Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-04-21
TERRIBLE BLOW To
THE RUSSIAN NAVY
ADMIRAL MAKARoFF AND GREAT
SHIP LOST.
DEAD NUMBER 800 MEN
Official Report Says 6attleship Petro
pavlovsk is Destroyed With Com,
mander and Crew by Running Upon
a Mine Placed by Russians and Lo-
cation Thereof Lost.

st. Petersburg, April 1.-THE Jap.
anese feet attacked Port Arthur at
daylight Wednesday and full Russian
squadron under command of Admiral
Makarof went out to meet it. The
Russian fleet was assisted by the fire
OF the forts and according to some
dispatches was successful in driving
the enemy off.
While going out to meet the Japan~
csc fleet the Petropavlovsk struck a
mine in the outer roadstead, heeled
over, turned turtle and sank. Prac.
tically the whole of her crew of 500
men was lost Only four officers were
saved, among them being the Grand
Duke Cyril. The Petropavlovsk was
lying the flag of Vice Admiral Maka,
rolf
The Japanese fleet, according to Off
cial reports, included 80 ships, sever
al being torpedoes and torpedo boat
destroyers.
Couldn't Prevent Disaster.
According to the Associated Press
informant, while preparing to draw up
the line of battle in the outer road
stead, tie Petropavlovsk struck mine
on her larboard side amidships and
Immediately began to heel Before the
crew could flood the port compart-
ments of the vessel to keep her on an
even keel. she turned turtle and sank
in few minutes, carrying down almost
the entire crew. Capt N Jakovloff, |
the Grand Duke Cyril and two other
officers were saved because they were
standing on the upper bridge The
frightful loss of life among the officers
and men was due to the fact that they
all were at their stations, ready for ac-
ton.
Like Victoria Catastrophe.
The Petropavlovsk turned turtle in
manner similar to the British battle.
ship Victoria, which was rammed by
the Camperdown in 1898, and to the
incident in the China-Japanese war,
when Chinese warship turned turtle,
many of the crew remaining alive for
several days, hammering desperately
on the upturned hulk. When the news
of Grand Duke Cyril's miraculous es-
cape reached his parents here tie
deum service was held at the Vladimir
palace.
A Powerful Battleship.
The Petropavlovsk, which had twice
previously been reported damaged in
Japanese attacks on Port Arthur, was
frst-class battleship of 10,960 tons
displacement and 1928 indicated
horsepower She was 4671b feet long, |
had SO feet beam and her armored belt
was of about 16 inches of steel, with 10
inches of steel armor on her turrets.
Her armament consisted of four II
inch twelve 6-inch, four smaller guns
and six torpedo tubes. The compile
ment of the Petropavlovsk, when fully
manned, was 500 men. She was built
at st. Petersburg and was completed in
1898
1t is believed that the mine which
sank the Petropavlovsk had drifted out
of it's original position.
Official Explanation Unsatisfactory.
London, April 14-Rome has a ru-
NOR that Makaroff's squadron was at
tackled by the whole Japanese feet, his
retreat cut off and his ship damaged,
while the Petropaylovsk was surround
ed by torpedo boats, struck by five tor
pedoes and blown up. While little at
tention is paid to the rumor, the opin-
ion here is that the official explana-
tons of the diaster are unsatisfactory.
Killed While at Breakfast.
st. Petersburg, April 15.-The Asso-
ciated Press obtained last night what
is practically an official version of the
sinking of the battleship Petropavlovsk
and it clears up to great extent the
mysterious features of the vesseFs de
struction. Retiring before the advance
Of the superior Japanese fleet, the Rus,
sian squadron approached the entrance
to the harbor. 1t was shortly after S
o'clock in the morning and most Of the
officers and members of the crew were
at breakfast. Vice Admiral Makaroff
was in his cabin and the ward room
was crowded with officers. On the
bridge Grand Duke Cyril, Lieutenant
Ven Kobe, Captain JakoVleff, COM