The Sun.
London, England, 1855-11-30 00:00:00

YEE .EXPLOSION' IN, THE CRIMEA.

LIST OF KILLED AND WOUNDED.

Despatch from General Sir W. Codrington

( From a Supplement to Tuesday's Gazette. )
WAR DEPARTMENT, Nov. 29.
Lord Panmure has this day received a despatch and its
enclosures, of which the following are copies, ad-
dressed to his lordship by General Sir William Codring-
ton, K.C.B.

Sebastopol, Nov. 17.
My Lord,—On the 15th lest., about 3 p.m., a terrific
explosion shook the army and spread heavy destruction
in the immediate neighbourhood of its force ; even here,
at Head-Quarters, two and a half miles perhaps distant,
it burst open and broke windows, all felt the power of
it, and the high column of smoke, with shells bursting
in the midst and around it, told too well the cause, and
showed the danger of all within its reach.
It was not long before we were on the spot. To the
sudden burst had succeeded a continued and dark drift
of smoke, which told its tale of continued fire and danger;
constant bursting of shells was going on, and the ground
was covered with bits of wood, nuequet balls, and splin-
ters of shells from the first heavy explosion, which had
strewed the ground with destruction, and killed and
hurt very many people.
100,000 pounds of powder had exploded in the French
siege train, set fire to all the stores there, and to our
neighbouring English park where all was fiercely burn-
ing, whilst the tendency of the light air at first threat-
ened a second and as serious an accident from powder,
not eighty yards off, for the roof of the building had been
damaged and the door blown in by the shock.
Some general officers had fallen in and marched part
of their divisions down, others sent some in fatigue, some
with stretchers for the wounded, all exerted themselves ,
with the French with an energy and disregard of danger
that was admirable ; blankets were taken to the exposed !
store, placed and wetted on the roof by water being
passed up in buckets ; the doors were covered with wet
blankets and sandbags, and in a short time it was re-
ported and looked safe, though the closeness of the fire
and frequent explosions could not allow the feeling of
security. Many detached though small fires were burn-
ing, and the ground of both the French and English
parks, a space of 150 yards across, was a mass of large
fires, some of fuel, sonic of huts, some of gun carriages,
boxes, handspikes, and rope.
The fortunately light air had rather changed its direc-
tion, and by breeking up and dragging away things a
sort of lane was at first first formed, the fires cut off, and
gradually got under control, because confined to smaller
though fierce fires, but manageable.
I saw everyone working well, and I know that French
and English took live shells from the neighbourhood of
danger to a more distant spot, and at a later period
parties threw what earth the rocky soil could give upon
the fires, and helped much to subdue them ; all was safe
about 7 p.m., and a strong guard and working party
posted for the night.
The army was under arms the following morning be-
fore daylight, and everything being quiet I ordered the
divisions to turn in, and continue the working parties in
the roads, which I had counter-ordered for that morning.
The exploded powder store was situated in the.ereuisoes
of some walls which had advantageously been d
of for the purpose of shelter ; it had been the store of
h ff front, and
supply to the French attack on the lkfalake°
it contained the powder which had been brought back
from
i m eir batter
head of the ravine, which, ies. as it gets te-
tsh at the
wards Sebastopol, forms the steep and rocky valley of
Ravin du Car6nage.
The Light Division was on.
fitehgeogn the right, then the
7th, the 33d, and 23d ; round which it first
took up in Oct., 1854;
the
Rifles
left the 34th Regiment,
their_
on the r fight
f in
which subsequently subsequently join(eifn ,f
a :
spot of ground by ront
the Sap-
Vance ; and the vacatingwheno commanding the division,
pets' camp enabled me, and Small-arm Brigade on the
to place the Artillery ._
immediate right of the fifes.
The French subsequently brought their main siege
train and store to the position it has now for some time
occupied.
Daylight showed the damage, of which I have given
outline in another letter. But the more
your lordship an
important and sad part is the loss of hfe, and the
w oainded who have suffered.
One officer and 20 non-commissioned officers tend men,
killed ; 4 officers and 112 non-commissioned officers and
men, wounded ; with 7* missing, show the sudden and
fatal power of the shock, which not only destroyed in
its immediate neighbourhood, but wounded, by shell
and splinters, some at a distance of three-quarters of a
mile.
The loss of our Allies is distressingly heavy.
I have, See.,
W. J. CODRINGTON,
General Commanding.
The :Lord Panmure, &c.

(Encl I.)
NUMERICAL RETURNosure OF CASUALTIES ON 151 s
NOV. lszt;K
-""'-'t BY THE EXPLOSION OF MAGA,
ZINES 1N CAMP, AT FRENCH SIEGE TRAIN.
Royal Artillery-1 officer, 1 sorjeant, 6 rank and file,

* Six artillerymen eiuco accounted for and alive.—W. C.
1 p.m., November 17.