Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-08-12
HEIR TO RUSSIAN
 THRONE BORN TO-DAY
Great Joy Brought to the Imperial Court-W Welcome News at Time When Reverses Are Meeting Rus. sian Armies Hay Put Stop to Intrigues as Court

St Petersburg, Aug 11.-A son and heir to the Russian throne has been born. The empress and the child are doing well. The birth occurred at 12:30 p. m. The child will be christ ened Alexis.
 The birth so greatly wished for, that of an heir to the Russian crown, occurred not in the great palace at Peterhof, but In the Alexandria villa, one of group of four small palaces In q secluded corner of the magnifi- cent Peterhof park. Tn one of these buildings the empress had been living for weeks. The other three are oc- cupied by members of the imperial family, gathered there in expectation of to-day's event, including the en- press mother, bis majestys two sis- ters, the grand duchesses Xenia and Olga, his brother, Grand Duke Mi- chael and other relatives. The Alex andra villa is much more private spot than the grand palace. The warm, brown tinted buildings, in the center of which rises a tall square watch tower, are set in a thick for est of oaks, birches and lindens, hid- ing them from view on every side ex- cept toward the gulf of Finland whose waters almost lap the founda- ton or the nearest shoreward build ing From this section of the park the public had been excluded for days past, while short mile down the coast children romped and shout ed under the deserted windows of the big Peterhof palace. and crowds of visitors gathered each afternoon to watch the marvellous fountains, sec ond only in all Europe to those of Versailles.
 The birth of the heir to the throne was attended with all the ceremonial ordained by imperial tradition. Tn accordance with the Russian law there were present besides the en- peror, Baron Frederickks, the master Of the ceremonies, and Prince Dol gourky, the grand marshal of the court. Dr Rott, the emperor's family physician was the accoucheur and Dr Hiruch was the surgeon in attend ance.
 Dr Rott personally announced the birth of the heir to the awaiting fam ily A formal announcement will be published in the Official Messenger
 An imperial salute of 101 guns was subsequently fired, first from Peter hof, and 1t was then repeated by all the forts around St Petersburg.
 The christening of the heir will oc- cur in a fortnight It will be cere- mony Of the most elaborate sort. Tn accordance with Russian imperial GUS tom it will be performed in the i'm perial chapel of the Peterhof palace, credited with being the most mag nificent chapel in Russia.
 The importance of the birth of an heir to the throne of Russia cannot be exaggerated, coming as it does at 8 time when the Russian people are depressed by the reverses which the arms of Russia have sustained in the far east. Not only will the coming of "a son to the emperor and empress bring joy to Russia in general be- cause it marks the advent of a new era for Rusisa, but it will put an end to the intrigues, more or less open, which have been features of the present reign since the birth of the first daughter to their majesties. Up to to-day the Grand Duke Michael, only brother of the emperor, was the heir presumptive. A powerful, healthy, ambitious man, was born in 1878, Grand Duke Michael is much beloved by the people and in recent years has been looked upon as the probable successor of Nicholas II. Stories have been circulated to the effect that Grand Duke Michael, like his deceased brother, Grand Duke George, suffered from lung trouble, but these reports are pronounced to bel unfounded by those who are In a po- sition to know the real facts in the case The birth of an heir to Rus sia's throne also disposes of the am bitions of the family of the Grand Duke Vladimir, oldest uncle of the emperor and father of Grand Dukes Cyril, Boris and Andre, and of the Grand Duchess Helena, wife of Prince Nicholas of Greece.