The Press. — London, England, 1855-03-31 00:00:00

I and more prevalent each day. During the middle of the day, when the sun is warm, the stench in camp is posi tively sickening. Some efforts are now beginuing to be made to cleanse the ground; but, like all other reforms, they come too late. The Russians seem very busy in Sebastopol, especially in their advanced work in front of Malakoff Tower, which it is supposed they are mounting with guns. Lord Raglan and General Cenrobert made a minute in spection of the works near Balaklava to-day. Official rumours speak of the probability of a serious attack on that part of our defences. MARCH 16.—Five heavy guns were brought up to the batteries by the French to-dsy. Two were long thirty twos, and three long fifty-six-pounders. Four thirteen' inch mortars were also got into position in one of our batteries, which 1 need not further specify. Lord Raglan visited our right attack (Gordon's Battery), and remained in it during the whole of the early part of the morning. While his lordship was present the battery fired repeatedly upon the enemy, and succeeded in shelling out the Russian riflemen who lay perdu in front of the lines. Three of them were killed by a shell as they ran in towards their own trenches. His lordship expressed himself highly pleased at the high state of efficiency in which both men and guns appear. Strange to say the Russians scarcely returned one gun for ten of ours. A week ago and a single shot fired from any of the English works would have been replied to with such a volley as would have levelled our works; and to day, to the in tense surprise of everyone, their riflemen were driven in almost without their batteries offering any resistance. About an hour after our lines had ceased firing, the enemy fired a few shots, but all fell some 500 or t3OO yards behind our batteries. The Russian works appear in splendid condition, and quite crowded with troops, who show themselves without hesitation, even in the midst of the French fire. General Canrobert visited Balaklava to-day, and in spected the whole of our line of tramway. The Morning Post publishes a series of letters recapitulating the events of the same days. The writer concludes thus : The deaths in camp yesterday (March 15), I sill told, amounted to fifteen only. This is another sudden fall. £he number actually under arms, not employed on any duty whatever, yesterday amounted to 20,600 men. The etfectives now amount to 26,000 men (including rank and file and sergeants)---a most wonderful change. I forgot to mention the death of Captain Craigie, of the Royal Engineers, by a splinter of a shell, in the trenches on the 13th. He was much respected for his abilities as an engineer. PS —Milieu 17.—The mail leaves at nine this morning. I have nothing further of importance. The wind has got round to the north, and is blowing very cold. There was a great deal of musketry last night, but I cannot tell what about. The Times correspondent writes on the 16th instant : We are blessed at last with all the genial influences of a glorious spring. Vegetation is struggling for existence beneath the tramp of armed men and the hoof of the war horse, and faint patches of green herbage dot the brown expanse in which the allied camps have now rested so long. The few fruit-trees wh.cli have been left standing near Balaklava are in blossom. The stumps on the hill sides are throwing out green shoots as outlets for the well ing sap ; the sun shines brightly and warmly from blue skies streaked with clouds which are borne rapidly along by the breeze that never ceases to blow from the high lands. Of course, the beneficial effects of this permanent fine weather on the health and spirits of the army are very great, and become more striking day after day. One great sign of returning comfort and good spirits cannot be over looked. The " voice of song " is heard once more in the tents, and the men have commenced tuning up their pipes. and chanting their old familiar choruses once more. Every token of improvement and change that I noticed about the camp and the army has been developed. The railway pushes its iron feelers up the hill-side to the camp. The wire ropes and rollers for the trains have been par tially laid down. Every day the plains and hill-sides are streaked with columns of smoke, which mark the spots where fire is destroying heaps of filth and corrupt animal and vegetable matter as sacrifices on the altar of health. The sanatorium is working in the most satisfactory manner, and has produced the best results. Watercourses are dammed in, and the waters of little streamlets are caught up in little reservoirs to provide against drought. Provisions are abundant. Vegetables for the sick, and fresh meat several times a week. have stopped the ravages of scorbutic disease. Up to this date about •00 of the huts, under the charge of Captain Keene, RE., have been sent to camp, and erected under the guidance of Major Hall. The army, animated by the constant inspection of Lord Raglan, and by the supervision of the heads of the great military departments, is nearly restored in all but numbers to what it was six months ago. Balaklava is fast resolving itself into lines of huts. Bakeries, under the control of Government, are established in the town, and the troops will soon be fed on wholesome bread. The harbour is very much crowded, but order is established as far as nossible among the vessels and their crews, and the muti nous spirit manifested on board some of the transports has been suppressed by the energies of the Provost-Mar shal. Colonel M`Murdo is organising his transport corps as far as his present means will permit him to do so. Gene. Simpson has arrived , a nd has lost no nine in making him self "master of the situation," and in ascertaining the position and condition of the various portions of the army. John M . Neill has also landed, and hasbeen equally zealous an d active in collecting information with respect to the de partment which he is to superintend and the mission with which he is charged. The silence and gloom of despondency ha v e passed away with the s nows and rains, and the THE PRESS, deadly lethargy of our last terrible winter. The blessed sounds of labour—twice blessed, but that they speak of war and bloodshed—ring throughout the camp, from the crowded shore to the busy lines of batteries in front. It must not be forgotten, however, that the enemy will derive equal advantage from the improvement in the weather. Valley and plain are now as firm as the finest road, and the whole country is open to the march of artil lery, cavalry, infantry, and commissariat waggons. Each day the Russian camps on the north of Sebastopol increase and spread out. Each night new watchfires strike the eye. We hear that a formidable army has assembled around Eu patoria, audit is certain that the country between that town and Sebastopol is constantly traversed by parties of horse and foot, who are sometimes seen from the sea in very great numbers. The actual works of the siege mace no progress to justify one in prophesying. Actual increase of lines and batteries and liniment there is, no doubt, but it exists on both sides, and there has been no comparative advantage gained by the allies which can be made public. The failure of the French to bold the position from which they dislodged the Russian riflemen the night before last has had the effect of emboldening the enemy considerably, but the heavy fire of the large mortars which the Fiench are plying to-day, and which they fired at short intervals yesterday, has had grave results for the enemy. All this partial tire is, however, more or less mischievous to our selves, as it draws the attention of the Russians to their weak points, and shows them the necessity of erecting bat teries to reply to those gnus which annoy them. It may inflict loss and damage, but it does not materially contri bute to the success of the siege. The impression which has long existed in the minds of many that Sebastopol cannot now be taken by assault, considering the position of the north forts, the fleet, and the army outside, gains ground. It is generally thought that the army outside ought to be attacked and dispersed, or that the investment of the place should be completed, before we can hope to reduce the city and the citadel. But coupled with this im pression is the far stronger conviction that, had our army marched upon the place on the 25th of September, it would have fallen almost without any resistance. A Russian officer, who was taken prisoner some time ago and who knew the state of the city well, declared very recently that he could not account for our " infatuation," in allowing the Russians to throw up works and regain heart, when we could have walked into the place, unless under the suppo sition that the hand of the Almighty was in it, and that He had blinded the vision and perverted the judgment of our generals. " And now," said he, "He has saved Sebastopol, and we, with His help, will maintain it inviolate." How ever, let bygones be bygones on this and other points as well—they will be matters for history and posterity. The present has quite enough to do in taking care of itself. DESTRUCTION BY FIRE OF THE FRENCH HOSPITAL AT CONSTANTINOPLE. It seems as if it were the lot of one writing from this place [Constantinople] to chronicle nothing but calami ties. Last night [night of 11th March] the large French hospital above the Grand Champ des Morts was totally destroyed by fire. About midnight the light which is the note of a conflagration was hung out on Galata Tower, and the rush of Turkish idlers and French cavalry through the dark street below indicated the direction of the ca lamity, which soon became more apparent by the bursting flames illuminating the horizon. On reaching the spot (which is at a distance of two miles from the centre of the town) we found the whole of one wing in flames, which rapidly spread until they enveloped the entire face of the building. The hospital, which was formerly a Turkish medical school, is a fine and spacious edifice, which ex tends its long, low, stone front along the road, and fortu nately stands alone, with the nearest houses at a distance of more than 100 yards. It was a moving sight to see the unhappy patients driven from their beds in the dead of a damp and chilly night, some of them scarcely able to walk, others perfectly exhausted, and carried in the arms of their comrades, or of the Turkish soldiers, all in scanty attire, wrapped in their blankets, hastening to seek for shelter in the neighbouring barracks or in private houses. Whole trains of them might be seen trudging through the deep mud, slipping into holes in the wretched road, or sitting down on stones, to await some one who might help them onward. Happily, the hospital was by no means crowded, or some loss of life must have taken place. As it was, all the sick were safely transported to adjoining buildings, and no accident worth mentioning appears to have hap pened. The wind was strong. The skill with which the French troops acted was wonderful. From the lower end of the stone building our allies had built a long series of sheds for the reception of convalescents and of wounded during the ensuing summer. It was feared that these would extend the flames to another Turkish barrack which stands near, and the French, with a party of Turks under their directions, set to work to drag the whole structure down. They mounted on the top with strong hooks, kept for the purpose all over Constantinople, and in an incre dibly short time a hundred yards of shed were level with the ground. The chief loss is the accommodation which the hospital afforded to so large a number of the French sick. The city is now so crowded that room is not to be had for military or domestic purposes. This very building was taken by the French, much against the will of the Porte, solely because it was necessary for them to have some place to put their numerous sick of an army of 80,000 men. As summer approaches more and more use can be made of wooden sheds and huts. Erections of this kind are appearing wherever there is a vacant spot in the neighbourhood of the city —Tinos Correspondent, Constan tinople, March 12. THE TYRANNY OF ROUTINE. --- - - While the nation may be congratulated on the improved state of its brsvc defenders, it is impossible to convey to it any hopes that the spirit of routine and official folly is about to be eradicated. One anecdote, which may be relied upon, will serve to give a conception of the Scntariote medical MAMMA mind. Five officers are in a bad state of health, and must be sent home. Recourse is had to Dr. Menzies for a Board, to which that gentleman sees no objection. But an unexpected difficulty occurs. A quadruplicate applica tion must be made on foolscap paper in every case. and Dr. Menzies stock of foolscap is exhausted. Dr. Cumming, also, on being applied to, declares that there is none in his possession. In short, it is discovered that the depart ment is destitute of an indispensable implement in its action, and must remain in a state of collapse until some supply arrives from home. The unhappy invalids hasten over to Pera, and ransack the stalls of the Jewish stationers, but in vain. Foolscap is a British production, while the Turkish capital is mostly supplied with writing materials from Paris or Vienna. At last it is discovered that " Staunpa " has foolscap, and the medical department re receives notice of the fact. But, if Dr. Menzies purchases a quire, it will possibly be at his own expense, and at least another quire will be taken up in the correspondence relative to reimbursement. He therefore hesitates to take the step. One of the officers then sa3a that he will buy some, but is at once met by the objection that the medical department cannot receive stores of any kind except from the properly constituted authorities The invalids have missed a steamer, and are now at the twelfth day of their detention ! What solution of the difficulty ingenuity may achieve is in the darkness of the future ; but I have just seen one of the sufferers, who is very desponding as to his chances of speedy departure.—Times Correspondent, COW stantinopk, March 13. NAVAL OPERATIONS. H.M.S. Leopard, of 18 guns, was despatched by Admiral Lyons to blockade the strait of Kertcb, and, while engaged in that service, Captain Giffard ascertained that the formidable fortress of Soikjak Kale was so reduced by the removal of men and guns to Anapa, that it might be attacked with suc cess. The Circassians engaged to make the attack by land provided Captain Gifford would make a simultaneous attack by sea. Captain Giffard accordingly, desirous, as he himself relates the transaction, to encourage the natives and embarrass the Russians, moved the force under his command, consisting of the Leopard, the MO:flyer, the Swal low, the Viper, and the Fulton French steamer, to within a thousand yards of the south face of the fort, where no more than ten guns could be brought to bear upon the ships, and speedily shelled the in habitants and troops out of the town. The Circas sians, however, having failed to advance to the attack, Captain Giffard, after inflicting much injury to the arsenal and public buildings, and dismounting several of the guns, retired, not having sufficient force to land and attack the garrison. The little squadron also, with the assistance of the Circassians, destroyed the small fort that commanded the head of the bay. A few days previously Captain Giffard despatched the Viper, under the command of Lieut. Armytage, to make a reconnoisance at the mouth of the Kouban Lake, and that gallant officer attacked the martello tower of Djimiteia, landed, spiked the guns, and effectually destroyed the forts, barracks, granaries, and ammunition. Malta letters assert that the destruction of Odessa has been determined, and a large fleet, both of Eng lish and French, named for the work. Odessa fallen, the occupation of Perekop, Anapa, Scc., will ensue, and the enemy be thus cut off from the means of sending troops to the assistance of Sebastopol. The names of the vessels to be engaged in the destruction of Odessa are, according to the cor respondence of the Portafoglio Maltese, the St. Jean d'Acre, flag of Admiral Sir E. Lyons, Agamem non, Hannibal, Princess Royal, and Royal Albert, of the line; and the frigates Highflyer, Niger, Tribune, Terrible. Sidon, Wasp, Curacoa, Vesuvius, Sphynx, Inflexible, Valorous, Diamond, and Leopard. THE BALTIC FLEET. The advanced squadron, under the orders of Captain R. B. Watson, C. 8., left the Downs on Wednesday morning, for the Baltic. It consisted of the Imperieuse, 51, screw, Captain. Watson ; Euryalus, 51, screw, Captain Ramsay; Arrogant, 47, screw, Captain Yelverton ; Cossack, 20, screw, Captain Fan shawe ; Tartar, 20, screw, Captain Dunlop ; Esk, 20, screw, Captain Birch; Conflict, 8, screw, Commander Brown; Desperate, 8, screw, Commander White; Archer, 15, screw, Captain Heathcote. The rest of the fleet, under the command in chief of Rear Admiral the Hon. R. S. Dundas, C. 8., will, it is believed, leave Spithead for the Baltic on Monday next, the 2nd of April. LORD Doisnotur.ro has declared his intention to communicate, without further delay, to " the wise and energetic ally of her most gracious Majesty the means, not only to spare the remnant of the British army, but to insure that of France, by the speedy destruction of the defences of Sebastopol. As to the fortresses in the Baltic, time does not so press. 1 have offered to annihilate them, the rejection or acceptance of which offer rests with her Majesty's Government." IT is stated in a letter from Vienna, in the German Journal of Frankfort, that Ab.l-el-liader has requested permission to pay a visit to Constantinople. Jr is stated that Russian ships of the line and other vessels have been sunk between piles in the navigation-way at Cronstadt. - `1