The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1904-04-21


Port Arthur. and it clears up to great
extent the mysterious features of that
vessels destruction. This version is
as follows: Retiring before the advance
of a superior japanese fleet which was
not fighting its progress, the Russian
squadron approached the entrance to
the harbOr. 1t was shortly after 8
o'clock i'm the morning, ana most of
the officers and members of the crew
were at breakfast on the flagship.
Vice Admiral Makaroff was eating
breakfast in his cabin, and the ward
room was crowded with officers sur
rounding the tables. On the bridge
Grand Duke Cyril, his friend Lieuten-
ant Won Kobe, Captain Jakovleff, COM
manding the vessel, and two other OFF,
GERS were on watch examining the mar
row entrance preparatory TO entering
it. At about $50 o'clock there was a
terrific explosion of the boilers, follow
ed a few seconds later by defamation
from the weli-stored magazines.
Huge gaps wer torn in the hull of
the ship and the water rushed in. The
center of gravity having gone the ship
rolled on her side and sank. All infor-
nation tends to prove that mine was
responsible for the destruction of the
never be described, as, so far as
known, not a single person between
decks succeeded in escaping. The hot
steam which scalded the men on deck
indicated what must have been the
character of the death met by those
in the engine room.
The men on deck were thrown in all
directions, those falling into the water
swimming and grasping the wreckage
to which some of them were able TO
cling. The escape of Grand Duke Cy-
ril and Lieutenant Won Kobe was moth
ing short of miraculous. The force OF
the explosion sent Grand Duke Cyril
flying across the bridge and the base of
his skull struck on an iron stanchion.
Fortunately he did not lose conscious
ness. Believing that the ship was
about to sink he clambered hastily
down its side and boldly plunged into
the water He succeeded in reaching
q piece of wreckage, to which he clung
The grand duke was in the water
about twenty minutes before he was
picked up by a torpedo boat Lieuten-
ant Won Kobe was also found swim
ming. and was picked up. Captain
Jakovleff was thrown against a stanch-
ion with such force that he was killed.
| brand Duke Cyril's injuries were Sc
we're. Besides receiving a blow on the
neck his legs were burned and he suf-
fered serious shock He was taken
Immediately TO hospital at Port Ar
thur. where his injuries were attend
ed to. He remains there for three
days and will then be brought to st.
Petersburg.
The exact number of Vice Admiral
| Makaroff's staff on board the Pc
tropavlovsk when she sank is unknown.
but is thought by the admiralty to be
probably fifteen or sixteen. The eX-
act number of the crew lost is also Tn
known. The Petropavloysk had "a
| complement of about 650. of which IF
ty-two were saved at last accounts.
London, April 15.-The Daily Nails
! Chefoo correspondent says that the
Petropavlovsk was sunk by Il japanese
torpedo, the torpedo boat having
slipped in behind the ship and deal
the blow as she was returning to the
harbor. A Paris dispatch says that al
st. Petersburg the real opinion is that
the Japanese did it with a submarine