The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-05-13
Pluck ( and / Q Z 0
@ o RldVenture.
I y !.
4 VI 4
1cN'
GRAND pUKRS OWN STORY.

ev . his way Ia ~. Petersburg
\ His INJURIES are not severe
Tc~ although he Is suffering
I from burns on the neck and ears
caused 10y the tremendous explosion OF
/ the PetropaXloysk and from bruises
/ OF the back ana loinS caused. SuhSe.
Quenuy. ny the beating of the turbu.
. lent waves, which. however. quickly
subSided.
The Grand Duke can walk q little
now. lie gives the following story OF
his escape, which was almost mlracu
+ louS:
AZ the moment OF the explosion on
/ the Petropayloysk the Grand Duke
was on the bridge. at the other end OF
which was admiral Makaron II
seemed as II the world. the skies, the
waters We're suddenly rent asundcr
and from the gulf arose deyouring
cloud and binding flame, which burst
with deafen.ns roar into acrid suf-
locating fumes.
Scovched. blinded. choked. stunned.
. Cyril recovered consciousness suf-
hciently 10 recognize that the pctro-
payloysk was settling down by the
head. The bodies of the dead sailors
were floating OF the fogccaStle deck.
which was awash All around lay
wreckagc; fallen top hamper ana Scald-
Ing steam cut OF the Grand Dukes eS-
cape 10y the companiOnway.
He family remembers that he real
lied the necessity of making his way
aft, dimly reasoning that there he was
more likely. with some way still on
the ship, TO clear the suction from her
when she sank. He recalls SWarminC
hand over hand down from the bridge
and making his way along the deck
through smoke. fame. steam and still
suffocatng fumes among heaps of
human debris.
lie remembers ascending an incline
with the rising water as IL seemed
pursuing him into q barbette in which
the water was already pouring with
such force that he required all his
strength he could muster TO battle
his way through It. However he
reached a gun port and divcd through
it,
He recalls now that while diving the
thought flashed across his mind that
he must dive deep and swim rs FAR
as possible before rising. rs that was
his only chance 10 permanently clear
the sinking ship. So he diycd down
down and outward with all the force
Of M az tt,tf.
until his temples were bursting with
the effort OF retaining his breath.
Then he struck out upward.
However he had dived So deep that
Il seemed TO him he would never reach
the surface: but at last the light came
and he reached the air. While he filed
his lungs he supported himself ON n
piece OF n5dting wreCkage which hC
seized. and To which he assisted an
other struggling swimmer.
Then the Grand Duke looked around
for the Petropavlovsk. She was not e
be seen. The sea was quite calm, and
except for the gentle rise and fall OF
the woodwork 10 which he was cling
ing with his companion. he was quite
mOtionlcSs. But with each upward
swing he swept around his eyes Over
the smooth bosom Of the placid sea foi
the great ship.
There was no sign, no trace Of hci
except some floating bodies, few
buOyant articles and still fewer bat
Ting swimmers
The Grand Duke, of course, ala mo-
know then how much time IN,
elapsed, but ha heard aftorward tina
exactly one minute and forty seconds
passed between The explosion ana th,
ships disappraranco.-Ch Charles Hands
in the New York World.