The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-09
A RUSSIAN HERO.
Deeds OF Daring for Which SkrildoE
Has Been Honored.

Deeds OF Daring for Which SkrildoE
Has Been Honored.
FROM the London Figaro.
It is scarcely known even in Paris that 1t
was COmmoder Skridloff, who was selected
to accompany Admiral Gervais at the time
OF the reception at Cronstadt, and conse-
Quently the high honor which Emperor Al
exander paid to his French hosts by this
selection remained almost q secret. NichO-
las Harionovitch Skridlotf, now As years
old, IS on the point of becoming rear adj
miraL HIS past history Is glorious. lie
wears upon his breast the cross of st. George,
the highest order that can be conferred in
Russia for an act OF daring bravery which
signalized his debut In the war Of 1917
between Russia aud Turkey.
The Russian army was preparing to cross
the Danube on pontoons when two Turkish
| monitors appeared. Young Lieut.. Skridloff
was selected 20 oppose the advance of the
Turkish vessels with six sailors and his
friend, the painter Verestehsgin, who insist
ed upon going with him. SkridIoH boarded
| the pleasure yacht of the late Emperor and
prepared to put torDedoes under the mont
| tors. Let us take q glass Of sherry" said
| he 90 Verestchagin when the yacht moved
out; 1t VIII doubtless be our last"
The TURKS were astonlshed at the
approach of the little craft and sen6 perfect
| shower OF shot at it; but feeriA6 to be
blown 20 pieces, they quickly Steamed
back. leaving the Russians TO cross the
river unmolested. The Sehutka. having
accomplished her mission, brought back
Lieut.. SkridloH with four serious wounds.
he was the first man wounded in the cam
paign. The act OF bravery won for the
young man rapid promotion.
In 1887 be was captain of the Strelock, a
warship OF 800 tons. He was cruising in
the Atlantic during the Afghanistsn diff
Guilty. 1t will be remembered that the
Russian Gen. Komaroff fortified the strategic
line OF the river kouschka, thus
threatening the English in India. A war
rumor passed over Europe. TheEnglish
government instructed its ambassador at
st. Petersburg to obtain from the cgar a
refusal to sanction the action OF Komaroff,
u der penalty of a rupture Of all amicabIe
negotiations. Alexander III. was not
inundated, and his bold reply was that
komaron had acted under his orders.
Everybody expected a declaration of war,
Charged with secret mission for toe
United States, SkridloR was followed by
an English vessel Of a tonnage double the
size OF that OF his cruiser and the big Brit
isher was commanded by Capt. Hand
| When anchored in she barbor at Newport
| Skridloff resolved to escape from the En-
| glishman. and this was the way he managed
! it: 1t was Saturday, and q perform ance
was to take place at ths theater in the even
| ing. In the afternoon Skridloff ordered
| ali the linen OF the sailors to be hung out or
| the yardarm, as Is the custom on Washdays
He himself went ashore and proceeded &c
the theater, accompanied by a number CT
| his officers.
AT the close of the performance he invited
the actresses and Capt. Hand to supper.
The Invitation was accepted. Toward
midnight. leaving his cap and parade saber
in view. he made an excuse for a temper
airy absence from the dining room, but
didn't come back. He quickly boarded his
vessel, weighed anchor and ESCAPED, and
Capt. Hand was afterward cour l-nartinled
| During the same cruise the Strelock put
into San Domingo, where Capt. Skrldlofi
sent two officers ashore to get news from
the continent. The Haytians arrested the
| Russian officers.
After several hours of waiting the Captain
| went ashore himself and demanded the
immediate release Of his officers, as well as
a written apology duly signed, other wise
he would have the place bonn arded at once
In order 10 make no mistake about the
thing, he had given orders to his second
officer to open fire AZ a signal from his
hand. The haytians yielded, and Skridloh
| recorded the document in which these facts
were related at the English consulate.