The Bourbon news., 1904-08-16
THE RUSSIAN THRONE.
A Male Heir Born to the Gar
and Czarina.
He VIII Be Christened Alexis-There
Is Great Rejoicing in ST. Peters
burg Over the Event and the
City Is Decorated.

st. Petersburg, Aug. 13.~The car
ina Friday gave birth to a boy The
heir to the throne will be named
Alexis.
His majesty received Fluctuations
excitedly He was almost overcome
with joy, and exclaimed: Praise
God, at last see the accomplishment
of my dearest wish"
The desire of the emperor and en-
press for male heir to the throne.
which has four times been disappoint-
ed, has been shared alike by the sub
jects of the White Father, and now
that the hopes are realized, all else
is forgotten in the Joy over the event.
The emperor was greatly restricted
in the choice of name for the heir
to the throne by the fact that the i'm
perial initials which everywhere ap-
pear in public edifices, on soldiers
epaulettes, saddle cloths, railway wag-
ons. ETC., are "a" and IN" The Sc
lection of a name not beginning with
these letters would entail enormous
expense should the heir come to the
throne.
There are a great many traditions
about the name. The first Alexis. who
won many victories over the Poles,
endeared himself to his people and is
known in Russian history as "The fa
ther of his country"
The name is not particularly lucky
one. Alexis Petrovitch was ordered
to be executed by his father, Peter
the Great, for treason, but died in
prison
A curious coincidence is that the
heir was born on the anniversary of
the canonization of st. Seraphim and
another coincidence is that the birth
occurred on the anniversary of the ap-
pointment of Adm. Alexieff as viceroy
in the far east.
st. Petersburg Friday night was di-
vided between rejoicing over the birth
of an heir to the throne and anxiety
as to the fate of the Port Arthur
squadron. AS has happened on sew
eral occasions since the war began.
fete day at the capital comedies with
an important development at the front
and national thanksgiving is temper
ed with solemnity.
A day marked by the display Of
flags, the firing of salutes, the holding
of religious services. and the extending
of official congratulations was follow
ed by night of brilliant illumination.
Garlands and lamps were strung Fri
day night across almost every house
front, while from many of the larger
buildings flashed the Russian arms,
the imperial monogram and other de-
vices picked out in electric globes
Early tens of thousands of tapers
glimmered before the affairs of st. Pc
tersburg's many shrines. In chapels
and cathedrals everywhere there were
solemn choruses of thanksgiving
from the imperial chapel of the Peter
hof palace to the humble lamp lit
shrines Of the streets. where the hur-
rying pedestrians, laborers and drosky
drivers waited to cross the street
themselves. the street crowds Friday
night were, however. much quieter
than usual on holiday for the popu-
Alexander villa could not dispel the
anxiety which prevailed regarding the
fate of the squadron on which so much
depends.
Saturday morning the empress and
the heir to the throne were both max
ing satisfactory progress.
An imperial manifesto was publish
ed announcing the birth of an heir.
1t invites all Russian subjects to offer
their prayers for the prosperity of the
heir to the throne.
In receiving the congratulations of
his court Friday, the emperor. in a
brief reply. said: II am happier at
the birth of son and heir than at a
victory of my troops, for now I face
the future calmly and without alarm,
knowing by this sign that the war
will be brought to happy conclusion"