
stupid; because didn't know where was run
ming to Bit the child said of her own accord
afterward.
The empress right hand was badly bruised.
and the left slightly cut about, but she went at
once to attend the wounded as they were extri-
Gated from the wreck of the other car For
nearly four hours she sat in the drizzling rain
on that sopping bank, binding up their wounds
or soothing them with words as healing as the
balm Of Gilead. One poor fellow lay there
mortally hurt, with his face fearfully scalded
and she sat by him cooling his face with her
handkerchief dipped in water, and the poor
fellow died kissing her hand"