Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-08-03

mediately followed by mutinies Of the
| Baltic Sea fleets and that the govern
ment could be given it's death blow.
The soldiers listened to the preachings
Of the agitators and men belonging to
the Red Guard We're introduced into
the fortress from the mainland.
| On Monday night the soldiers mutt
MED and made a prisoner of Gen. Ag-
| eiaff, their commander, seized the ma
chine guns and the guns in the batter
| les on three Of the islands and electing
| a directing committee, headed by lyon,
an eX-reServe officer. The mutineerS
| then shot three junior officers and af-
| forwards fired from the Emperor's bat
terry upon the residence of the COM
| mandant of the fortress. The latter had
| with him The entire Sveaborg Regi-
| ment which not only replied with the
field guns at their disposal, but proved
their loyalty by making an attempt to
capture the position Of the mutineers
at the point of the bayonet. This at
tempt was, however, repulsed with the
fire of the rapid fire guns.
The next morning the sailors at the
barracks at Skatudden, at the instiga-
ton of the Red Guard, joined the mu-
tiny and hoisted the red flag. The gar
| rison of the city had been reduced to
two regiments of infantry and the
suuadrons of Cossacks when the mutt
nv occurred and. owing to the activity
of the RevolutiOnists and the panic in
the city it was decided to await rein
forcementa of troops and machine guns
from Villmanstrand. In the meantime.
during the day the fire of the torpedo
cruiser Finn made breach in the walls
of the barracks at Skatudden and at
nightfall the majority of the mutineers
there surrendered, the remainder es-
capped.
The mntineers in the fortress at inter-
walls during the day fired shrapnel shells
from the 9-inch guns at the loyal troops
on Commander island and at the bat
terry on Harakka island, nearer the
shore The troops manning the latter
were regarded as being untrustworthy
and were sent ashore, the breech blocks
of the guns were removed and COssack
pickets were left in charge of the fort.
This was the most serious moment for
both sides. The loyal troops did little
firing that day or yesterday. After the
blowing up of their magazine the mutt
neers used mortars.
The mutiny practically ended when
the warships Slava and Bogatyr APP
pea-ed at 6 O'Clock last night and after
an exchange of signals with Gen. Lain
ing, commander of the loyal troops on
Commander island, opened fire upon the
mutineers, who evidently accepted this
display of loyalty on the part Of the
crews Of the ships as sealing their fate.
Two hours later a white flag was run
I'D at one end of the Emperor's bat
terry but from the other end red
flag Immediately appeared, showing
that the mutineerS were divided into
two camps and were fighting among
themselves.
| Soon after q motor boat, believed to
contain civilian leaders of the mutiny,
tried to escape to the mainland. The
warships opened fire on the boat and
failed to reach the target. but bat
terry of rapid firing guns on Nicholai
island had better luck, Kidding the
boat and killing two of its occupants.
The others jumped overheard and
swan ashore. OF three rOwbOats which
followed the motor boat, one was cap
tured, one was sunk and one escaped.
A correspondent Of The Associate ted
| Press who attempted to reach Cronstadt
this morning from Orienbaum, on the
gulf Of Finland. opposite Cronstadt. found
the place almost in state of panic. All
communication with the island of CrOp-
stadt was interdicted. People arriving
there were searched and arrested From
| information obtained from refugees and
officers a fairly clear idea of what hap
pened was obtained. The sailors of the
Goth and other eQuipages, together with
the sappers and miners, pioneers and
other units, managed to rise In spite of
the surveillance Of the guard and other
regiments which were stationed at the
barracks, plainly indicating treachery
This suspicion is heightened by the fact
that the commander disarmed the Syosk
Regiment during the evening.
A plot had been carefully planned by
which the mutineers obtained possession
of the train steamer. Then, without
light, they ran n train to the bridge join
ing the island to Fort Constantine, which
with the evident connivance of the sent!-
nels they had no difficulty in entering
The main body of the fortress artillery
in the fort joined the mutineers and
those who did not do so were bound and
gagged The mutineers then turned some
of the guns of the fortress against the
camp of the loyal troops in the city and
opened fire on the latter to cover the
escape of the train steamer.
The affair had been conducted so quiet
w that the commander of the fortress
had no suspicion of what had happened
Upon the first shot q general alarm was
sounded and the entire garrison was call
ed out. While portion Of the loyal
troops took up positions in the streets,
which were filled with terror-stricken in
habitants. storming party consisting OF
three regiments of grenadiers led the as
saut.
After four volleys had been fired the
mutneers hoisted the white flag and
those who refused to surrender were hast
lily dispatched. In the meanwhile the
waiting steamer sailed off in the direc-
ton of the Finnish coast. Later machine
guns were posted in the main streets. No
mercy was shown to those suspected OF
being agitators. and a number OF inno-
cent persons are reported to have been
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