The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-08-21 00:00:00

THE FORTRESS OF SWEABORG.

The fortress of Sweaborg is the first formidable obstacle in
the Gulf of Finland, and does the outpost duty, as it were,
for the great military entrepots of St. Petersburg. On the
east this fortress also partially commands the most navigable
channel for vessels of a large draught of water, on the voyage
to Cronstadt, which is distant 163 miles on the St. Peters-
burg side. It commands the entrance to the large harbour,
on the opposite side of which stands Helsingfors, or Helsing-
forstt the present capital of Finland, and the seat of the
Russian government. The islands on which Sweaborg stands
are-Ist, Langoe (the Long Island), which is the island nearest
to Helsingfors; 2nd, WesterAwartoe, or the Black Island on
the West ; and, 3rd, Bakholm, or the Rock of the Watch
Tower. These are the three islands on which the houses of
the garrison are built. 4th, Lilla-Oester-Swartoe, the Small
Black Island on the East, which contains an arsenal of artil-
lery ; 6th, Stora-Oester-Swartoe, the Large Black Island on
the East ; 6th, Wargoe (Wolf's Island), where the governor
generally resides, the principal magazines are situated, and in
which ships of war are repaired in two basins or docks ; and,
7th, Oustafs-Svoerd, or the Sword of Gustavus, on which the
citadel stands. This island is, or was, united to Wargoe by a
bridge, and it possesses a reservoir of fresh water, an advan-
tage which none of the other islands possess. ere is an
eighth island, called Skantzland, the fortifications of which
were not complete a few years since, though there can be little
doubt that they have been completed since the commencement
Of the present war, as, from its position, a little to the south
of Gnstafs-Svoerd, it is a position from which that island and
the citadel upon it might be attacked.
Sweaborg fell into the possession of Russia with the grand
duchy of Finland; but, unlike Helsingfors, which was regu-
larly fortified by the late Emperors Alexander and Nicholas,
Sweaborg had been a place of considerable strength under the
Swedes. Gen. Ehrenfwald, an able Swedish officer, consider-
ing that these islands might be rendered a formidable strong-
hold, and might enable Sweden to maintain her power in the
Baltic, in spite of the ambitious deignso
however,Russi a hprojected
es
the plan of their fortification.
built and repaired there for the Swedish navy. The
were commenced i
n 1748, but were not completely finished
when acquired by the Russians, who have continued making
improvements and devising every means of rendering the place
irepregnable. They say, " The Swedes began, but we finished
the Gibraltar of the North." These works are stupendous,
the walls are chiefly hewn granite, covered with earth, rising
in some places to a height of 48 feet. The batteries, which
commence on a level with the water, and rise in tiers one above

another, are mounted, it is alleged, with 'nearly a thousand
guns. In Wolfs Island, the principal of the group, there is a
dry dock, capable of containing eleven or twelve frigates, which
has been completely hollowed out of solid rock, the length
being 300 feet, breadth .200, and depth 14 feet. At one ex-
tremity of this dock is a basin 200 feet square, closed at each
end with sluice gates, which serves for the entrance and exit
of frigates, and for repairing and building ships. The stores
and ammunition for the batteries. are deposited in magazines
on the edge of -the water. The harbour can contain seven
ships of the line and a few frigates.
The three fortresses—Cronstadt, Sweaborg, and Helsingfors
—could not have been intended for the defence alone of St.
Petersburg. They tell their own tale. The magnitude of their
works, and the incessant activity in the -arsenals during the
last half century, should have clearly warned Europe that
these huge fortresses were intended as a base of operations
against its liberties and the rights of its rulers.
Cronstadt, which commands the passages at the mouth of
the Neva, was taken from the Swedes by Peter the Great, and
first converted by him from a desert island into a harbour for
his navy, in 3.110. The most invulnerable portion of the
stronghold, a rampart of granite built in -the-sea for the pro-
tection of the shipping, was begun and finished under the
superintendence of Admiral Greig, who is -styled the father of
the Russian navy. Doubts are entertained whether the guns
of Cronstadt completely command the northern passage : the
Marquis de Castile, a keen inquirer, declares that although he
put himself to some trouble to learn as ranch, he could not find
the Russian who would inform him of the fact.
The population of Cronstadt is about 45,000; of Helsing-
fors, which is the capital of the district, 10,000 ; and of Swea-
borg about 4,000; the greater part of whom are tradesmen
and merchants, who depend on supplying the garrison and
fleet, and who, as if the Russians anticipated on this occasion
a serious attack from the allies, have been removing to Hel-
singfors during the last few weeks.

GREAT VICTORY OVER TILE
RUSSIANS, ON THE TCHERNAYA.

OFFICIAL DESPATCHES.
WAR DEPARTMENT, Aug. 11.
The following important telegraphic despatches have been
received by Lord Panmure _ _

VARNA, Aug. 16, 1 30 p.m.
The Russians attacked the position on the Tchernaya this
morning, at daylight, in great force.
The action lasted about three hours, but they were com-
pletely repulsed by the French and Sardinians.
Further particulars will be sent.
VARNA, 7 p.m.
The Russian attack of the morning was under the command
of General Liprandi, with from 50,000 to 60,000 men.
Their loss is estimated at between 4,000 and 6,000; about
400 prisoners have been taken.
The loss on the side of the allies is very small.

The following despatch from General PeHasler was re-
ceived on Friday :

TRAKTIR-BRIDG-8, August 16, 10 a.m.
For some days rumours of a premeditated attack on the
part of the Russians had aroused our attention, and they
carried out their project this morning at daybreak, against
our lines on the Tchernaya ; but, despite the concentration
of imposing masses collected during the night, the enemy
was repulsed with great vigour by the divisions of Generals
Herbillon, Camou, Faucheux, and Morris.
The Sardinians, placed on our right, fought valiantly.
The principal effort of the enemy was directed against
Traktir-bridge.
The Russians left a great number of dead there, and we
made a great many prisoners.
They were in full retreat on Mackenze's Farm when our
reserves were coming up, and those of our brave allies, es-
pecially the English cavalry.
The enemy has received a severe check.
Our losses, which are much less than those of the Russians,
have not yet been accurately ascertained.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Aug. 19.

Lord Panmure has this morning received the following in.
telligence from General Simpson, dated Crimea, August 17:
1855, 11.45 p.m.

Prince Gortschakoff commanded yesterday in person, and
not General Liprandi.
General Read is killed. _ _ .

The loss of the enemy is greater than was first thought
Our allies have six hundred prisoners.
A steady fire has been kept up from our batteries.

The Moniteur of Sunday contains the following despatch
from General Pelissier :

GENERAL P.ELISSIER TO THE MINISTER OF WAR.
CRIMEA, Aug. 17,11; P.M.
In his attack of yesterday the enemy advanced with five
divisions of infantry, six thousand cavalry, and twenty batte-
ries, with the decided intention of occupying the Tediouchim
(Tchernaya) heights.
After having crossed the river at several points, they col-
lected a mass of engineers' tools, planks, fascines, ladders,
&c., which they had formerly abandoned in their flight.
Our artillery fought, as usual, with gallantry and success.
An English battery, placed in position on the Piedmontese
hill, lent us its powerful assistance.
The Russians have left on the ground at least 2500 dead.
Thirty-eight of their officers and 1620 soldiers are in our am-
bulances. Three Russian Generals have been killed. We
have besides taken 400 prisoners.
Our loss is 181 killed and 810 wounded. Among our
officers, Tixier, Darbois, Alpy, and Saint-Remy have been
severely wounded ; De Polhes, Barthe, and Gagneur have
received injuries of less gravity.

THE OPERATIONS ON THE TCHERNAYA.
The movement of the Russians was in consequence of orders
transmitted from St. Petersburg to the Russian generals to
attack our lines before the end of August. The reasons which
induced the Emperor Alexander to give such orders, and fix a
date for their execution, were the urgent representations of
his commanders, who sent despatch after despatch to their
government, informing him of the dearth of the means of
transport and of provisions, which was making it severely
felt, and threatened to prove fatal to the very existence of his
armies, if the month of September should find them in their
then position.
In vain the Russian generals attempted an attack when we
made reconnaissances: The allitd generals were too cautious
and too wise, and the consequence was the Russians had no
course left them but either to retreat into the interior of the
country, where their wants could be supplied, abandoning
Sebastopol to its fate, so far as the army of relief was con-
cerned, or to make one more desperate effort to drive the in-
vaders into the sea, and thus to save the stronghold of the
Czar, and retrieve the honour of his arms.
The last intelligence from Gen. Pelissier leaves the Russians
in full retreat upon Mackenzie's Farm, beaten, harrassed, and
short of provisions. The Russian army of observation, for the
time, has no existence. It must pursue its retreat for safetys
sake, and, instead of relieving its comrades, must itself seek
relief.

The allied commanders have seized upon the moment when
their own soldiers are burning with victorious enthusiasm,
and when deep dismay must exist amongst the ranks of the
defenders of Sebastopol, to re-open our fire, at a moment, too,
when our approaches are so close to the enemy that hand
grenades have become the favourite weapon of offence, and it
needs but a short mine to blow his ditch and rampart into one
of ruins—a short rush to place our gallant soldiers in posses-
sion of the long desired Malakhoff. At the moment we write,
the bombardment is proceeding from the mouths of such an
armament as even Sebastopol has not till this moment felt the
weight of, and it is not improbable that, by the time these
lines meet the public eye, the assault may be made, and a new
and hard-won glory added to the united flags.—Morning
Post.