Americus times-recorder., 1904-04-21
THRILLING ESCAPE
GRAND duke CYRIL
Graphic Story of Explosion on
the Petropavlosk.
sKIRMIsHEs ON YALu RIVER
News of Some Decisive Engagement
Between the Two Opposing Armies
In the Far East Expected at any
Moment-Wid Rumors Afloat.

MOInSnL-WIlQ HumOFS ATlOaIs
New York, April 2O.-Grand Duke
Cyril has Just arrived here on his
way to st. Petersburg, says a Worlds
dispatch from Harbin His injuries
are not severe. He gives the follow.
ing story of his escape, which was
almost miraculous.
At the moment of the explosion OF
the Petropavlovsk the grand duke was
on the bridge, at the other end OF
which was Admiral MakarofY 1t
seemed as if the world, the skies, the
waters were suddenly rent asunder
and from the gulf arose a cloud of
binding fame, which burst with
deafening roar into acrid, suffocating
fumes.
Scorched, blinded, choked, stunned,
Cyril recovered consciousness suffi-
ciently to recognize that the Petro.
pavlovsk was settling down by the
head. The bodies of the dead sail.
ors were iioating from off the fore
castle decK, which was awash All
around lay wreckage; fallen top hamp.
ter and scalding steam cut off the
grand Gul1e's escape by the compan
ion way.
He family remembers that he real
lied the necessity of making his way
aft, dTmly reasoning that there he was
more likely to clear from her suction
when she sank. He recalls Chamber
ing down from the bridge and making
his way along the deck through the
clouds of steam and masses of debris
He remembers ascending an incline
with the rising water, as it seemed,
pursuing him intoa barbette in which
the water was already pouring with
such force that he required all his
strength to battle his way through it.
However, he reached a gun port and
dived down and outward with all the
force OF an ati-ete and practiced
swimmer untI-- lis temples were burst
ing with the e-ort of retaining his
breath.
Then he struck upward At last
the light came and he reached the
air. While he filled his lungs he
supported himself on piece of float
ing wreckage, which he siezed and to
which he assisted another struggling
swimmer.
Then Tie grand duke looked around
for the Petropavlovsk. She was not
to be seen. The sea was quite calm,
and, except for the gentle rise and
fall of the woodwork to which he was
clinging with his companion, he was
quite motfonless. There remained
only a few swimmers, some floating
wreckage and corpses.
Lack of Definite information.
st. Petersburg, April 20.-1:49 pm.
In regard to the reported purchase
by Russia of four ships IN the United
States, it is now said that the deal
was negotiated at Constantinople by
General Wlldams, the agent of Phila-
delphia shIpbuilding firm, and the Rus.
sian ambassador to Turkey, M. Zinc
vieff.
The admiralty still lacks definite
confirmation as to the cause of the Pc.
tropavlovsk disaster. The authorities
at Port Arthur evidently are not yet
convinced tnat they have the true ex.
PLANTATION. The general staff here Is
divided between two opinions, a mine
or boiler explosion, although q few
still cling to the theory that the bat.
tleship was sunk by submarine boat.
The boiler explosion theory is based
on the knowledge that the Petropav.
lovsk had been steaming at full speed
and that her sudden slow down may
have caused accumulation of pressure
which burst her boilers. Those who
accept the mine theory and they are
in the majority, Believe that the ex.
plosIon of The mine detonated the mag.
azine which blew up before the boil.
ers. Tie main objection advanced
against the mine idea is that the wa.
ter where the catastrophe occurred is
too deep for anchoring mines.
$4,000 Russians on Yaiu.
Seoul, April 20.-11:45 a. m.-Tbe
Japanese authorities here admit thar
constant skirmishing is occurring he.
tween the opposing armies on the Vain
river, but they claim that no decisive
action has taken place up to date
though news of such an engagement
Is expected~ :at any moment