The Press.
London, England, 1855-04-28 00:00:00

396

to shake both heaven and earth. The shells and bullets
of the first discharge made of themselves a perfect uproar,
as they fell like an iron hail full upon the enemy's batteries.
Some shot were short, and went bounding towards the
works, scattering the earth like water. Some were too high,
and passed clear over everything into the town; but the
great mass were well Mined and true, and passed full into
the embrasures, clearing all before them. The shells burst
everywhere about like crackers, and the stunning explosion
of the great mortars made themselves conspicuous over
every other ndise, as the huge bombs screamed through the
air, carrying death and destruction into the Mamelon and
Malakoff. After this first tremendous volley each gun
worked as it could, and her regular file tire of mortars and
heavy guns commenced upon the place.
The enemy appeared completely surprised. With the
first awful salvo a general confusion is reported to have
been observed in their batteries. Fur three or four
minutes not a gun replied—then the Mamelon fired three
or tour at once, and the Redan and Malakoff also began a
slow irregular cannonade. The Flagstaff Battery was also
quick in sending two or three shells, but the great mass
of the guns in all the Russian works were silent. Gra-
dually, atter a lapse of five or ten minutes, their fire ex-
tended ; but,before half their ordnance was manned, ours
hail fired a dozen rounds, so that some of the enemy's guns
were struck before they fired a shot and damaged past
all manning. It was nearly six o'clock before all their
works were in full play and then each battery, pelting
against its assailant, tell to business in earnest.
Our mortar batteries in ..he advanced works and in front
of the picket house, with the new French batteries towards
Inkermann, appeared to concentrate their tire upon the
works round the Malakoff Tower and the Mamelon. Some
of the French Inkermann works also fired heavily into the
harbour and dockyard buildings. The right flank of Gor-
don's Battery was also directed against the Mamelon.
This was on our right. At the centre the centre and left
face of Gordon's Battery engaged the Redan, assisted by
the new 68-pounder battery, ou its left, the mortars in the
advanced works, and the right fire of the Green-hill Mound
which engaged the Garden Battery. This was our centre.
The centre and left faces of Green-hill opened upon the
Barrack work, supported by a sailor battery of heavy guns
and one side of the French right attack. The other side
of the French works fought closely with some new batteries
which the enemy have lately thrown up between and in
advance of the Barrack and Flagstaff works. The French
centre was close, quite close, to the Flagstaff Battery, and
their left engaged the Quarantine and Mud Forts.
The right flank of Gordon's Battery, with the French
works towards Inkermann, played heavily upon the
Mainelon, and in the course of a couple of hours two of its
guns were dismounted, and before nine a third was added
to the list of incapables. Much, if not all, of this damage
seemed to be caused by the three 13-inch mortar battery in
front of the old picket house, which, every four or five
minutes, threw two shells into the Mamelon, and one into
the works of the Malakoff Tower. The latter suffered
much ; at least, it is presumed so, as, exclusive of some of
the lnkermann batteries, part of Gordon's Battery and four
10-inch mortars, with several cohorns from the advanced-
work, played upon it incessantly. The fire of three 12
pounders was directed from the advanced parallel upon its
chevaux-de-frise and abattis, and scattered them to splin-
ters in the air.
It is quite impossible to speak now of the damage done
to the enemy. After nine o'clock nothing could be seen
with distinctness. Just before this period a slight explo-
sion took place in the Malakoff, most probably that of a
case of cartridges. For a few minutes after it occurred,
three guns in the centre of the circular earthwork were
silent, but then resumed their fire. The guns were not
hurt, though the gunners were most probably killed by the
explosion. One of more force took place almost at the same
time in one of the tiers of the Garden Battery. This was
much more severe, as two of its guns were evidently
disabled by it, and fired no more.
At the last Foment at which the rain, mist, and smoke
allowed anything to be distinguished the Garden Batteries
and Mamelon appeared to have suffered much, and their
fire was considerably slackened.
From this time—a little after nine o'clock—till past
three, all in the camp were left to their own conjectures
as to the progress of the bombardment. The mist and
rain were so dense, that it was impossible from the heights
to distinguish the fire even of our nearest batteries ; not
only was it impossible to see what we were doing, but
even to hear was difficult. The wind swept from the camp
towards Sebastopol, and this, with the thickness of the at-
mosphere, and rush of the rain, drowned almost every
sound, except the dull and apparently very distant concus-
sion of the large mortars.
About ten o'clock a message was sent by electric tele-
graph to head-quarters, to ask if our batteries might reply
to the enemy gun for gun ? The answer to be sent was
" No ; they were only to fire at their proper intervals, and
when the atmosphere was sufficiently clear to admit of
their taking deliberate aim." When this message was
being transmitted, it was found that the electric wire to
the batteries was broken. The galvanometer was applied,
and after some time the rupture was discovered ahout
sixty yards in rear of Gordon's Battery. The wire had
been severed by the bursting of a shell right over the spot
where it had been laid. The damage, however, was soon
rewired, and the question and answer from the batteries
to head-quarters transmitted as usual.
Between eleven and twelve two guns in Gordon's Battery
were dismounted, and two men killed. A heavy gust of
wind swept over the town, the mists 'and smoke were dia.
ei_pated for a moment, and it could be seen that both the
Mamelon and Garden Batteries were very slack in their
cannonade. and were fast approaching that state which en.
gineers call silenced. The Redan and Malakoff were'
firing as heavily as ever, end the Flagstaff and Barrack
Batteries seemed to hold their gronndi well against the
French. At the same time one of the French works at ln•

THE PRESS.

kermann appeared to have suffered much, as did also our
advanced trench and some parts of Gordon's Battery. Ou
the whole, more mischief seemed to have been done to the
Russians ; but on both sides the fire was much more slack
than could have been expected.
At six p.m. the Mamelon was almost entirely silenced,
and the Garden Battery quite so. The Malakoff appeared
to have suffered much. Even the few stones which re-
mained of its round tower were quite swept away, the
earthwork much injured, and many of its guns silenced.
Still, at this time, about thirty were in full play, though
not firing fast, and apparently only returning shot for shot
with the allies. The new Russian works north of the
Mamelon seemed uninjured, as did also the allied batteries
opposed to them. The Redan seemed injured, though by
no means in a way which lessened its resistance. The
fire from this tremendous work was as hot as in the
morning. The French battery opposed to the Barrack
was injured, as was also that opposed to the Flagstaff.
Neither of these great Russian works appeared much hurt
at ,resent.
About seven the fire of the allied siege guns gradually
ceased as night came on. The advantage of fire most
decidedly at the close of the day remained with us. The
mortars have not ceased firing, and all of them are ordered
to maintain the bombardment by firing a shell every ten
minutes throughout the night. The Russians reply with
bombs also, but the allies are firing three to their two. To
make up for this deficiency the enemy occasionally use
their long guns, but they do little damage to our works,
and are utterly useless against our mortars.
APRIL 10.—The homiardinent has continued without a
moment's intermission throughout the night, and the
enemy have consequently been prevented repairing their
damages. The practice of our mortars was perfect. Not
a second passed without a thirteen-inch shell being thrown
into the Malakoff and Mainelon. From its peculiar posi-
tion at the bottom of a hollow, the Malakoff seemed to
suffer most. At daybreak this morning the fire of the
long guns was recommenced on both sides, and then, for
the first time, we were able to perceive the immense ad-
vantage which had resulted from the bombardment of the
night. At the close of yesterday evening's fire the Malakoff
was almost completely silenced ; and this morning it re-
plied to our cannonade with only two guns, which were
dismounted at eight. Since that time to the present
(eleven a.m.) it has not fired a shot. The Mamelon is
very much injured ; in fact, almost entirely destroyed ; ten
of its guns are dismounted—three are still firing. Such a
storm of shot and shell is pouring into it from all parts
that it must shortly become untenable. The Redan is in-
jured, though not more so than the allied batteries opposed
to it. It still maintains a regular and heavy fire, and will
require at least twenty-four hours more firing to reduce
it. On the left the Russian batteries have suffered most
severely. The Flagstaff and Barrack works have been
much damaged by the French, and their fire is at least
thirty per cent. less than yesterday. Some of the houses
in the town show marks of having been visited by stray
bombs. The Garden Battery has its works and guns
much damaged, but still keeps up a good fire. Our
casualties have been slight; I believe only sixty killed and
wounded, of whom about twenty are killed. Lord John
Hay was wounded in the mouth by a shell splinter, which
knocked out some of his teeth, but caused no further
damage. Lieutenant Twyford, R.N., I sin sorry to say,
was struck in the chest with a round shot and killed on the
spot. Two of the sailors were killed by the explosion of a
cartridge. The returns of the naval brigade, are the only
ones yet in, and they show one officer and nine men killed,
one officer and fourteen men wounded. The largest pro-
portion of killed is in this brigade.
Lord Raglan and staff have just returned to head-
quarters from a tour round the batteries. I believe his
lordship is much pleased with the progress of the bom-
bardment.
Omer Pacha is at Kamisch with 12,000 veteran Turks
from Enpatoria. A division of 15,000 Turks was yesterday
sent from Kamisch to replace those brought by Omer
Pacha. The Turkish Commander•in-Chief wishes to share
in the glory of the general assault.
ONE O'CLOCK e.st.—The fire is still hot on our side ;
that of the enemy. in the works opposed to the French. is
fast slackening. The Flagstaff Buttery is suffering much,
and has nearly forty of its guns dismounted. The Redan,
with part of the Barrack and ,Garden Batteries, are still
most active.

The scene on the evening of the first day of re-
newed bombardment is thus described by the Times
correspondent
About five o'clock the sun slowly descended into a rift
in the dark grey pall which covered the sky, and cut a
pale yellow slice of light, barred here and there by columns
of rain and masses of curling vapour, across the line of
batteries. The outlines of the town, faintly rendered
through the mists of smoke and rain, seemed quivering
inside the circling lines of fire around and from them, but
they were the same familiar outlines so well known to us
for the last seven months—the same green cupola and
roofs, and long streets and ruined suburbs, the same dock-
yard bulldings, and dark trenches and batteries. The
little details of ruin and destruction which must have
taken place after to-day's fire could not be ascertained.
The eye of painter never rested on a more extraordinary
effect, and his art alone could have rendered justice to the
scene which shone out on us for a moment, as the sickly
sun, flattened out as it were between bars of cloud and rain,
seemed to have forced its way through the leaden sky to
cast one straightened look on the conflict which raged
below. The plateau beneath our standing•place was lighted
up by incessant flashes of light, and long trails of white
smoke streamed across it, spirting up in thick masses,
tinged with fire, for a moment, till they were whirled away
in broader volumes by the wind. lit the deep glow of the

puling gleam of sunset, the only image 641;es-tett to me
calculated to convey the actual effect of the fire of the bat-
teries to our friends at home was a vision of the potteries

I'

gAT6IDAY.

district as it is seen at night, all fervid with fire and pillars
of smoke, out of the windows of an express train. This
glimpse of the batteries, brief as it was, proved extremely
satisfactory. On the extreme left the French batteries
were firing with energy on the long line of batteries in front
of the loophoied wall, and on the Flagstaff and Garden
Batteries, which were replying very faintly and feebly by
one or two scattered guns. Our left attack (Greenhill or
chaptusn's Batteries), working with vigour iind preeision,
was principally directing its fire against the Redan, which
only answered by five or six guns, which did not appear to
be remarkably well served or aimed. Our right attack
(Gordon's Batteries), aided by the advanced battery and
by the French redoubts, bad silenced the Mamelon and
tired some three or four shots for every one from the
Round Tower, and the Russian batteries to the right of
the blamelon were voiceless. Bo much could be seen,
when rain and mist set in once more, and shut out all
from view, save one faint blear of yellowish haze to the
west. _ _ _ . . _

APRIL 11.—At daybreak this morning the fire was re-
sullied by the allies and Russians, and for some time with
equal vigour on both sides. In spite of the fire of our
mortars, the enemy during the past night have managed
to repair much of the damage which the Mamelon sus-
tained, and also the works of the Flagstaff Battery opposed
to the French.

For the first hour of hostilities this morning all the
Russian works were fought with vigour and determination,
but after that time (about half•past six) the guns round
the Malakoff and Mamelon again ceased their cannonade,
and from this period until late in the day seemed perfectly
indifferent to our fire. .

On the north side of the harbour, especially on the
heights facing Inketmann, there were several new and
powerful batteries, which fired heavy volleys every quarter
of an hour or so. Their range, however, was too long, and
their shot, though they reached our batteries, effected
nothing. Indeed, their works seemed more used as a
bravado, and as if to show that that side commanded
every part of the town.
The enemy, between five and six o'clock this evening,
again entertained us with tremendous volleys from all
parts of their defences. It is done, I presume. as a brit.
vado, and as a gentle hint that their works are by no
means in that state of dilapidation when a general assault
would be either easy or safe.
Today we have to deplore the loss of a most active,
brave, and energetic officer of the naval brigade, Lieut.
Douglas, of the Queen. While superintending the work.
ing of a gun in the left attack lie was struck in the head
by a round shot from the Redan, and killed in a second.
APRIL I2.—During the whole of last night the fire of
our mortars was incessant, and this morning the long guns
recommenced with renewed energy ; but, in spite of our
bombardment, the enemy had evidently been again busy
during the night, and part of the Flagstaff and nearly all
the Mamelon embrasures were repaired. In the former,
apparently, no new guns had been mounted, but in the
latter were two. _ _ .

The fire to•day has been much the same as during
yesterday—viz., a well-sustained cannonade from the allies
throughout, and the enemy replying very slackly, except
from the Flagstaff and Redan. Occasionally, as since we
first opened, nearly all their works gave forth tremendous
volleys, almost simultaneously ; but their spirts, though
terrific, never lasted above half an hour, after which two-
thirds of their line relapsed into comparative silence.
Preparations are evidently making for a general assault.
Our shells, on which 'se entirely rely for hindering the
repair of the enemy's works during the night, are going
fast, and will most likely be quite gone by to-morrow night.
The tramway, to be sure, can bring up a day or two's
supply, but it is wanted for other tldpgs, and, besides it
has been occupied all to-day in getting up SW tons of
powder from Balaklava to the front. When our supply of
shell is exhausted we must storm. or quietly yield up the
advantages our cannonade has given us, and sink back
into the state in which we were after the attack of
the 17th.
APRIL 13.—Last night was wild and unfavorable, with
continued heavy rain, yet still our bombardment never
slackened for a moment. The Beagle, which was moored
off Sebastopol at a long range, also assisted in the fire, by
casting loose her Lancaster guns, and throwing shel!s into
the works the whole night. She also fired about fifty Con-
greve rockets into the works opposed to the French.
This morning, when our batteries recommenced, the
effects of our assaults were still more apparent. The fire
of the Flagstaff was evidently slack, even more marked so
than on the previous evening. It scarcely replied one
gun to the French three. The devastating traces of the
shot were also most apparent. Not only are the lower
tier of guns quite destroyed, but the upper seem in a fair
way of following them. Two or three of them are already
dismounted, and the earth of the parapets so beamed and
torn that the rest of the ordnance appear as if pointing out
between loose piles of earth. The flanking batteries are
now being fired at, and apparently with much effect. The
barrack work is also suffering much, and nearly one-third
of its embrasures are empty. The Redan still shows a
bold front. This colossal front is at so long a range from
ours (I,ZO yards), and mounts suoh an enormous mass
of ordnance, that it would stand its present battering for
two or three weeks to come, without receiving such injury
as to render it untenable. But this is a matter of no
moment. The Redan, per se, is a strong battery, but
unlike the Flagstaff or Malakoff, it is by no means so im-
portantly situated as to necessitate our taking it by storm:
The former works are the keys of the enemy's position
when they are silenced and captured the Retlan will fall of
itself, as it will cease to be tenable.
Arun. 14.-1 have only time to add a line or two before
the mail starts. Our bombardment etnitinned the whole
of last night with much effect,
and this morning the guns
again recommenced. The fire of the enemy slackens more
and more each day.

.... MI

APRIL 28, 1855.

There was a slight sortie last night upon the French,
who are sapping up towards the Flagstaff, It was instantly
repulsed, with a loss of ten or twelve killed to the
Russians.
There is no new feature in the canonade of today,
beyond that our advanced 84. pounder battery is doing
considerable havoc to the works of the Malakoff. Colonel
Dickson, R.A., one of the most active and indefatigable of
our artillery officers, is perpetually superintending the
progress made by this advanced work.
The (Jaraduc goes today to Constantinople to fetch up
Lord Stratford de Redclitie. The reason for his lordship's
visit at this particular time has, of course, given rise to all
kinds of conjecture.
The weather still continues very unseasonable. We
have nothing but dull skies, strong north-easterly winds,
and heavy rain.

The Times correspondent, writing on the 13th,
gives the following account of the state and prospects
of the siege:—

Up to the present moment our batteries have succeeded
in establishing a superiority of fire over the Russians, but
it is not very decided, and the silence of the enemy's guns
may arise iu some measure from want of ammunition, or
from confidence in the strength of their earthworks. It
would seem, indeed, as if our fire was almost thrown away
on the enormous mounds of earth cast up at the Redan
and before the Round Tower and Western Batteries. The
whole of the parapets of the Redan and Round Tower are
jagged and pitted with holes several feet deep, where the
shot have sunk, the sharp angles of the embrasures are
knocked away, and the abattis in front is considerably
damaged here and there, but the real strength of the place
is unimpaired ; and, as long as the Russians can find new
guns, fresh supplies of ammunition, and men to fight the
batteries, we are not one inch nearer to the town than we
were last October, so long as we rely alone on the fire of
our artillery to make us masters of it. There are great
differences of opinion among those officers to whom I have
spoken respecting the chances of an assault, but there can
he little doubt but that an attack on the Round Tower, the
Mamelon, and the two earthworks on the north side of
Inkermann, which are called by the French the batteries
I Avril and 2 Avril, would be attended with success, if
made with sufficient force, although the loss of life would
be very considerable until guns could be got up to reply to
the fire of the north forts, the shipping, and the bastion
face of the Redan. Far he it from me to arrogate to my-
self the smallest military knowledge, or to pretend to
criticise the operations of our generals, but I use the words
of many officers when 1 say that these places are not in-
vulnerable, and that the possession of them would most
materially conduce to a successful termination of all our
labours. It may be that our generals see some surer and
less bloody path into Sebastopol. They may well hesitate
to sacrifice the gallant fellows who must fall in such an
arduous and terrible undertaking as the storming of these
positions ; but, if Great Britain has set her heart on the
reduction of the stronghold which has already cost her so
much precious blood and treasure, she must be content to
pay the price to the last farthing.
THE CRIMEAN TELEGRAPH.

The completion of the electric chain of communi-
cation between England and the Crimea has been
announced in Parliament, and places the commander
of the army before Sebastopol within a few hours
distance of the War-office and Downing-street. The
accomplishment of the last and most difficult link in
this chain—the sinking of the submarine cable between
Balaklava and the western shore of the Black Sea—
is thus described by the correspondent of the Morn-
ing Herald in his letter of the 13th inst.:—

Amidst all our warlike preparations I must not omit to
mention the completion of a design which is now likely to
ranK as high as a valuable auxiliary in war as it formerly
did as a triumph of peaceful and scientific industry—l
mean the submarine electric telegraph, which was this day
completed between the shore at St. George's Monastery
and Cape Kalerga, near Varna. To Captain Spratt, of the
Npiyire, belongs all the honour of the completion of this
most arduous undertaking. The wire, to the length of 377
miles, was stowed away on hoard the Argus. The Terrible
attended to give assistance, and Captain Spratt, in the
~S'pii,fire, commanded the whole affair. The vessels left
Cape Kalerga on the afternoon of the 10th, and, keeping
over the bank which crosses the Black Sea, dropped the
wire in seventy fathoms. They passed Sebastopol yester•
day night, and brought the electric cable s.ifely to land at
St. George's Monastery early this morning, having payed
out on the passage 301 miles of the telegraph without the
slightest accident. This submarine telegraph is longer
by upwards of 2(X) miles than any other in existence. The
wire from Kalerga to Varna, a distance of twenty miles, is
not yet laid. It will also be submarine, and completed in
the course of another week. Even now messages from
the allied head•quarters will reach Paris or London in a
few hours, and, when the wire is all laid, in something less
than a second.

The telegraph will to-morrow be carried into head-
querters, where one to the trenches is already laid down, so
that the feld•ofilcer in command during the night will at
the same moment announce a sortie to Lord Raglan and
to the Prime Minister in llowning•street. The first mes-
sage was sent from Kalerga, and contained the important
intelligence that " Corporal Somebody was not well, and
had just taken a dose of castor-oil." The reply from the
Monastery was—" Hope it may do him good. Our bom-
bardment is going on most successfully." Before I con-
clude I must mention a singular phenomenon, which will
puzzle electricians to account for. When the Argus left
Kalerga she bad the coil of 370 miles of wire stowed away
in her hold. As she moved to sea messages were repeatedly
sent down from the old castle on the heights of Kalerga,
where the eud of the wire vas secured; but though the