The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-12-04 00:00:00

OFFICIAL DESPATCHES.

THE EXPLOSION OF THE MAGAZINES.
War Department, Nov. 29.
Lord Panmure has this day received a despatch addressed to
his lordship by General Sir W. Codrington, K.C.B. :
SEBASTOPOL, Nov. 11.
My Lord,—On the 15th inst., about 3 p. m., a terrific explo-
sion shook the camp of the army, and spread heavy destruction
in the immediate neighbourhood of its force. Even here, at
head-quarters, two and a-half miles, perhaps, distant, it burst
open and broke windows: all felt the power of it, and the
high column of smoke, with shells bursting in the midst and
around it, told too well the cause, and showed the danger of all
within its reach.

It was not long before we were on the spot ; to the sudden
burst had succeeded a continued and dark drift of smoke,
which told its tale of continued fire and of danger; constant
bursting of shells was going on, and the ground was covered
with bits of wood, musket balls, and splinters of shells from
the first heavy explosion, which had strewed the ground with
destruction and killed and hurt very many people.
100,000 pounds of powder had exploded in the French siege
train, set fire to all the stores there, and to our neighbouring
English park, where all was fiercely burning, while the ten-
dency of the light air at first threatened a second and as seri-
ous an accident from powder, not 80 yards off, for the roof of
the building had been damaged and the door blown in by the
shock.
It is at the head of the ravine, which, as it gets towards Se-
bastopol, forms the steep and rocky valley of Ravin du Care-
nage.
The Light Division was on the ground which it first took
up in October, 1854; the Rifles on the right, then the 7th,
the 33rd, and 23rd ; on their left the 34th Regiment, which
subsequently Joined, was on the right front in advance ; and
the vacating of a spot of ground by the Sappers' camp enabled

me, when commanding the division, to place the Artillery and
Small-arm Brigade on the immediate right of the Rifles.
The French subsequently brought their main siege train
and store to the position it has now for some time occupied.
Some general officers had fallen in and marched part of
their divisions down, others sent some in fatigue, some with
stretchers for the wounded—all exerted themselves with the
French with an energy and disregard of danger that was ad-
mirable ; blankets were taken to the exposed store, placed and
wetted on the roof by water being passed up in buckets; the
doors were covered with wet blankets and sandbags, and in a
short time it was reported and looked safe, though the close-
ness of the fire and the frequent explosions :could not allow
the feeling of security. Many detached though small fires
were burning, and the ground of both the French and English
parks, a space of 150 yards across, was a mass of large fires,
some of fuel, some of huts, some of gun carriages, boxes,
handspikes, and ropes.
The fortunately light air had rather changed its direction,
and by breaking up and dragging away things a sort of lane
was at last formed, the fires cut off, and gradually got under
control, because confined to smaller though fierce fires, but
manageable.
I saw every one working well, and I know that French and
English took live shells from the neighbourhood of danger to
a more distant spot, and at a later period parties threw what
earth the rocky soil could give, upon the fires, and helped
much to subdue them ; all was safe about 7 p.m., and a strong
guard and working party posted for the night.
The army was under arms the following morning before
daylight, and, everything being quiet, I ordered the divisions
to turn in, and continue the working parties in the roads,
which I had counter-ordered for that morning.

The exploded powder store was situated in the ruins of some
walls which had advantageously been made use of for the pur-
pose of shelter; it had been the store of supply to the French
attack on the Malakhoff front, and it contained the powder
which had been brought back from their batteries.
Daylight showed the damage, of which I have given your
lordship an outline in another letter ;
But the more important and sad part is the loss of life, and
the wounded who have suffered.
One officer and 20 non-commissioned officers and men killed;
4 officers and 112 non-commissioned officers and men wounded;
with 7 missing, show the sudden and fatal power of the shock,
which not only destroyed in its immediate neighbourhood, but
wounded, by shell and splinters, some at a distance of three-
quarters of a mile.
The loss of our allies is distressingly heavy.
I have, &c.,
W. J. CODRINGTON,
General Commanding.

FOREIGN-OFFICE, Nov. 29.
The Earl of Clarendon has received a despatch from Major
Simmons, her Majesty's Commissioner attached to the army
of Omar Pasha, in Asia, of which the following is a copy :
CAMP, SITANGWANO, Nov. 7.
My Lord,—l have to inform your lordship that Omar Pasha,
having collected a depot of provisions at Tchimshera, moved
on by the seacoast to the mouth of the river Ertiss-Tchal,
where a standing bridge was immediately constructed for the
passage of the troops. The advanced guard, consisting of 16
battalions of infantry and three battalions of Chasseurs, under
Lieutenant-Colonel Ballard, the whole commanded by Ferhad
Pasha (Baron Stein), moved on the 28th of October to the
village of Ertiss-zkalsk.
From that day until the Ist of November his highness was
occupied in sending up provisions to the advanced guard, in
moving other troops to support it, and in establishing depots
at Godova, at the mouth of the Ertiss-Tchal, whence to pro-
vision his army for a forward movement.
On the Ist inst. the advanced guard moved about 10 miles
forward, having its advanced posts on the river Ingour, opposite
an old ruined castle called Rooki, on the road to Sugdidi.
His highness joined the advanced guard himself on the 3rd
inst., his total force consisting of four brigades (32 battalions)
of infantry, four battalions of Chasseurs, and 1,000 cavalry,
with 27 field-pieces and ten mounted guns, or, in all, about
20,000 men ; the remainder of his force, about 10,000 men,
being employed to protect the depots at Godova, Tchimshera,
and Soukoum. _

On the 4th inst. his highness commenced constructing bat-
teries on the right bank of the Rigour, with the view of
menacing the enemy by the ford at Rooki. These batteries
were armed on the following night, and opened their fire on
the morning of the 6th instant about noon. On the same
morning his highness moved three brigades of infantry (24
battalions) with three batteries, with an advanced guard of
three and a•half battalions of Chasseurs and four guns, under
the command of Colonel Ballard, down the right, bank of the
river, a distance of about seven miles, where a branch of the
river was forded to an island which is some miles in length,
and from a half to two miles wide.

After proceeding along this island for about two miles, some
Mingrelian militia were encountered near a ford which crosses
from the island to the left bank of the river ; they speedily re-
tired, when the enemy opened a fire of artillery, and a heavy
fire of musketry, from their intrenchments on the left bank,
thrown up for the protection of the ford.
It very soon became evident that to force a direct passage at
this ford would be a very difficult undertaking.
His highness, therefore, while occupying the enemy at this
ford, sent officers to the right and left, and fords were disco-
vered in both directions—one about three-quarters of a mile
above or to the left of the main ford, the other about one mile
and a half below, or to the right of the main ford.
Troops were immediately sent to pass these fords ; that to
the left was unprotected. The passage was made by two
battalions of infantry and three companies of Chasseurs by
about 4 p.m. His highness having intrusted me with this
command, I moved them by a waggon track through the
forest, unperceived by the enemy, until within about 600 yards
of the position at the main ford, which his troops were occupied
in defending from a direct attack. The Turkish troops advanced
maid,ilyitc6.the attack, taking the enemy and his intrenchments

The enemy immediately fell back, and attempted to break
through the Turks in column, but, being met by a heavy fire
in their front and on both flanks, they broke and dispersed in
the forest, leaving us masters of the field, with three pieces of
their field artillery and six ammunition waggons in our
possession. At the moment that the Russian columns
attempted to break through our line, I grieve to say that my
aide-decamp, Captain Dymock, 95th Regiment, having first
had his horse killed under him, was wounded close by my side,
encouraging the Turkish troops. He died soon afterwards.
His death is to be deplored, as Her Majesty has lost in him
the services of a most promising and brave young officer, for
whom his highness Omar Pasha has frequently expressed to
me his high esteem. This young officer had accompanied me
from the commencement of the war in Turkey.
While this operation was proceeding on the left, a brigade
moved down to the right, under Osman Pasha, and forced a
passage in front of a force believed to be of four battalions,
but without artillery and not intrenched. This operation
succeeded ; and, soon after dark, the Turkish forces on the left
bank were in communication from right to left, and complete
masters of that side of the river throughout this length.
The loss on the side of the Turks has been 310 killed and
wounded, of whom 68 are killed, and 4 missing.
His highness has been pleased to express himself in terms
of the highest satisfaction of the conduct of the British officers
who accompanied his force. Lieut.-Colonel Ballard conducted
the advanced guard, and sustained a very heavy fire from the
enemy at the principal ford, about 100 yards wide, from noon
until dark at five p.m., occupying the enemy until his position
was turned by the Turkish left.

Captain Caddell also rendered good service, attached as
second senior artillery officer to that branch of the service.
His interpreter was killed.
The loss on the side of the enemy has not yet been ascer-
tained, but, up to the present time (noon), 347 have been
buried, of whom eight are officers, among which the prisoners
report there are two colonels.
The prisoners report that there were eight battalions of
infantry, besides a great number of Mingrelian militia, opposite
the main ford. I am, &c.,
JOHN L. A. Srmuoivs.
The Earl of Clarendon, &c.