The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-04-27
The PetropaVloQSk Blown Up
Outside Port Arthur, Ad-
miral MakarOf Sink
ing With Her.
VESSEL STRUCK STRAY MINE

st. Petersburg. RusSia.-The battle
ship Petropavlovsk was sunk by strlk-
inc a mine in the outer rOadStead
of Port Arthur. She heeled over,
turned turtle and went to the bottom.
The Petropavlovsk was flying the
fag of Vice-Admiral Makaroff, the
naval Communicating Chief in the Far
East, and he went down with the yes
sci.
Practically the entire crew of the
battleship. numbering about 100, per-
iShed.
Seven officers, including the Grand
Duke Cyril, and thirty-two men, were
saved. All these, including the Grand
Duke. were more or less injured.
According to the first accounts, the
PetropavlorSk sank as she was going
out to meet the Japanese fleet, which
appeared OFF Port Arthur in the morn
ing. 1t now appears that she met
with disaster as she was returning
with the other warShipS after it had
been ascertained that the enemy had
been strongly reinforced.
1t has Just become known that the
battleship Poltava several weeks ago
had a hole rammed in her by the bat
tleship SevaStopol while the latter was
maneuvring in the harbor OF Port
Arthur. This increases the consterna-
ton here.
According to report the Petro-
paylovsk struck mine on her star
board side amidships and Immediately
began to heel. Before the crew could
food the port compartments OF the
vessel in order to keep her on an even
keel. she turned turtle and sank in
few minutes.
Captain Jakoileff, the Grand Duke
Cyril, and two other officers were
saved. because they were standing on
the upper bridge. The frightful loss
Of life among the officers and men was
due to the fact that they were all at
their stations ready for action.
The Petropavloysk turned turtle in
q manner similar to the British battle
ship Victoria, which was rammed by
the Camperdown in 1893. In the Chino
Japanese War Chinese warShip also
turned turtle, many of the crew re-
naming alive for several days, ham,
mering desperately on the upturned
hull.
The awful disaster at Port Arthur
has been a terrific blow. 1t would
have fallen less heavily if the ship and
the Commander-in- Chief of the fleet
had been lost in battle. but to be the
result of another accident following
upon the heels of a succession Of traG-
edics of which the Port Arthur fleet
has been the victim, it has created
something like conservation.
What occurred prior to the blowing
up of the flagship is only vaguely y
known, except that Admiral Makaroff,
with his flag flying Oh the doomed ves-
sci, sailed out to engage the enemy
until his reinforcemelts appeared. 1t
is thought possible that Admiral Togo
planned an ambuscade by sending in a
small squadron in the hope Of drawing
out the Russian commander to the
open and then cutting him off.
Admiral Makaroff's death is
really 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
we'll as of the officers and men OF the
service.
1t is now an open secret that Admiral
Makaroff was not anxious to resign
his command at Kronstadt, which ne
cessitated his leaving his wife and
family. but the Emperor held such
high opinion of him that he declined
to consider other candidates, although
it was pointed out that Rear-Admiral
Rojestvensky, Chief of the General
Staff of the Navy. who has just been
appointed to command the Baltic
squadron. and who is now destined to
succeed Makaroff, as we'll as others,
were anxious to distinguish them
selves. AS Admiral Rojestvensky will
go to the Far East, Vice-Admiral
Skrydloff, commander Of the Black Sea
fleet, will be placed in command of the
Baltic squadron.
1t is stated that Viceroy AleXieff will
assume command of the naval forces
in the Far East. presumably pending
the arrival of Admiral RojestvenSky.
Makaroff is believed to have been in
the coming tower when the Petrc-
pavlovSk was blown up. Grand Duke
Cyril probably owes his life TO the fact
that he is a fine athlete and 4 splendid
swimmer. His escape is regarded as
almost miraculous.
At the moment of the explosion an
aide shouted to Grand Duke Cyril to
jump into the sea. The aide was
killed.
The disaster has stunned the city.
The loss of Admiral Makaroff is felt
to be q more severe blow than the loss
Of the ship. The CONSERVATION far ex-
ceeds that produced by the initial mis-
fortunes of the war. The Russians
are an emotional people. and officials
as we'll as the public undisguisedly
went when they heard the NEWS