The San Francisco call., 1905-01-20

ST. PETERSBURG, Jan. 1.-THE
ceremony of the blessing Of the waters
this year was accompanied by an event
more mysterious, unprecedented and
extraordinary than any afforded by the
annals OF Russian history. For Rus
sian sovereign to fall by the hands of
an assassin is no new thing in Russian
records, but that the Emperor should
narrowly escape death by a shot from
his own artillery while he was engaged
in solemn religious rite. surrounded
by priests of his church, is so difficult
to realize as to be almost incredible.
Yet this is what occurred to-day and
the Russian public is left wondering
and mystifed.
BY the merest chance the imperial
family escaped unharmed, but public
opinion is stunned by what might have
been the tragic results of the affair.
The festival of the Epiphany, the
blessing of the waters, had just con-
-cluded at l o'clock this afternoon when
simultaneously with the salute fired
from the SITS. Peter and Paul fortress a
rain of grape shot crashed upon the lit
tie chapel built over the frozen Neva
in front of the Winter Palace, where
Emperor Nicholas and every member
of the Romanoff family were partici-
pating in the service. Some of the mis-
sles went high, entering windows Of
the splendid row of salons along the
water front, from which the Empress,
the ladies of the court and the members
of the diplomatic corps, including EN-
bassador Mccormick. Secretary Eddy
and Second Secretary Bliss and all the
high dignitaries of the state, army and
navy, were witnessing the glittering
spectacle below.
CZAR'S NARROW ESCAPE.
The Emperor had a miraculous es-
cape. Some Of the bullets actually
struck the little open chapel in which
he was standing, cut the staff of one Of
the standards and fairly riddled the
basement windows of the palace, killing
a policeman outright and wounding an
officer and three marines.
The shot was fired from a gun on the
Bourse battery. Had the gun been
aimed little lower the charge of
grape might have destroyed the whole
Romanoff dynasty.
.One of the bullets which entered the
Nicholas Hall, where the diplomats
were gathered, struck down a golden
plate from the wall.
The first impression Of those who
heard the crash in the little chapel was
that it was due to falling crystals from
the glass chandeliers and caused by
concussion from the booming Of the
gums. When the truth was realized the
windows were hastily vacated and the
greatest excitement prevailed within
the palace.
Lieutenant General Fullon. Chief of
Police of st. Petersburg. himself picked
up a missile In the white salon. 1t was
the size of a birds egg.
In the meantime. there was no evil
dence outside of what had occurred.
The crowds of people who 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 end
ed, the Emperor remained and accom-
panied the metropolitan and clergy as
they circled the pavilion around the
chapel to bless the gorgeous standards
of the famous Guards regiments as
sembled~there. Then the procession
moved back to the palace and the orig
,inal programme was carried out.
The Emperor displayed splendid
nerve. He did not show trace of ex-
citement. He received the diplomats in
his usual cordial, gentle manner. re-
viewed the Guards regiments on the
square behind the palace and subse-
quenrly had luncheon served in the
state dining-room.
OFFICIAL VERSION OF AFFAIR.
1t was stated in official circles to-
hight that the grape was fired from one
of the guns of the Seventeenth Battery
of the First Horse Artillery Of the
Guard. the most aristocratic corps in
the Russian army. 1t was asserted that
at gun practice on Tuesday loaded