The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-04-15
SAD BLOW TO RUSSIA
LOSS OF PETROPAVLOVSk AND OF
MAkARoFF WORST plsAs.
TER OF THE WAR.

st. Petersburg, April lathe awful
disaster to the battleship Petropav-
lovsk at Port Arthur, with the loss of
almost her entire crew Of over 600
men and the death of Vice Admiral
Makaroff, has been a terrible blow.
1t would have fallen less heavily if
the ship and the commandments
OF the fleet had been lost in battle,
but to be the result of another acct
dent following Upon the heels of a
succession of tragedies of which the
Port Arthur fleet has been the vic
Tins, has created something like con.
s%ternation.
"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 harbor
Of Port Arthur.
The day has been one of intense ex-
element in St. Petersburg. The first
lnkling 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 P~etropavlovsk and the wounding
of Grand Duke Cyril, who was first
officer. Confirmation of the news
the emperor from Rear Admiral
Arthur.
Religious Service Held.
A religious service was Immediately
held at Grand Duke Vladimir's palace
in which thanks were returned to the
Almighty for the sparing of the life
of Grand Duke Cyril. but the emperor
was so overwhelmed with grief at the
death of Vice Admiral Makaroff that
neither he nor the empress attended
the service. Instead the Emperor
sent q member of his personal staff to
break the sad news to Vice Admiral
Makarof's widow, who is living at
Peterhof, a few miles west Of st. Pc
tersburg.
Meantime the city was filled with
the widest runors but the official dis
patches were so meagre and private
dispatches SO conflicting regarding
what had occurred that the public was
kept in suspense for six hours. Then,
although the report was incomplete,
dispatches were posted on the war bull
letin boards. The grief of the crowds,
whose worst fears we're thus officially
confirmed, vas touching. The min
lstry of marine was soon surrounded
by thousands of persons eagerly ask
ing for more details. In the crowd of
mquirers were the stricken relatives
81 those who were on board the Petro-
pavlOvsk.
What occurred prior to blowing up
Of the flagship was only vaguely
known, except that Vice Admiral
Makaroff, with his flag flying on the
doomed vessel, sailed out to engage
the enemy until his reinforcements
appeared.
Ambush by Togo Probable.
1t is thought possible that Vice Ad-
miral Togo planned an ambuscade by
sending in a small squadron in the
hope of drawing out the Russian com
mander to the open and then cutting
off his escape.
The location of six Of the mines
planted by the Yenisei were unknown,
NE charts having been lost when that
vessel went down. Probably it was
one of these mines that the PetropaS-
lovsk struck.
Vice Admiral Makaroff's death is
really a greater loss than would be
that of several battleships. He was
the pride of the navy and enjoyed the
Implicit confidence of his sovereign
as well as of the officers ard men OF
the service. sneaking Of his death
Officers here all remarked upon the