The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-08-14
Thirty Two Guns Roar,
"'Tis a Boy
AND STEEPLES ROAR
And All the Pompous TomfooIery With
Which Shutting Royalty Would In
press the Gaping ProIetariat, Its
Creator, is to be Enacted
Over This Babe.
(By the Associated Press.)

st. Petersburg, Aug. IA son anG
heir to the Russian throne has been
born. The Empress and the child are
doing we'll The ACCOMPLISHMENT oc-
Cured at 1890 o'clock this afternoon.
The child will be christened Alexis
The announcement from Peterhof was
Immediately followed by salute OF
101 guns from the imperial yacht lying
at anchor off the palace, but 1t was
2:45 d. m. when the guns of st. Peter
and st. Paul fortress opposite the
Winter Palace here. conveyed the glao
tidings to the people of the Russian
capital.
The effect was electrical. With the
boom of the first gun the people in
the streets, who had been momentarilS
expecting the event for twenty-foUr
hours, stopped to listen and count the
guns. Only thirty-one are fired for &
girl. When the thicty-second doomed
and the people We're aware that q.
last an heir to the throne was born
there were scenes of rejoicing every
where and before the salute was fin
ished the whole city had blossomed GU;
with flags and bunting and the ship
ping in the harbor was dressed. Their
the bells OF the churches began tc
ring wildly.
All the Land Roars JOY.
Tn the meantime the announcement
had been telegraphed to the little
towns and cities and the glad tidings
were spread with the clangor of bells
and the booming of cannon. Thanks
giving services followed in all the
churches At the chapel OF Alexandra
villa the Emperor and the imperial
FAMILY attended n TIE Deum.
i,fL, Af no J,oir fn no
was attended with all the ceremonial
ordained by imperial tradition. In &C
cordance with the Russian law there
were present besides the Emperor.
Baron Frederick the master of cere-
monies. and Prince Dologorouky, the
grand marshal of the court. Dr..
Rott. the Emperor's family physician.
was the accoucher of the heir ana
was the only physician in attend
ance.
DIR. Rott personally announced the
birth of the heir to the waiting i'm
perial family. A formal announces.
ment will be published in the Official
Messenger.
The christening OF the heir will take
place in a fortnight. 1t will be a
ceremony of the most elaborate sort.
In accordance with Russian imperial
custom it will be performed in the
imperial chapel of the Peterhoff pal
acN credited with being the most
magnificent chapel in Russia.
Augury of Better Days?
The hearts of the Russian people
are likely to be, more deeply touched
by the good fortune of the imperial
family than by a dozen victories or
defeats in the Far East and the super
stitious Russian character will read in
it an augury of a better time. st.
Seraphim, who was canonized last
summer by the Emperor at Saroff
has now become q favorite patron
saint, as the birth of the heir is al
tributed chiefly to his interposition.
The Emperor will signalize the event
by some gracious act. like the renis-
sion of arearages of taxes and amnesty
and for the next two weeks, until
the christening there will be a holiday
and public fetes of all kinds.
There is already a revival of the
talk that with the succession to the
throne. assured the Emperor will fol-
low the example of the House of Ro-
manoff and go to the front.
The heirs name will be Alexis Niko-
laievitch and if he reigns he prob
ably will assume the title of Alexis H.
The last Alexis was Emperor of Mos
covy, in 1915.