The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-03-02 00:00:00

THE SECOND PASSAGE OF THE
DARDANELLES.

The following (given by the Evening Standard) is an ex-
tract from an officer's letter on board one of the irenclads,
dated Feb. 13 :

"Last night we heard that we were again to make
an attempt to pass the Dardanelles, and there was an
opinion that this time it was to be a genuin3 move-
ment. The signal was made for the selected ships to
be ready to start at daybreak. In the night the
wind freshened, the barometer fell, and a cold sleet and
mist rendered the closest objects difficult of view.
Waking about half-past six in the morning I heard the
sound of distant guns, and going on deck perceived
the Raleigh aground on the windward side of Rabbit
Island, making signals of distress. She had started
yesterday morning for the north, and on her way
back had kept, I suppose, too far to the west-
ward, while endeavouring to avoid the reef at the
north end of Besika Bay. The weather was too thick
for the lights to be seen. The Ruby and Hotspur
were ordered to her assistance, and the remainder of
the fleet—viz., Alexandra, flagship of the commander-
in-chief; Agincourt, flagship of Sir J. E. Commerell,
V.C. ; Achilles, Captain Sir W. N. W. Hewett,
V. 0.; Swiftsure, Captain Salmon, V. 0.; Teme'rairb,
Capt. Culme Seymour; Sultan, H.R.H. the Duke of
Edinburgh; and the paddle yacht Salamis, started at
a speed of ten knots for the Dardanelles. The wind
was now heavy, and the sea increasing in a way
that boded ill for our unfortunate squadron mate,
the Raleigh, whom we were obliged to desert in
the moment of her need. Soon the sleet turned to
regular snow, and it was with difficulty that the ships
could all be kept in sight of one another. On enter-
ing the Straits, Koumkaleh was invisible, and the
Castle of Europe only loomed indistinctly on the port
beam for a short period. The information afforded to
and the orders promulgated amongst the ships' com-
panies were to the following effect. The squadron was
to make the best of its way to Constantinople, for the
protection of British life and property, and it was
accordingly necessary to pass the Dardanelles forts,
which would be done at the rate of ten knots. Ships
would be ready for action; but no shot was to be fired,
even in return, unless the artillery from the shore
absolutely struck the hulls of the ships. The captains
of the guns were also strictly charged not to fire with-
out orders from the officers of their quarters, and then
to take careful aim at the guns and be sure not to hurt
the houses or inhabitants of the towns.
"As we approached Chanak the weather became so
thick that it was impossible to see either bank, and
at this critical moment the Alexandra herself un-
fortunately went ashore. The Agincourt, not per-
ceiving this, pushed on, and the commander in chief,
ordering the Sultan to anchor near him, directed the
remaining ships to proceed and anchor for the night
at Gallipoli. The Achilles, Swiftsure, and Temeraire
passed on, and the mist slightly lifting, perceived the
forts on either side of them. No fire was directed at
these ships at all, and the Agincourt ran the gauntlet
in the thickest part of the weather single handed,.
and anchored to wait for the rest a couple of miles
beyond. On passing the Agincourt the three
ships I have mentioned above communicated to
the Rear Admiral the accident to the Alexandra,
and then made for Gallipoli. The Englishman has
a natural sympathy with the distressed, and I am
sure nothing gave us all so much satisfaction as the
information that we were not to injure the Turks.
There had been an uncomfortable impression pre-
vailing that we might be ordered to anchor off the
forts and silence them in case of their resiatanco.
It would have gone much against my heart to have
fired a gun against the poor old Turks even if, in
their desperation, they had been the aggressors.
The old Paths of Chanak came down on Sunday
to Besika Bay, I believe to pr otest against our
forcing the passage, and pointed out its probable evil
effects upon the Turks. The old man pathetically
remarked upon the condition of tits countrymen—` My
father died, my brother and son die, but when I see
Gallipoli my heart breaks.' The snow that has fallen
.today rests on the hills here, and, though it is con-
siderably clearer, a bitter and searching wind howls
round. What an awful right this must be for the
houseless and destitute refugees—for the thousands of
women and children driven from their homes to these
bleak hills and barren cliffs by the horrors of this
abominable war. I hear that the Russians are only
six hours distant from the spot, and that 36,000 Turks
are within the lines here. The people are almost
starving."