The Express.
London, England, 1855-04-03 00:00:00

FIRES AND LOSS OF LIFE.

Yesterday morning a fire broke oat on the premises
Nos. 116 and 116, Gowen-street, tenanted respectively by
Mr. A. Gallons, bar-fitter, and Mr. D. Page, tobecoonin.
The Boyal Bonny's ere mope was brought to the spot
directly after the outbreak, sad mune mesas of sung the
lives of several of the inmates, out of whom, Mrs. Pegs,
was rescued by the us of the short ladder pieced across the
spars separadag the two betiding.. The following is Mr.
Braidwood's report:" No. 116, Goswell.stseet, Mr. D.
Peg*, tobueonist. The shop and patinae Inwood oat.
Staircase end back rooms destroyed, and most port of roof
off. The halldiag was neared in the Ilaity Fire Office.
The memento are unknown if insured or not. No. 116,
Goswell-eneet : Mr. A. Galleon, bar-fhter. Beek work-
shop. bused down and commits destroyed. The building
was insured la the Unity OR" bet the contents were ‘11"
neared. No. 115, in the same street, Mr. J. Fussy, confec-
tioner. Stook in trade and fensiture greatly damaged by
water, Ike. kneed in the Imperial and Unity Fire Offose.
No. 117, ditto, Mr. J. Meaning, globe masufecturer. Bide
wall and entente very seriously densged. Inured la tke
Photon and Unity Fire Of Tin cane of fire az-
imut."
At • late bear cm Sunday night a fire leek Saes in the
peaks. of Kris James, a poser, No. es, Lamb's Conduit-
*set, by whist& an aged female of the name of B. Pugh
burat ahtomt * • ender, whilst the damage to the
was beimelisesbis, the fire being seabed to the
use
the bassamat.
Assent limo she attended with a lose of life, happraed
Ilissilay mufti, at ea early Year, is the private Donee
of Kr. J. limb, is the Ithedeewell-reed, St . The
fire was ettelised to the bask rem, mead lose ; b t tea.
fortunately Mn. Navin, whoa was °alp P 2 peers of
perished la the flames. The origin of this it. was also
nakaoira.

TEE MUSEUM OP OZNAMENTAL ART, AT MARL-
POSOUOIE flossm—The sambas &Medias. La., daring
the mouth .f Marsh alt. were as fellows : 4,760 penes. Ca
the piddle days, sad Unload has ; 630 pumas as tie
statute days, sad admitted Si statisats ea dm mount of
ad. mask bias' tits rogisterod Modesto at ths slaws ud
ST
CRYSTAL Purc2.--B>gunT. D.A2.--April 2.

ion. ea o:l1,188 ; 1 wr mei aims,
112.--Total,

THE ARMY BEFORE SEBASTOPOL they also succeeded in digging four pits for sharp.
shooters, with a wall sufficiently high to ensure their
(lion TEI SPZOIAL COSSIISPONDS3II' OF TEI DAILY protection. The sharpshooters were thus enabled to
• maws.) annoy our allies at their work, and these pits have
CARP ABOVE SEBASTOPOL, Means 18.
Dfibeirstestnwathtut:mmopbadjtet:otonlitihvaesevlet4hrstehl
Rciounittaiesanntet.rdi
je.useamtttareanrktfeerr.omdzi
The Russians have not been enabled to make much
?ogress with their new work on Gordon's-hill, in hey were found to be well guarded, but the
F tench,
_onsequence of the constant interruption, day and amid a heavy fire of musketry and repeated salvos
night, to their working parties. They are exposed, from the Malakhoff batteries, and those near Cazessi.
an hour afterwards the enemy returned in great forms
looking from the position of the besiegers, to a cross big Harbour, gained possession of them. In less then
and in turn our allies had to seek shelter behind their
fire from the English works on the left, and from the
batteries worked by the French on the right. Al-
works. The fire on both sides was remarkably vim,,
and rapid, and the possession of the pits was
though the discharge from the Lancaster battery and
Gordon's battery, on Frenchman's Hill, has been disputed with great obstinacy. lam informed tent
men placed hors de combat. For a period of about
severe and effective, die batteries on the right have oar allies in this affair had two officers and seventy
twenty minutes,
.between eight o'clock and nine
so sustained and unceasing were the
been the more obnoxious to the enemy. From the
line of fire of these latter works shot and shell sent
p.m.,
from them, but not striking the position of the new
was the fire from all the batteries in cenetirle
volleys of musketry ; so terribly vehement
chiefly endeavoured to antagonistic battery, and divert it from the more ex-
redoubt on Gordon's Hill, pass on in a direction to-
wards the works round the Malakhoff Tower. The and to the right, as each tried to check the fire of its
tP°sehe :ark atmosphere of the evening, so frc uent the(
positions of the troops ; so vivid the flashes, in
aßheausskienthsa hßarevef,aamthetrehfaoreba,
cast around by thee which were bursting; so loud
ttteheriemaias onkhthaeffTriagwhet,r.anbudt
the roar of the cannon, so repeated the sharp
lights in the air of the flying shells andg
the glare
not only the guns in front of
aalfsocatreehoseniagin theßa redoubts t
areh s on
nowt he
armed,height
been worked with this object. It has been observed " bang" of shells in their explosion, so sharp ana
yt,wboont he wofrencloi
that the Russian fire has not been nearly so active or continuous the rattle of the small-arms; that, for the
heavy as it was a few weeks since. It has also time mentioned, the struggle going on appeared to be
been noticed that when increased at one given point, more dire than any since the commencement of the
it has slackened at others along the line of defences. siege. Yet, so secure has been made the shelter of
Whether this has been owing to a diminished force the parapets, and, what is of more importance, 80
of artillerymen in the garrison, or whether the fire alert and experienced have the troops become in
is merely reserved for the more urgent occasion of the taking advantage of them, that comparatively few
opening of our expected new attack, is of course mat- casualties occurred. Amid all the din was coca.
ter ofsurmise. A Polish deserter, who gave himself &lousily heard the sharp shout, or rather yell, of the
upon the night of the 13th instant, stated that there Russians as they advanced to the attack or pursuit
was considerable uneasiness in the garrison respect- it with renewed vigour. The Light and Second
' log our re-opening the bombardment, as they were by Divisions of the British torus moved to the support
no means so well prepared for it as the appearance of of the covering troops in the trenches, but did not
the batteries would lead us to suppose. This deserter become engaged. The Russian riflemen having spin
appeared to be more worthy of credit than many who obtained possession of their places of ambush, em.
have come over to us, as he was dressed as an officer, ployed themselves during the remainder of the night
and described himself as a lieutenant in the Russian in deepening the pits, and adding to the height tad
service. It would appear also that partly from over- security of the walls by placing several layers of sand
calculating the effects of the disastrous storm in No- bags upon them. These sand bags being made (lithe
vember last, and partly perhaps depending upon the ordinary light coloured canvas, are particularly con.
reports of the state of the army as described in the striations from being deposited in regular rows upon
press, together with actual knowledge of the severity the dark coloured mould which forms a considerable
of the season and its ordinary consequences, the stratum as the foot of the hill is approached, and
enemy had not anticipated our being in so effective a which was previously thrown up from the pits. The
condition as we now are. This miscalculation, and French and English working parties on their side
the necessityof dividing his force, partly against Enpa- carried on with energy the new line of entrenchment,
tons, partly for observation, may have caused the Rue- and this work is now completed on each side as fat
shin general to lessen the available strength for duty in as the verge of the ravine. When the asp bee been
the batteries and garrison ; and if this should be so, carried down the sides and across the ravine, the cop-
it becomes an important question whether the flexion between the most advanced work—the thud
enemy by extending his line of defence, as parallel—of the British on Frenchmaa's Hill, and the
he has been doing lately, is not in reality moot advanced line of our allies on the right, will be
weakening his capability of offering opposition to complete. This would perhaps have been already
a vigorous and general attack on his works. There achieved, but the present termination of the French
can be no doubt that the new redoubts on the crest line has been brought to the ravine some thirty ce
of the hill to our right of Careening Harbour are, as forty yards in rear of our line, so that either our
engineering works, very valuable additions to the parallel will have to be thrown back that distance, or
means of protection for the shipping in the road- the French parallel advanced, in order to complete
stead, and also as obstacles to our advance from the the junction. On our side the parallel has been car-
right ; but it will require a considerable increase to ried to a distance of about 400 yards from the regular
the number of Russian troops employed in the siege Russian line of defence. In the course of its coestruc.
operations to man and defend these batteries and tiou several of the stone pits from which the Russian
keep up the necessary communications. Whether riflemen used to keep up a constant fusillade against
the Rassian generals have such a force at command our covering parties in the second parallel, and eves
' as will enable them to spare without inconvenience in the 21-gun battery itself, were completely&
this distribution of their artillerymen, remains to be stroyed. A shallow ravine only now separates our third
seen. It has been considered that in this respect the parallel from the shelling ground immediately in
enemy has made a mistake ; and this has been one trout of the large buildings comprised within the
of the arguments used for not repeating an especial dockyard and arsenal walls. This shallow ravine is
attack against these particular works, but rather for a continuation of the middle, or Otchakov, ravine,
waiting until matters were sufficiently ripe for the which winds round the foot of Frenchman's Hill, to
grand attack by the whole artillery of our siege terminate in the south, or Admiralty, harbour. The
works combined. It must be remembered that these maps of the siege operations published by Wyld and
are not the only new batteries of the others usually represent this ravine u pursuing its
enemy. The number of guns mounted in front way almost in a direct line towards the great roa-
d the whole line of works from Careening Bay stead, and terminating in a sort of bay between the
to Quarantine Fort has been vastly increased; and south harbour and Careening harbour. This is not
numerous batteries have sprung up behind these so. The bill on which the Malakhoff Tower
again, where there were none et the opening of the rests is continuous with the high ground of
siege. Batteries have been erected on the verge of the Barabelnaia suburb, and is not intersected
the cliffs on the north side of the roadstead, toward its by the Otchakov ravine, which, as I mentioned
termination at the Inkermann valley, and also on the before, turns off to the left to join with several
Lighthouse hill, for the purpose of interrupting our other ravines in terminating in tee valley of the
operations on the right. The force of artillerymen south harbour. This explanation is necessary, to
required for the defences of Sebastopol exceeds two- understand the relative positions of the new works
fold now that which was required at the commence- going on on the right, where at present the chief
went of the siege, not only for actual service in the interest of the siege is centred. At night the ads
works, but also as reserves. Mach as the enemy sof- vaned sentries of the Russians are placed partly
fered from our fire during the first two days of the down their shelving slope of the ravine, so that they
bombardment, their number of casualties must be and the sentries in advance of our third parallel are
immensely increased whenever the new bum- now within ear-shot of each other, and often not more
bardment is opened. The close proximity of the than 30 or 40 yards apart.
French batteries on the left; some of our batteries, General Canrobert and his staff have paid daily
and those the most important, diminished in distance visits to the new works on the right. On paid daily
and those the moat important, diminished in distance visits to the new works on the right. On fhursday,
to nearly one-third of that from which they he 15th. he ordered that another attack should le
originally opened; the new works on the right, made against the four Russian rifle-pits. These pits
for use against the shipping, and others the fire of are immediately in front of the new French line of
which will be directed against the works defending the trencb, separated by a space of about fifty yards.
arsenal and dockyard ; distance lessened, but weight of The attack was made, as usual, at night, and com-
metal increased, and that of a superior description ; menced about halt an hour after sunset. The Ras-
mortar batteries of huge calibre; powerful rockets, Aims made a vigorous resistance, reserves having
and other projectiles of; a novel kind, and most been brought down from the redoubt to defend the
destructive in character: all these combined cannot pits, but they were eventually, driven back. The
fail to produce an impression on the fortifications of walls of the pits were partly levelled, and the face
the town and arsenal such as not only has not been of the remaining portions turned, to prevent the
experienced hitherto, bat in all probability will be Russians from again occupying them. A sharp firs
found to be irresistible. Should I not be exaggerating was afterwards kept up to prevent the enemy
the power of our new works and their armament— returning to repair the mischief thus done to them
—should the strength of the enemy not be under- works, and, 49 there was no reply, it was supposed
rated, and the new bombardment commence before they had abandoned the attempt and retired within
reinforcements can arrive to recruit its force—then, the redoubt. When daylight broke, to the surprise
in all probability, no long time will elapse before the of all, the Russians were found to have constructed
great object of the siege will be accomplished, and, two other ambuscades ; one on their right (our left)
at least, the town, arsenal, and south side of the of the four original pits; and another, which might
roadstead, will be placed at the disposal of the allies. almost be named, from its regular construction and
Should the Russians be able to perfect the new size, a redoubt, higher up on the slope of the bill.
redoubt on Gordon's Hill—the "Mamelon Redoubt" Of coarse both had been worked quietly out of the
it is already called, from the mound-like shape of the line of fire which had been pertinaciously poured in
low hill on the summit of which the work bas been towards the old pits by our allies. It is only doing
isommenced—it will also require a strong armament of justice to the Russian engineers to acknowledge that
pus for its protection. In case of an assault the this is only one of the many proofs of their being es
position of this work will render necessary that it ready in devising means of defence, and counteract-
should be taken before any attempt could be made ing or avoiding difficulties, as the men appointed to
against the Malakhoff Tower and its works. The guard their works have been found vigilant for their
enemy manifestly consider its possession of great defence,
importance,- and, in spite of the determined fire No attempt was repeated against the Russian out-
against the working parties, have been making Ago- works on the 16th, but during the day a very active
roue efforts to csrry on to completion the redoubt itself fire from Gordon's battery, and from the advanced
and its connexion with the works in the rear. It is battery held by the French on the height above the
necessary that the British on the left, and the French ravine known es the Right Ravine (leading down to
from the right, should make regular approaches to- Careening Bay) was kept up against the working
ward the Mamelon, in order to be able to retain parties in the Mamelon redoubt. Many wounded
possession of it when taken ; and the progress of were observed to be carried from this work. Excel-
these approaches, bus which large working parties lent practice was made by one of the 13-inch mortars,
have been employed, the Russians have vainly at- several shells from which fell in the very centre el
tempted to prevent. On the 12th instant, soon after the large redoubt. At one time the enemy were ob-
sunset, and before our working party had arrived at served to leave the work in such numbers as to lead
the new sap, the Russians, taking advantage of the to the belief that the whole of the working party bad
dusk and a high wind which was at the time absorb- been driven out. On Saturday, the 17th, about 2 p.mn
ing in itself all slighter noises, came forward and a well-directed shot from a 68-pounder in Gordon's
carried off about seventy of our gabions. They were battery struck the upper pit, or small redoubt, °cat-
very imperfectly fixed, and contained scarcely any- pied by the Russian riflemen. A crowd, calculated
thing beyond small detached fragments of the rock to be 40 in number, immediately took flight op
of which the ground in this situation is towards the large redoubt, and, without going round
formed ;..i so that they were removed without to the entrance, sought shelter in the nearest peed
mach difficulty. The loss was discovered as the ditch. About 30 other riflemen followed in
ROM as the engineers and working party reached quick succession, escaping two or three together•
the spot, and a fire was opened in the supposed di Strange to say, although a continuous volley of
rection of the men retreating with their booty. In musketry was poured into these men as they
the morning at daybreak a number of the gabions fled up the hill, only one was observed to be
were observed lying about 40 or 60 yards in frost of struck. At the time that the first party ascended in
our trench, so that in all probability it was only a a body it appeared impossible that more than half
small body of the Russians who had come up to the would be able to reach the redoubt, so concentrated
work, and by repeated visits had removed the ga- was the fire against them from the trench of oar
lions to what was considered a distance beyond oar allies, but not one was seen to be
;injured. I have
reach. Some men, however, went forward, and since heard that the troops guarding the trench at
brought a few of them back, but the recovery of this time were not armed with the Minis rifle ; with
more was not considered worth the risk and expo- that weapon so many could not possibly have
sure to the fire of the enemy's riflemen. It would escaped,
not have been very flattering to the Russians had On Saturday, the 17th, the French Commandee-
they heard the remarks of our Yellows commentin Jr
in-Chief, after observing for some time the operations
The following, pablished to the army at the upon their " theft." About the sag" time that this on the right, was understood to give very strifeless
orbs's, defuse seers dearly the duty of Gerard annyeen: must have occurred, an attack was made by
.a force, orders respecting another attack against " Les
ae, GUMMI After Order: Her lisiesty Imbrium pleased apparently consisting of 80 or 100 men, against the Embimideler The pit on the side of the hill was to
'goat Liestsaset-General Samoa to be mud or left of the advanced work, but was speedily repulsed. be destroyed, and the pits originally made near the
the OW et the Army is the Crimea, the Lieutenant. One man of the enemy was made a prisoner on this French lines—two of which the Russians, in the
Goerd h aseasort this duty. All orders hosed by Plaid- oesesd°6• course of Friday night, had again contrived
Newial Lord Bails& loth* army and preemie by ids Around Gerdon's Hill, some distance below the to occupy were to be connected, and 11
alb b) be obeyed asserdlefill- no emimpeadsom *mauled ditch of the new redoubt, the enemy has contrived in communication established with the main trench,
m pus thrall& his brats a the wni be the night time to throw up numerous stone heaps, as A battalion of Zooms, supported by two bat*
midestat as lausedsre, addressed to tbs Adjutant-Gonad Sloes of shelter
,„ for advanced aa'"tri°!'C°l34dershly lions of Masseurs Pied, were to have the honour of
sued goarrasmaster•Geaseal aseeetiostr.... By seder, in advance of weak and at a short distance 01327 from executing this undertaking. Unfortunately, in cos-
Maid) J. Simeon, Mkt of ths staff:" • the line of Mouth being workedby the FrlMbo seance of some misunderstanding or mistake in the