The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-03
RUSSIAN WARSH|P
BECOMES A PIRATE
Kniaz Potemkine Clears for Ac-
ton and Defes Squadron
WHITE FEATHER SHOWN
Admiral in Command of Squadron
Confesses Inability to Cope
With Situation and Or
ders "Fires Drawn"

st. Petersburg July 8, a. m.-The I'M
precedented spectacle of powerful moo
ern battleship cruising around IN the
Black sea in the hands of a crew. who
under the rules Of international law, can
not be regarded other than as pirates
and the admiral in command OF the rest
of the Euxine fleet frankly confessing ms
inability to cope with the situation ana
ordering the fires of his warships to be
drawn, has stupefied the Russian admir-
atty.
The whereabouts of the Grant battle
ship Kniaz Potemkine is unknown here;
no plans for capturing her having been
devised and the policy of non-interference
seems to be at present in vogue. The
situation would furnish libretto for a
comic opera were not the elements OIL
the plot SO serious.
Dispatches from Odessa and Sebastopol
which are confirmed by the admiralty
clear up the present situation fully. The
Kniaz Potemkine has sailed from Odessa
and is now at large and her crew REIN
forced by sympathizers from shore, 10
still in control of the vessel.
Drew Fires From Boilers.
On the Georgi Pobiedonosetz, which
cast it's fortunes with the Kniaz Potem-
kline after its arrival at Odessa and land
cd its officers, the more loyal or more
timorous portion of the crew gained the
upper and agreed to surrender and to
disarm the ship. The rest of the squadron
returned to Sebastopol without even go
ing to look up the dauntless crew of
mutineers on the Kniaz Potemkine. and
Admiral Kruger after holding council
of war that he could not depend on his
crew, ordered the fires drawn beneath
the boilers of his ships and gave per-
mission to all disaffected officers and
sailors to quit the vessers ana go ashore
The sailors of the Ekaterina IL were
known to be so mutinous that the bat
tleship was left behind wnen the squad
ron started for Odessa the whole crew
dismissed and the ship disarmed.
The Kniaz Potemkne, which was steer
ing a southerly course when she left
Odessa, would within a few hours be
south of the Russian limits and may be
heard from at some Balkan or Turkish
port.
Explains Many Defeats.
The spirit manifested throughout the
fleet goes far to explain the defeat in
the Sea of Japan as large part of the
crews, especially those of Admiral Nebo-
gatoffs division, were drafted from the
Euxine sea and evidently were not in a
mind to fight.
The proclamation attached to the dead
body of the Kniaz Potemkine's sailor
Omiltchuk, the text of which was re-
ceived yesterday, containing the state
ment of the authorities that the revolt
was engendered by social revolutionists.
whose slogan is, zone for all and all
for one," makes the situation more seri-
Gus.
Though no permission was given to print
the details the latest developments are
known to all circles in st. Petersburg.
The Tsarya, a paper which has been dor
mant some time and therefore not re-
| sponsible to the censorship has been re-
| vived and has printed an extra edition
| giving full details of the mutiny and riot
| ing at Odessa Copies were snatched from
the newsboys and read with avidit,
| everywhere.
Long mail accounts of the events al
Odessa up to Thursday night have ar.
! rived and have helped to become fully
acquainted with the situation.
| Up to 8 o'clock this morning no news
as to the whereabouts OF the Knia1
| Potemkine has been received in st
| Petersburg.
sebastopoi, July 2.-The Black sea
squadron which went to Odessa consist
ed of two divisions commanded by Ad-
miral Kruger and Admiral Vyshorevelsky
respectively. The formers division in
cluded the Ristislav and the Sinope and
the latter's the Georgi Pobedonosetz. the
Tri Sviatililia, the Dveniadzat Apostolic
and the torpedo cruiser Kasarski. Sew
eral torpedo boats accompanied the squad
ron.
Cleared for Action.
On arrival in the roads the flagship
signaled the Kniaz Poteml<ine to join the
l unI1adR0n tn which hot