The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-28 00:00:00

THE BOMBARDMENT OF SWEABORG.

The following is a translation from the Sivenska
Tidningen of a letter from Finland, dated Helsing-
fors November 1, 1855 :
"With regard to your request for a detailed account
of the affair at Sweaborg, it is now a little late for that.
Three months have elapsed since that event, and the
Sirenska Tidningen appears to estimate the losses pretty
correctly. I bad, moreover, left the town during the
occurrence itself, and when I returned I came too late
for the sight. Bajsaniemi (Katarina-point) Park, which
I visited the day atter my return, gave, nevertheless, an
idea of all the confusion which must have prevailed during
the bombardment. A little way from the great entrance
gate one saw on both sides of the road furniture of every
decription, lighted up by lanterns flashing through the
trees. On approaching nearer a singular sight presented
itself. Surrounded by their goods and chattles, a number
of families had here fixed their habitations. Employes,
Russian merchants, shoemakers, even a Lucifer-match-
maker with his stock-in-trade, were encamped peaceably
alongside one another. Conversation, laughter, lamenta-
tions, and even the sounds of a pianoforte were to be
heard indiscrinainately from among this society, all occu-
pied in their own pursuits. I sat down for a little while
on a pail without an owner, and watched 'these groups.
Near me was to be seen the mother of a family drinking
coffee out of a teapot by the light of a lantern which
hung on the branch of a neighbouring tree, whileher hus-
band set a little way off, with his arms folded, on a heap
of bedclothes. The family seemed to be completely calm
and tranquil, and as far as one could judge by the effects
that surrounded them, had not failed to save everything
they reasonably could. On the other side of the park
again, all the way from the Kajsaniemi (now bearing
the sign of Caft Restaurant) up to the new bridge a re-
giment of Grenadiers was encamped. Sweaborg still
stands where it was, though somewhat changed. The
fine line-of-battle ship Rossia, which according to Count
Sievers's report in the Allman?) e Tidningen, lost 103
men (somewhat in contradiction to a later statement
made by the same paper, that the Russian lost (luring
the whole bombardment only amounted to 60 men), and
which was struck in the hull by 25 shells, is now again
repaired as far as was possible. According to the testi-
mony of the officers, the brave defenders of Sweaborg
did not for .one moment waver during the terrible bom-
bardment ; only once when the indispensable cellar be-
longing to the well-known brewer Linehrychon was
blown up at the commencement of the attack, did a part
of the garrison lose their presence of mind ; there is,
however, no want of reports of court-martials, military
executions, &c. Since a Russian officer has discovered
that the mortars of Swedish metal, which are lying in
quantities in the arsenal of Sweaborg, carry from one to
two versts further than the Russian ones on the ram-
parts, the former have been mounted, and they are now
only waiting to show the allies that the Russians can
also make discoveries in artillery science. The new
bombproof roof which is now being erected at Sweaborg,
made of earth and beams, may also put some difficulties
in their way.
" But I now abandon all political gossip about the Sth