The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-04
The CZAR'S ESCAPE.
An Eye Witness Describes the Smash
up of the Imperial Train.
From the Pail MaH Gazette.

up OF the Imperial Train
From the Pail HnH 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 impe
rial car into fragments. The car, the
empress, the crown prince and two or three
more of the imperial children were at din
ner when the wreck came, ard this is how
an eyewitness describes the escape of the
royal family:
''Out of the crushed woodwork OF the
car, which appeared to be most completely
ruined, the illustrlous 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 is now the sub
ject of the profoundest amazement for all
Russia. A dog-kamtchatka-t Cars
favorite hound, living at his feet; a servant
presenting to him a tray with a glass Of
lea both the servant and the dog killed in
SPONTANEOUSLY and the car remains I'M
scathed. Under the feet Of the whole i'm
erial party, seated around the dining
table, the floor sinks, the whole bottom of
the carriage disappears. The four walls
are crushed together in the sudden smash {;
the unsupported roof gives way, and is pre-
vented from falling on the heads of the
empress and the august children only by
the powerful arms Of the emperor, who for
several minutes supports it alone above the
heads of his family. The little Grand
Duchess Olga is thrown out to distance of
several feet down the embankment; the
little Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovitch
is buried under the ruined carriages so deep
that be could hardly be discovered, and
then dug out and rescued from under the
debris with the greatest difficulty-and
both children are perfectly safe'and unhurt.
The Grand Duke George THE second som
finds himself squeezed between two seats,
and at the sam moment a heavy iron bar
is descending on his head but a second, Just
a second earlier. heavy brass frame fall
ing onto the same seats is 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 renal IS uninjured.
THE empress" continues the letter, Twas
the first to extricate he' self from the wreck,
and her terrible cry, Where is the emperor
Where are my childrenN was more heart
rending than any words can describe. But
heaven gave them ali back to her--all-out
from that heap of ruin. TWAS miraculous.
There is no other word. AS | looked at
what had been the dining saloon, and then
at those who had cen there, the brain re-
fused to think; one STOOL confCunded before
some inscrutable but horrible mystery.
Out of the carriage the little Olge Alexan-
drovna was hurled with her English nurse,
who had barely time to snatch her W 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 muse run out of
the way of further danger, but in dong Sd
size let go of he child, who & t up and ran
wildly on, crying. Don't kill me, good
Goi Don't kill me. good G. II Her nurse's
cries brought her back TO her and then the
little frightened soul, when she saw ner
papa and mama. her brothers and sisters,
were all safe, threw her little arms round
her nurses neck, crying; How should
like to throw my arms round Gods neck
and kiss him for saving us all And that
little one touched the cnord, which by this
time vibrates in the hearts of millions of
grown men and women in this great EN-
pire. i was very stupid you know, very
stupid; because / didn't know where was
running to a Bit the child said of her own
accord afterward.
1.-The empress right hand was badly
bruised, and the left slightly cut about, but
she went at once 10 attend the wounded as
they were extricated 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 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 handker
chief dipped in water, and the poor fellow
died kissing har hand