Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-07-07
CIVIL WAR ON BLACK SEA
Report that Kniaz Potemkine is Bombard-
ing TheOdOsia,
GARRISON ENGAGED IN LooTING
UncOnhrmed RumOr at Odessa
that BattIeship IL Blown Up
Fleet Leaves sebas-
tOpoI.

LONDON, July 6.-The correspondent of
the Daily Mail at odessa says it is re-
ported there that the Kniaz Potemkine is
bombarding Theodosia, that the town is
burning and that the soldiers Of the gar
rison are engaged in looting. lie says it
is also reported that another torpedo
boat has Joined the mutineers.
dispatch to Reuters Telegram COM
pany from Theodosia says at 8 o'clock this
morning boat from the Kniaz Potemkine
was sent ashore and was met by an in
fantry fire which killed two men and
caused seven to jump overheard. The tor
pedo beat in the hands of the mutineers
fired shell which fell over the town and
at noon the Kniaz Potemkine and the
torpedo boat left the Shore but continue
to maneuver in sight of the town.
Theodosia, 1t is added, has been declared
to be in a state Of war.
RumOred Destruction of Vessel.
ODESSA, July 6.-ll:5s D. NIT is re-
ported that the battleship Kniaz Potemkine
has been blown up near Theodosia.
The Kniaz Potemkine still occupies tho
center of the stage here. The authorities
are well informed about its movements
and its operations at the various Black
sea ports form the topic Of continuous
speculation and comment in business and
official circles. But as the opinion pre-
walls here that 1t will not return to
menace Odessa, the Odessians view its
doings interestedly but not coupled with
any particular alarm.
The fact that the Kniaz Potemkine is
still at large, cruising in the Black sea.
threatening ports and holding up steamers
and other craft is beginning to bring criti-
h. tn
their apparent slowness and lack of energy
in pursuing and terminating its piratical
career.
The torpedo boats which it is reported
are trailing the Kniaz Potemkine have
done nothing, although the whereabouts
of the battleship has never been a secret.
The Black sea is so small that it has
never been out OF reach of the fleet which
left here yesterday and which is popu-
larly supposed to be following the ship
for the purpose of effecting it's surrender
or sinking it. II the fleet is in earnest
It can easily meet the Kniaz Potemkine
within a comparatively few hours The be-
lief is general, however, and there is gem
eral confirmation of 1t that the main diff
Guilty confronting the fleet regarding the
Kniaz Potemkine lies in the fact that the
crews of the ships are strongly disin-
clined to engage the mutinous battle
ship. II is reported on good authorities
that their crews have actually refused to
attack It,
In the meantime commerce on the Black
sea is being slowly resumed and coast
wise and other steamers are clearing from
Odessa on their former schedules.
OmciaIs Expecting n Battle.
ST. PETERSBURG, July 1880 a. M
Up to 3 o'clock this morning no report
was received from Theodosia OF the ar
rival of the squadron from Sebastopol,
and It is not known whether an encounter
with the Kniaz Potemkine has taken place
or whether the battleship has executed its
threat to lombard the city last night un-
less furnished with the supply of coal de-
manded.
The latest dispatches from Theodosia re-
| ceived here timed 4:SO o'clock yesterday
afternoon reported that the Kniaz Potem-
! kline was cruising offshore in sight of the
/ town, but IT is possible it may have left
! that vicinity before the arrival of the
! squadron.
! A press dispatch from Sebastopol gives
! a rumor that the Kniaz Potemkine went
! seaward late yesterday afternoon. If the
squadron arrived before it's departure
either the surrender of the battleship oI
| a battle is regarded as certain, as Admira
! Chouknin, It is believed. would not have
dispatched his ships in search of the
mutinous vessel unless sure that there
would be no repetition of the Odessa
| fasco.
Many RumOrs In Circulation.
| Rumors of the most diverse nature are
in circulation, one of which is that two
torpedo boats attacked the Kniaz Potem
kline and were sunk by it. The cruiser
! Chernomoretz, which was due at Sebasto
pol Monday and for which considerable
anxiety was felt, has arrived at Yalta
on the south coast Of the Crimea
Advices received by the minister of the in
| terror. Bouligan. report a serious anti
Semitic agitation in the governments OF
Ekaterinoslav and Kherson.
According to dispatches from Odessa, tn,
Lawyers association has been given by th'
authorities notice TO leave the city within
fifteen days. The dispatches also say tha
the insurance companies are refusing e
pay the losses by fire in the port during tn,
disturbances.
The papers, commenting on the Odesss
! tragedy, strike the same note that the NUT
my is not an Isolated instance of discon
tent, but is symptomatic OF a deep politica
crisis which demands an immediate rem
edy or 1t will be too late. The Nasha Shisi
predicts that the ruin OF the port of Odessa
the center of the Russian grain expor
trade will bring in its wake famine anC
disaster.
signs of Revolt in the Crimea.
Such news as came from the Black seJ
and Caucasus during the day was extremel!
alarming. The whole Crimean peninsul.
is on the verge of revolt and anarchy reign
in the mountains of the Caucasus iron
Batoum TO Baku.
At Theodosia the workmen are backing
the mutineers. The crews OF several ship
in the harbor have Joined the mutineers an,
the well-to-do class cf the population ha
fed in panic The guns OF the Kniaz Po
temkine are trained on the city and
bombardment is momentarily expected.
Only six hours away on the other sid
OF the peninsula Admiral Choukin's feet
which included six warships not countinl
Rear Admiral Krugers squadron, lies a
anchor under the menace Of the guns o
the fortress. Choukin evidently Is afrai
TO test the loyalty OF his crews by settinl
them the task OF capturing the mut.neers
According TO reports current In ST. Peters
burg four torpedo boats with voluntee
crews on board have sailed for Theodos
to sink the Kniaz Potemkine, but the re
ports lack confirmation and must be ac
eepted with reserve.