Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1904-04-21
HOW IT HAPPENED.
Different Versions Of the Sinking
Of the Petropavlovsk.
ADMIRAL URIUS STATEMENT DENIED


st. Petersburg, April 1.-THE Asso-
ciated press obtained last night what
10 practically the ofiicial version OF the
sinking of the battleship Petropav-
lovsk at Port Arthur and It clears up
to O great extent the mysterious fea-
lures of that vessels destruction. This
version is as follows: Retiring before
the advance of a superior Japanese
fleet, which was not fighting its prog
ress, the Russian squadron approached
the entrance to the harbor. 1t was
shortly after eight o'clock In the morn
ing and most Of the officers and MEM
bers 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 Of
ficers surrounding the tables. On the
bridge Grand Duke Cyril, his friend.
Lieut.. Won Kobe, Capt Jakevleh, COM
manding the vessel, and two other Of
ficers were on watch examining the
narrow entrance preparatory to enter
ing It. At about $3.50 O'Clock there was
a terrific explosion Of the boilers, fol-
lowed few seconds later by detona-
ton from the well-stored magazines.
Huge gaps were torn in the hull of the
ship and the water rushed In. The CEN
ter Of gravity having gone, the ship
rolled on her side and sank. All in
formation tends to prove that mine
was responsible for the destruction Of
the Petropavlovsk.
The scene below will never be de-
scribed, as, so far as known, not q
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 remainder of the squadron i'm
mediately stopped and lowered small
boats and the torpedo boats steamed
as quickly as possible to the rescue OF
the survivors.
The exact number Of Vice Admiral
Makaroff's staff on board the Petro-
pavlovsk when she sank is unknown.
but It is thought by the admiralty to
be probably Is or 16. The exact num-
Der Of the crew lost is also unknown.
The Petropavlovsk had complement
of about $50, of which 81 were saved
at last accounts.
Declares the Potropsvlovsk Was Torpedoed.
London, April 15.-No further news
from Japanese sources concerning the
Port Arthur disasters has reached Lon
don. The Daily Nails Chefoo corre-
spondent declares that advices from
both Russian and Japanese sources in
dictate that the battleship Petropav-
lovsk was torpedoed. BY q pretense
Of an attack on the harbor by the
enemy Admiral Makaroff, says the cor
respondent, was enticed outside for
the Japanese torpedo boats, which
crept behind him and awaited his re-
turn and dealt the blow as he was
nearing the harbor on the return.
Japanese Admiraps Statement Denied.
st. Petersburg, April 15.-Rear Ad-
miral Uriu's statement that Vice Ade
miral Togo's feet was responsible for
the sinking of the battleship Petro-
pavlovsk at Port Arthur is officially de-
MED here. That the Petropavlovsk was
blown up by mine placed at the en-
trance to the harbor to prevent the
blocking of the channel is the opinion
entertained by the general STAFF. There
is a disposition, however, to raise
controversy as to whether the explo-
sion occurred inside or outside the bat
tleship.