Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1904-04-14
GRAND DUKES
NARROW ESCAPE

l.. RI ElEhSD ID u NJ, a pm 10. - 4hc
city is full of rumors of the destruc-
tion of the first class battleship Petro-
paylovsk with great loss of life. The
reports cannot be confirmed or traced
80 an authoritative source. The En-
peror has received an official telegram
which is now being deciphered.
l2 :28 a. m-Grand Duke Vlad ilnir,
uncle of the Emperor. has received
telegram announcing that his son,
Grand Duke Cyril, has been wounded
at Port Arthur. A service of thanks
giving because his life was spared
has been held at the Grand Dukes pa
lace here.
:03 p. m.-Rumors atloat arc TAX
ing definite shape, indicating that
there has been fight at Port Arthur,
but no details are obtainable except
that the Petropavlovsk has been sunk,
probably with the loss of almost her
entire crew.
:27 p. m.-Another report is to the
effect that the telegram which Grand
Duke Vladimir received was from
Grand Duke Boris, brother of Grand
Duke Cyril, announcing that the Pc
tropavlovsk of which Cyril, was first
officer, had been blown up by striking
Russian mine, only four officers es-
Gaping. The Grand Duke Cyril's
wound was said to be slight.
The telegram according to this re-
pert did not mention the losses sus-
tained by the crew.
A semi official telegram received lat
or confirmed the report that the bat
tleship Petropavlovsk has been sunk
off Port Arthur and that only four of
the officers were saved, among them
being the Grand Duke Cyril, who was
wounded.
The reports are very conflicting as
to Makarotf's s death and as to whether
the catastrophe was the result of a
fight with the enemy or due to the
Petropavlovsk striking mine in the
harbor. Some of the rumors declare
that Makaroff was on board the Petro-
pavlovsk and others say he was not on
board. The report that there had been
fight seems to have originated out
of the supposition that the Petro-
pavlovsk could not have sustained
such injuries otherwise. 1t was point
ed out that il was known that the
Japanese had been hovering in the
neighborhood for several days.
Later it became known that the first
telegram received by Grand Duke
Vladimir said briefly that Grand Duke
Cyril had been wounded.
Another account says twenty men
escaped from the disaster to the Pet
Topavlovsk.
Grand Duke Cyril was saved from
death by almost a miracle. His broth
or, Grand Duke Boris, witnessed the
catastrophe through marine glass.
The result of the naval battle which,
according to the most reliable author
ity, was in progress, according to the
last reports has not yet been received.
Later it became known that the first
telegram received by Grand Duke
Vladimir said briefly that Grand Duke
Cyril had been wounded and that the
Petropavlovsk had been lost, without
mentioning fight. The mass of the
reports argee in two statements-that
Grand Duke Cyril. between whom and
the throne there is only single life,
was wounded, and that the Petropav-
lovsk was lost.
The Petropavlovsk, which had twice
previously been reported damaged in
japanese attacks on Port Arthur was
q first class battleship of l0.960 tons
displacement and ii. 243 indicated
horse power. She was 36712 feet long,
had 80 feet beam and her armored belt
was about 16 inches of steel, with ten
inches of steel armor on her turrets.
Her armament consisted of twelve
inch. IL six inch, "a smaller guns and
six torpedo tubes. The complement
OF the PetropavlOvsk when fully man
ned was 700 men