The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-04-14
RUSSIAN FLAGSHIP BLOWN UP
BY ONE OF THE RUSSIAN MINES
Admiral MakaF0ff and
500 Officers and Men
Are Sent TO Their Death
RUSSIAN CAPITAL is
STRICKEN WITH GRIEF.

st. Petersburg, April 13.-The awful
disaster to the battleship Petropav-
lovsk at Port Arthur. the loss of al
most her entire crew of over 600 men
and the death of Vice Admiral Maka-
rolf have been terrific blows. 1t would
have fallen less heavily if the ship and
the commander-in-chief of the feet
had been lost in battle, but to be the
result of another accident following
upon the heels of succession of trag-
edies of which the Port Arthur fleet
has been the victim has created some
thing like CONSERVATION.
"Reverses we can endure" said a
prominent Russian, but to have the
Petropavlovsk meet the fate of the
Yenesei and the Boyarin is heart
breaking"
Besides, it has just become known
that the battleship Poltava several
weeks ago had a hole rammed in her
by the battleship Sevastopol while the
latter was maneuvering in the har-
Dor of Port Arthur.
The day has been one of intense ex-
citement in st. Petersburg. The first
inkling of the catastrophe leaked out
on the receipt of a telegram by Grand
Duke Vladimir from his son, Grand
Duke Boris, announcing the loss of
the Petropavlovsk and the wounding
of Grand Duke Cyril, who was first
officer. The Grand Duchess Vladimir
was almost frantic on the receipt of
the telegram, being convinced that the
message was only a precursor of worse
news, as it was signed by Grand Duke
Boris, instead of by the aide to Grand
Duke Cyril. Won Kube.
Lieut.. Won Kube had gone down with
the ship
House of Mourning.
The youngest son Of the Grand Duke
Vladimir, Grand Duke Andre ", a dash
ing young Guardsman, behind the fast
est trotters, hurried to the Winter Pal
ace, the admiralty and elsewhere, seek
ing confirmation of the news, which
came two hours later in a message to
the Emperor from Rear Admiral Gri-
gorovitch, the commandant at Port
Arthur.
A religious service was immediate
ly held at Grand Duke Vladimirs pal
ace, in which thanks were returned to
the Almighty for the sparing of the
life of the Grand Duke Cyril, but the
Emperor was so overwhelmed with
grief at the death of Vice Admiral
Makaroff that neither he nor the EN-
press attended the service. Instead,
the Emperor sent member of his
personal staff to break the news to
Vice Admiral Makaroff's widow, who
is living in St. Petersburg.
Meanwhile, the city was filed with
the widest rumors, but the Official
dispatches were so meager and pri-
vate dispatches so conflicting regard
ing what had occurred that the pub
lie was kept in suspense for six hours.
Then, although the report was incem-
plete, dispatches were posted on the
Nevsky Prospect and other war bull
Ietin boards.
The grief of the crowds whose worst
fears were thus officially confirmed,
was touching. The Ministry of Marine
was soon surrounded by thousands of
persons, eagerly asking for more de-
tails. In the crowd of inquirers were
the stricken relatives of those who were
on board the Petropavlovsk.
What occurred prior to the blow
ing up of the flagship was only vague
ly known, except that Vice Admiral
Makaroff, with his flag flying on the
doomed vessel, sailed out to engage
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