New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-15
WARSHIP SUNK IN ACTION.
Continued from first page.

/
but Rear Admiral Prince Duktomsky's telegram
! to-day refers only to an explosion.
Grand Duke Boris. who witnessed the disas-
| ter from Golden Hill, i'm a telegram to his
! father Grand Duke Vladimir. described how the
J ship lifted, snveloped IN flame and smoke, and
! then turned turtle ana sank in two and half
! minutes. The appearance of smoke or steam
/ and fire was explained by a member of the
! general staff who said
The ship may have touched a mine forward
under her Whitehead torpedo magazine result
! ing in "a second explosion, or II she touched the
! mine amidships her boilers may have been ex-
| ploded. l consider IL certain that the Petro-
! pavloysk, as we'll as the Pobieda, struck mines
/ laid to protect the entrance to the channel. 1t
/ is difficult to imagine how the mines drifted,
/ they were heavily weighted. The entrance TO
/ the channel is narrow, but il was known to the
/ commanders by the bearings. 1t is possible the
! ships may have been carried by strong tide
( into the mine fields,
When the attention OF this member OF the
/ general staff was called to tho japanese state
meut that mines had been laid by their tor
/ pedo boats. he remarked laconcalTy: Il do not
believe IT"
MAKAROFFs STAFF LOSE LIVES
The loss OF life in the destruction of the Pet
ropavlovsk IS more serious than at first sup
posed il being learned that Admiral Makaroffs
whole naval staff was board.
Among the stories current, but from what
, source is not known. is one to the effect that
Makaror was sitting in his stateroom with
Rear Admiral Molas his chief OF staff when the
ship was blown Ut.
vice-Admiral Stark, formerly in command OF
the Russian feet at Port Arthur. in inter
view to-day is quoted saying:
In my opinion the Petropavlovsk struck one
OF the contact mines laid off Lao-Teai-Shnn, and
vailng last week II probably drifted under the
stress Of the southerly gales into the road
stead
II could not have been a mine laid near the
entrance Of the harbor, because these not
contact mines. but are fired by electric wires
from the shore.
The official bulletin this afternoon. conveying
the intelligence OF the loss of another torpedo
boat destroyer and the accidental Gripping of
another battleship. was almost as severe a blow
as the loss of the Petropavlovsk yesterday, and
plunged the whole town anew into grief
RUSSIANS NOT DIsHEARTENED.
Sorrow for the loss. but undiminished con-
ndence in ultimate victory. the note struck
by this mornings papers. An editorial in the
Russ" may be taken as voicing the national
feeling Let u.s." II read, remain calm. II is
a black day. but have been struck by blind
fate. not by the enemy
The Associated Press is authoritatively in
formed that the dispatches given out last night
in the text OF those originally received. and
represented all the Emperor's advices. The En-
peror himself directed that every word should
be published. The meagreness OF the kilograms
is attributed to the confusion due to the death
of Admiral Makaroff.
EMPEROR AT REQUIEM MASS.
A requiem mass for the repose Of the souls
of Admiral Makarofr ard the other officers and
the men OF the Petropavlovsk was celebrated at
noon to-day iii the Admiralty Church here. Out
side twenty thousand people. among whom were
many relatives of the sailors lost. stood with
barred heads and streaming eyes during the
service Inside the marble church. its walls
hung with militant ikons were assembled the
Emperor and the imperial family, high officers
OF the army and navy and the entire diplomatic
corps. all in full uniform, and also many
widows and families Of the officers drowned
The galleries were crowded with Russian blue
jackets.
The widow Of the admiral entered on the arm
Of the Grand Duke Constantine. followed by
her son and daughter. and took place beside
the imperial party. Every one present wore a
band OF Grape.
The Emperor who wore the uniform of a cap
tain in the navy, entered last and alone The
grief felt by his majesty was written on his
face. He and all the others present held lighted
tapers. The Empress was not present.
Just before the service began the Empress
DOwager embraced Admiral Makarons widow,
who sank on her knees almost at the feet Of
her majesty, and remained there until the end
OF the service.
SCENES OF GRIEF IN CHURCH
When the rector prayed for stephan and all
the warriors who died for their country" the
Emperor fell upon his knees. In instant all
present were kneeling and sobbing, the sobs be-
ing drowned by the music Of the choir. The
Grand Duchess Vladimir, mother OF the wounded
Grand Duke Cyril, broke down completely.
When the service finished the Emperor
raised the stricken widow and kissed her hand.
Then for several minutes he spoke to her con-
solingy also shaking hands with her daughter
and son.
The first person to hear OF Admiral Makarofr's
death was his widow, who received private
telegram. She was her way to ST. Peters
burg TO see the admirals brother, an officer OF
the guards, when the Emperor's aide-de-camp
reached her home at Peterhof. The admrals
brother returned with her to Peterhof She was
Frustrated with grief. Admiral Makarofr leaves
In addition to a daughter. eleven-year-old
son. to whom he frequently wrote and tele-
graphed. His last message was dated April 13
and conveyed his Easter greetings. The ad-
miraI added that he was passing Easter even
ing on board q gunboat stationed at the mouth
OF the harbor.
BATTLESHIPS WEAKNESSES
The "Novoe vremya" this morning reproduces
a lecture delivered by Admiral Makaroff in 1894
on the subject of the Victoria and the Camper
down catastrophe, in which he pointed out the
inherent weakness of battleships and their liza
bility to turn turtle. even when their watertight
compartments closed.