Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-01

@ HELSINGFORS, August L, 1,4O @
@ n. m.-Sveaborg is entirely I'm the @
@ hands of the mutineers. who now o
@ have In their possession every @
@ kind of armament. @
@ Horrible scenes occurred during @
@ last night when the fierce fight o
@ ing was continued. The heaviest 8
@ artillery was used during the con- @
8 fIict. o
10000 g @ 100000 o o ~A~@
BY Associated Press.
HELsINGFORS, July 31.-A gigan-
tic military conspiracy aiming at the
Simultaneous capture of Russia's three
great sea fortresses-Cronstad Sc
bastopol and Sveaborg-arranged by
the revolutionary military league was
prematurely sprung here last night by
an attempt to arrest members of a
company of sappers who had mutined
on account of the death of one of their
comrades, alleged to have been due to
ill-treatment.
The entire garrison of the fortress
at Sveaborg famed out instantly in
revolt.
All the artillerymen and sappers
garrisoning the place we're involved.
Only four companies of infantrymen
remained loyal
Seize Forty Guns
The mutineers seized forty machine
guns and practically all of the quick
firers and light artillery in the fortress
but even with this aid they were un-
able to hold the main fort again the
loyal infantry.
The figh ting continued all night long.
The heaviest firing was heard from
10 o'clock in the evening until 1 in
the morning.
This morning a detachment of civ
ilian revolutionaries entered the ma
rine barracks at Skatuden island,
hoisted the red flag and were Joined
by all the marines.
Nine cruisers, torpedo boats and de-
stroyers lying in the harbor opened
fire on the barracks. This fire was
answered from the third story windows
Of the barracks with machine guns
and rifles.
Drive Torpedo Boats Away
The torpedo boats and destroyers
which were lying closer to the shore
were subjected to such a hot fire from
the barracks that their crews were
driven below decks They finally
steamed out and joined in the bonn
bardment with the cruisers.
This sea attack was in cooperation
with attacks by Cossacks and infantry
from the land side, which began at 9
o'clock in the morning and continued
throughout the whole day. Finally,
toward evening, the firing ceased and
the authorities announced that the
barracks had been captured
At o'clock in the afternoon the Cos
sacks cleared the square in front of the
palace facing Sveaborg and then drove
the public from the entire water front
for the purpose of preventing the send
ing of assistance from the city to Svea-
borg.
The exact situation at Sveaborg is
not known.
Rumors are in circulation that the
entire fortress of the city has now
fallen into the hands of the insurgents,
but they lack confirmation.
Renewal of Battle.
1t is believed that this cessation of
lighting is only prelude to the renewal
of the battle between the mutineers
and the government troops.
An authoritative estimate of the
killed and wounded cannot be obtained,
but the casualty list on both sides must
be heavy, for the fighting was waged
with desperation.
Various rumors are heard regarding
the fate of the officers who were at
Sveaborg and in the Skatunda bar
racks.
According to one rumor almost all
the officers, and according to another
all the junior officers. sided with the
mutineers.
Officers Condemned
The sailors at Skatunden are said to
have convened an elective court-mar-
tial which condemned several officers
to instant execution.
The wives and families of officers on
duty in the fortress were sent ashore
by Gen. Laiming and were not molest-
ed by the revolutionsts.
The "red guard" who were cogniz-
ant of the plot, dispatched an expedi-
tion by special train as soon as the
revolt broke out to cut the railroad
track outside of the city in order to
prevent the arrival Of reinforcements
A general strike was declared this af-
ternoon and obeyed by the :. orkmen of