The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-20
MISSILES FORTUNATELY
 FAIL TO STRIKE ANY ONE
Emperor Shows Nerve and Proceeds With Cere-
 r1lOny.
Imposing Spectacle of the Blessing os the Waters Narrowly Escapes Be- ing the Occasion of the wip-
 ing Out of the Romanons.

St. Petersburg. Jan. 1s.-The cere- mony 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 a Russian sovereign to fall by the hand of an assassin is no new thing in Russian records, but that the Emperor should narrowly escape death by shot from his own artillery while he was engaged in a solemn religious rite. surrounded by priests of his church, is so difficult to realize as to be almost incredible Yet this is what happened today and the Russian pub lie Is left wondering and uystified- By the merest chance the imperial family escaped unhurt, but public opin- n is stunned by what might have been the tragic results of the affair.
 Tn spite of the official statement that the cannon shot which might have easily wiped out the whole of the Romanoff family was the result of carelessness in leaving a shotted cart. ridge in the breech of a gun after tar- ge. ractice. the mysterious case is still under the combined investigation of the military and police. and the public seems as little inclined as the authorities to accept the published version.
 Officers and Men Guarded.
 The officers and men of the battery have not been arrested. but are con- fined to barracks, and by the military regulations are so closely under re- straint that 1t is impossible for the culprit or culprits to escape until the responsibility is determined.
 It cannot be said definitely whether the affair was an accident or the re- suit of design. The general belief Is that a widespread plot did not exist bbt evidences of design are so appar- snt that the statement attributing the presence of a loaded she'll to previous target practice evoked smiles in many quarters.
 It is pointed out as being highly inn probable that the gun had not been cleaned for two days, and 1t is im- possible that a second cartridge could have been inserted for saIutinE pur- poses behind the first: and it Is cer- tainly a startling coincidence that the gun containing this missile should have been trained directly on the irn- perial chapel.
 Whatever may be the solution, it is 8 strange fact that the shot came from the Bourse espianade, where was sta toned the first horse artillery of the guaIj. the premier artillery organiza- tion of the empire and one of the most noted regiments in the whole service.
 Grippenberg and SerEius.
 The roster of this organization of aristocratic traditions has included grand dukes, princes and some of the most illustrious names in Russia. Lieutenant General Grippenberg was formerly an officer of the regiment and Grand Duke Sergius Michaelovitch, the chief artillery inspector of the Russian army, whose duty 1t is to conduct the invaafIOation was himself fOrmerlv colonel of the regiment.
 The two investigations are proceed ing independently and both are guard ed with the utmost secrecy.
 Military experts say indications point to a charge consisting of grape having been inserted surreptitiously in salut- ing cartridge. If this was the case, probably only one man was involved. Certainly if there was an extensive. deep laid plot, or if any officer was in- voIved, 1t was badly executed. It is pointed out that it is hardly probable that an expert artilleryman should have prepared a weak, scattering charge which could hardly carry across the Neva.
 At the same time. an indication of design is the fact that the gun was laid directly against the imperial pavilion. Had the gun contained a service charge or "a regular shell, the pavilion must infallibly have been des- troyed.
 Guns Trained on Palace.
 It Is clear, however. that the salut- ing was done most recklessly, as the flashes of the blank shots from St. Peter and St. Paul fortress showed that the guns were directed straight at the winter palace.
 The festival of the Epiphany, the blessing of the waters had just con eluded at o'clock this afternoon, when simultaneously with the salute fired from the St. Peter and St. Paul for tresses either a rain of bullets or a sharpnel shell swept over the little chapel built over the frozen Neva in front of the winter palace where Elm peror Nicholas and every member of the Romanian family were particIpat- ing in the service.
 The missiles 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 Ambassador Mccormick, Sec retary Eddy and Second Secretary Bliss, and all the high dignitaries of the state. army and navy were wit messing the glittering spectacle heIov
 Fortunately the bullets passed over the heads of all present striking the opposite wall and clatterIng down on the parquetted floor of the white salon. The first impression of those who heard the crash was that it was due to falling crystals from the glass chandeliers and caused by concussion from the booming guns. Everybody had been 1aboring under a more or less nervous strain because of the strike situation and when the truth was realized the windows were hastily vacated and the greatest excitement reigned within the palace.
 Fulton Finds Missile.
 Lieutenant General Fulton, sehief of police of St. Petersburg. Himself picked up a missile in the white salon. It was the size of a birds egg. The po- lice chief was immediately surrounded