The Sun.
London, England, 1855-06-26 00:00:00

A GLIMPSE AT CONSTRADT.

• ._
Nearing Tolboukin from the sea, the low islana
of Cronstadt, with all its terrors, gradually rises in
patchy hummocks, and to the southward singular
rocky excrescences appear dotted about between it
and the main, backed bythe tall masts of the liners i •
these, with the gilt steeple of the church, which
sparkles many a mile, are the most prominent
objects. By degrees the haze so prevalent in this
gulf, and which veils or distorts both nature and
art, is gradually dispelled, and these rocky excre-
seences assume a more determined shape. To the
extreme right the enormous square block of
masonry, mounting some 350 guns, is Risbank,
looking nothing the worse for Co winter, an addi-
tional work being apparent on its southern side,
and a corresponding flanking battery on the main
for its protection ; next cornea Fort Alexander,
looking like an ill-conditioned hayrick ; shortly
after Peter I. and Cronslot become visible, the
latter of which it would have been difficult to im-
prove, with a couple of three deckers moorey
d
across the entrance of the passage, supported b
numerous heavy paddle-steamers, apparentlY
under the special protection of Fortenschi-
M
koff, which, with the mole batteries, forms the
last of the long line of forts on or near the
south shore of the island, which is now one vast
11__
intrenched camp, 'encircled by detached east
works; all furnished with the heaviest ordnance,. aaid
finished with that scrupulous nicety which we nay°
learnt to respect at Sebastopol. Oh that " Boy°
Johnny" had abandoned Silistria, and our eneolariti
had never been taught the value of mud in
sanguinary siege ! These detached works a,re cor:
reed right across the island from abreast of For!
Alexander on its south side, commencing at the spit
marked "Kessel Battery" in the old plans, arld___:"
tending to the Governor's house on the north, on
the town side of which another hu
being constructed, affording daily improvemen .o
being
about 3,000 men. These detached works are adinui
ably placed, having a gentle slope-in front of thenie3:
flanked by and flanking Fort Alexander on t 1
south, and on the north protected by the shoals, th
submarine piling, and infernal machines.
A ipA% der
old works outside this line, as well as .`1";71,--3iiinde-
ge earthwork
.10
Fort, are apparently abandoned, and !'''',.."iand
ment, for the defences of the island agabus",hances
attack are rendered more compact, and wasll"e- the
of a successful landing, which last Year 0 if;
most, or one of the most, feasible opera
)
now rendered hopeless. .
On the north side the barrier of subinarine 1311.1311 gs
has been much improved and extended; 6°7 e faeet
ernployedeare large wooden caissons, some '
they
square, which are first floated over the place
steel es,
are intended to occupy, and then sunk with
and afterwards filled with the same material ; fTs
sages are left between many of the piles about is,
feet in width, for the egress of their gini-hdeba,o t„
should the north side be menaced. A fort an to itealk
tery have also been erected on Lisi-n0 .).
any attempt to force the barrier, which ig also Pl.. :
014
tected by a line of floating batteries, consisting itli
liners, 5 frigates, and 2 corvettes, together
distantlv
some 40 gun-boats, moored within it, the 0
varying from 500 to 1000 yards, and stretching,trrem:
the island to the main, and which Will now, stretching
fore, prevent the possibility of passing
attacking from the eastward/ The other villuerai e 41,..
point, and which was most accessible to a nava'.4,
tack last year—the line of defences on thed,
andnorth
of the town—has also been much imp es
be,
very heavy guns mounted. Were one's ears, tohle
trusted in Russia any more than one's ears) Its ;
have actually built twelve steam gubo,ruar
but, as two only have been seen under waY, it jes
noun
anal
fairly be surmised that the remainder are duramfo;
with a funnel and wood fire at the bottom of it, our
by this time our friends must have perceived ° ..-
gullibility, and acted accordingly, vide l'Prt°ll' are
would would here notice that 17 of their largest shins
ato
dismantled and lying in the basin, which ser/Se
show their confidence in the means of.defenlnece.
ure
infernal machines, to which they have in a as eee
re
all
confided the defence of the north side.) a
longer the myth of last year. One of our
sf;th
steamers, when reconnoitring the other day ":d
the French admiral and several captains on hr/a!oi-
very nearly received its quietus. She explodedtwu,,,„
these machines, whether from contact or otherwise
these
is uncertain—luckily in 5 fathoms water ; a. 0-1°
was, the one exploding under the starboard °owe
fairly lifted her out of the water, bulging
muchin the
side before the paddlebox, and ripping columnof
copper—at the same time throwing up a ie
water alongside about 14 feet bight. Ilad ittekel;
poned in shoal water, or had the explosion ~.eee.
place more directly under her, it would have, be
a similar case to the John o' Gaunt, which/ i- the
say, your readers recollect being destroyed A bli.woit
much-abused Warner, off Brighton. DePe,ll".„l;tri
it, those who first succeed in bringing the bathe
must
and science to bear in the matter of war nsb "no" ed
winners. Hitherto it has been studiously °Prez se
by the authorities; under the Exeter-hall e" cilia-
of being a too certain, or, perhaps, too The
bolical, means of getting rid of your eneenY• , of '
more certain the better is the practical teachatee
war, and I fancy the prevailing opinion of the
ment ; and it is to be fervently hoped that naY
lsni
Dundonald may have a fair trial. He, with rialto.
others, may not succeed at first, any
.eaore the
Watt could have built an express-engine iber so
Great Western, were he resuscitated ; but, au
rate, it is a step in the right direction. , dole,
These machines, when eeen from a vessel s
_eeed
have the appearance of large cylinders funnel
under water, well below the surface, with he
rising from the centre to within a few feet estact
same, and the probability is that violent.bc.e,
~n,i
causes explosion, though it is perfectlY Poss.ela from
even probable, that they are fired by batteri
if
with.
the shore (on the vessel's identifying been
ea the.
their position), more particularly as ne" the aet-
explosions which took place were under
a__L'unt).
the 133 v
toms, but alongside, and conserquentlY
of damage was small. eve been little.
The energies of our antagonist h-- -
Sebastopol, eoll-
less vigorous in the north than at
eeeration t4ev
sidering the winter, and it is no
state that this year Cronstadt is tvviee as , =
last. Then it had two vulnerable o ;yet be d 07.20 •
has none. Something, however, we that wi'
should it be deferred until
11" t Y ortunity vit s
be impossible ; but the golden °EPas unpreparE d
lost last year, when Cronstadt
..wa_7.,
au 000 troops : as
to resist the combined fleet ana
bioed armies.
es26l*-4 strong af t
Sebastopol was to resist the
c cga2tteries and wort. V
the meantime, where are the ba
flats ?
REGIMEN 21-4 &
g SUN'.
• TO 'ME ZDVOIt or is te th .
'atently advoca g _
SIB,—As your columns. cons'
ou inform yo r
vigorous prosecution of the war, cane d to e
angffleilte
17A C.ANC/Eig.
readers why Lord Rardinge has not y . rope r
strength, as votell by tbe estimates in Parba nio';
CD
although we are . ,
does appear monstrous that, _Booms
different regiments serving in the Crimea to.thrueier
i.pt 1 t
rliaraeat
• übmits to be taxed and Pa bedi,
the country willingly s office,
gaged in a most deadly
the man in
_i. in e
opens its purse strings, still
struggle with Russia, co.
' the case. In" ivg
prosecution of this war. Such is learll
c officera bort
having our regiments filled with yo.un,
__,. is ,3 .
Whig or Tory, is unable to set to work in earneb,"eaci of
of its established number. There are candidt _ Tfortjr
their' duty, almost every regiment ease c
Criln; —ago-
" vacancy which is 9u„ Os%
Why, then, is there a single vaca
d givirig 11113`
up vacancies in the Foreign Legion, an . went
v.
parliain 0 .
officers as much English money as
with filled up ? There would be no hesitation looroott
AN ANGO-s`l`
grant them.
London, June 26, 1855.

Li(o°ll‘
NAVAL AND MILITARY INT.g,-l'i 0,v.,
ATatSOl3, bo of
The linpdrieuse, 51, Captain B. B.
At
got under way from Spithead yesterday afternooo °'.o a
5 o'clock for the Baltic. Captain Watson Prit; of
Sheerness en route to the Baltic to take 005/Pwbeel
flotilla of gun boats,
&c. The Arabia pecicu,..rival
steam-transport, No. 95, Captain Stone whose 5. ,_ _.
at Spithead on Sunday night we rep the
Yeatercia7ll'
to land about 45 miscellaneous invalids. and to
steamed into Portsmouth harbour yesterday efterilbe
fit for
she
ereceptionfieacrethrlieri
ni ot
t,fs
and horseso
hasv come
sto England. The transports Charlotte 510 f
:.Tivaf;tara,,tahwreei
iClfirtliitteinnegrae,faofdoryrt whtech,iccoehrillipvbue:rrpaZotehdeeoir,f
Severald e
eta:
3refrlottnmioennttsh.of tTrhooeppsraotmPeothrtesums,outh by tbeelibeel
5, addle-0,
the
stealm rigate, Commander Selxin, fish rlabaSking .0 to
rnofandeaayr-oArdtiwniorafloFr
Breancknitaleva7t
leaves' ,
The following appointments were made yesterchil 't
the Admiralty ' :- filbert,
I\TIV '
,a. Cadets.—John Chapma74, to the Royal 1
Royal
for d• isposal ; the Hon. C. F. C. Wellesley, to the 1
Albert, for disposal ; A. K. Wilson, to the k°Y6of
:vhoria she 1
Albert, for disposal ; M. C. C. Roberts, to the Du"' •
Wellington, for disposal ; W. H. Bond to the Air' '
A. H. Long, to the Castor.
_____-.....—...................
.-._...,,1aY

r-------
~ EXTENSIVE FlBES.—Yesterday morning alui ions
night the fire brigade and West of England engi to
were most actively employed in attending norner° t.
fires, the lives of the inmates being placed in the gre).
est danger, and a large amount of property destroYe,
The first broke out on the Premises of Mr. WI- liB'''
chemist and druggist, No. 5, P,obert-street, Brig t°11;
coa,d. The premises of Mr. Dunk, beershop keepet,
were severely damaged by fire and water, and b 3 1
^~:val of furniture : cause, unknovvn. sag
inn sprious damage, happened on the extensive premi
of Mr. G. Till, hatter, Hope -terrace, Three Cl-lane'
Limehouse. Another also occured at Mr. R.. -urci
inate
rant's, Park crescent, Regent's-Park, which originate
from a foul flue, and also-communicated to the dWelli4
Anneler, ca 5"
of Mr. Hammond, which was also damaged.