Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1904-04-22
MAKAROFF's HER0IsM.
Expl otis Of Russian Admiral
Lost at Port Arthur.
BEST OF THE GEARS SEA FIGHTERS
In Russo-Turkish War He Distin-
guished Himself by Desperate Brav-
cry and Won Great HOnOrs-Fa-
nous Throughout the World ms an
Inventor of Naval Appliances.

Vice Admiral Stepan Osipovich Ma
karoff, COMMANDER of the Russian
fleet in the far east, who lost his life
at Port Arthur on sinking battle
ship, was considered the best naval Of
ficer in the ears service, says the New
York Globe
His reputation for heroism and skill
dated back to the Russo-Turkish war
At that time only lieutenant, Maka-
rolf was given command of small
merchantmen Of 1900 tons, called the
Grand Duke Constantine. Around
this unprotected ship, which he con-
verified into his flagship, he gathered a
tlotilla of small vessels, and with this
force he assaulted the Turkish IRON
clads that were seeking shelter in the
harbor Of Batoum, Sulina, Nikopolis
and Sukhum Kale.
Torpedo warfare was then in its ele-
mentary stage, and Makaroff had to
develop his own methods of attacking
ironclads with bombs. The torpedo
tube had not then been invented, and
the men of Makarotfs squadron had
to row in the night to the sides of the
enemy's battleships and fasten float
ing torpedoes to them. The firing
mechanism of these torpedOeS was de-
signed by the then young lieutenant,
and many were the Turkish ships sent
to the bottom by them.
Night after night the men Of the
rowboats with the young lieutenant
himself in command, the oars mutlied,
the torpedoes in tow. More often than
not the Turkish lookouts would detect
their approach and give the alarm,
and the batteries of the whole fleet
would be directed against them. At
other times the little party would
make good its attempt to reach the
Turkish ironclads and would retire
after igniting the time fuses attached
to she torpedoes which they had fas-
tened to the ships sides.
One dark night two of Makaroff's
boats attacked his own ship, the Grand
Duke Constantine, by mistake, and
when he shouted to them to draw off
Makaroff was well rewarded for his
desperate bravery and conspicuous
ability by the car. He was given the
cross of st. George - most priced of
all RUSSIAN decorations-a gold sword
of honor and the rank Of captain. Aft
er that he was marked out for dis
tinction and was rapidly promoted
through various important Offices un-
til he commanded successfully the
Baltic, Mediterranean and Pacific
squadrons.
Makaroff was member of a dis
tinguished naval family, his father
having been flag captain. Through.
out his long career he showed remark
able skill in the handling of fleets.
He was also famous in all the navies
of the world as an inventor of naval
appliances, Of which at least a couple
of dozen are now in use aboard Rus
sian warships.
Among these is his invention of the
ice breaker Yermak used to keep open
the icebound ports of the Pacific and
the Siberian lake Baikal. In order to
test the value of this invention he
made two tSlps to the arctic circle in
the Yermak, trying her against the
eternal ice of the polar zone. That is
good illustration of his character.
He left nothing to theory or chance.
Admiral Makarof was commander
at Cronstadt the Russian Gibraltar,