The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-20
WAS 1T A BLUNDER?
Or Was it by Design That This Gun
laundering Its SaIvo Across The
Arctic Splendor OF Snow-MantIed
St. Petersburg, Was Loaded With
Ball Instead of Blank Cartridges?
Luckily no One is Harmed, and The
Emperor Takes the Matter CoOlly.
(By the Associated Press. }

st. Petersburg, Jan. 19.-The festi-
val of the Epiphany, the blessing OF
the waters, had just concluded at one
O'Clock this afternoon when simulta-
neously with the salute fired from the
St Peter and st. Paul fortress a rain
of bullets swept over the little chapel
built over the frozen Neva ins front
of the Winter Palace where Emperor
Nicholas and every member of the
Romanoff family were participating in
the service.
The missiles went high, entering
windows of the splendid row of sa-
Ions along the water front from which
the Empress, the ladies of the court
and the members of the diplomatic
corps and high dignitaries of the State,
army and navy were witnessing the
glittering spectacle below.
Fortunately the bullets passed over
the heads of all present, striking the
opposite wall and gathering down on
the parquetted floor of the White
Salon.
Everybody had been laboring I'M
der a more or less nervous strain be-
cause of the strike situation and the
windows were hastily vacated and the
greatest excitement reigned within the
palace Lieutenant General F'ullon,
chief of police of st. Petersburg. him.
self picked up a missile in the White
Salon. 1t was the size of a birds eggs.
Examining the Bullet.
The police chief was Immediately
surrounded by officers of the guards
who examined the bullet and eX-
pressed the opinion that it had come
from a shrapne she'll which might
have been fired from the battery loca-
ted on the Bburse Esplanada and
which replied TO tie salute of the St.
Peter and st. Paul fortress. explaining
that q gun might have been charged
with a loaded cartridge by mistake.
IN the meantime there was no evil
dence outside OF what occurred. The
crowds of people VINO formed black
lines along the quays, the palace
bridge. the steps of the Bourse and
every other point of vantage in the
white Arctic landscape did not betray
the slightest excitement. Neither did
the imperial party in the chapel below.
Although the actual ceremony was
ended the Emperor remained and ac-
Companied the Metropolitan and clergy
IS they circled the pavilion around
ards of The famous Guard Regiments
assembled there. Then the procession
moved back to the pa,ace and the orig
inal program was carried out. The
Emperor displayed splendid nerve. He
did not show trace of excitement.
He received the diplomats in his usual
cordial, gentle manner, reviewed the
guard regiments on the square behind
the palace and subsequently had lunch
N 10
When the CORRESPONDENT OF the AS
Sociated Press (who was about TO so
down to the White Saloon when one
of the missiles flew right over his
heaD left the nalace, he saw a hole
in the window of another saloon and
holes outside III the stucco of the
massive red buildings.
Additional particulars show that the
Emperor had miraculous escape.
There IS no doubt that the missiles
came from a gun of the Bourse bat
tery, which was loaded with grape,
not with sfraLnel. Some of the bull
lets actually struck the little open
chapel III which the Emperor WAS
standing, cut the staff of one of the
standards and fairly riddled the base
nient windows of the palace, killing a
policeman outright and wounding an
officer and three marines. Had the
gun been aimed a little lower the
charge of grape might have wiped
out the whole RomanoT dynasty.
The Official Report.
The official account OF today's
shooting affair is as follows:
During tho ceremony of the bless
ing of the waters OF the Neva today,
in the presence of the Emperor the
usual salute was being fret an acci-
dent happened. A charge Of grape
instead of Il saluting charge was fred
from a gun belonging to one of the
batteries stationed near the Bourse
Some bullets struck the facade of the
winter palace, near the quay gardens.
a policeman. belonging to the ST
petersburg force. was wounded. Ac-
cording TO the information to hand at
present no other accident occurred.
inquiry continues"
II is now stated in official circ,es
that the grape was fired from one Of
the guns of the seventh battery of the
first horse artillery of the guard, the
most aristocratic CORDS in the Russian
army. IL seems that at gun practice
ON Tuesday. loaded shell was mad
Vertently left inthe gun.