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

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.