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

A GLIMPSE AT CONSTRADT.

Nearing Tolboukin from the sears he
low na
of Oronstadt, with all its terrors, gradually rises in
patchy hummocks, and to the southward singular
rockyand excrescences appear dotted about between it
the main, backed by the tall masts of the liners ;
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-
scences assume a more determined shape. To the
mounting
extreme
lookingmasonry, nothing the worse for the winter, an addi-
a d apparent on its southern side,
for its
corresponding flanking battery on the main
orits protection ; next comes Fort Alexander,
flooking like an ill-conditioned hayrick ; shortly
a ter Peter I. and Cronslot become visible, the
latter of which it would have been difficult to im
prove, with a couple •of three deckers moored
across the entrance of the passage, supported by
numerous heavy paddle-steamers, apparently
under the special protection of Fort en
the
which, with the mole batteries, forras the
last of the long line of forts on or near the
south shore of the• island, which is now one vast
intrenched camp, encircled by. detached ,orth
fiworks, all furnished with the heaviest ordnance, rake
finished with that scrupulous nicety which we have
learnt to respect at Sebastopol. Oh that " Bono
Johnny" had abandoned Silistria, and our enew Y
had never been taught the value of mud in that
sanguinary siege ! These detacheworks are car-
ried right across the island from soreast of Fort
Alexander on its south side, commencing at the spot
marked "Kessel Battery" in the old plans, and C.l-
tending to the Governor's house on the north, on
being constructed, affording daily
the town side of which another huge earthwork is
about 3,000 men. These detached works are admir-
ably placed, having a gentle slope in front of them,
flanked by and flanking Fort Alexander on the
south, and on the north protected by the shoals,
south,
old works Outside this line, as well ae submarine piling, and infernal machines. All t er
improvement to
Fort, are apparently abandoned, and with jug„'
ment, for the defences of the island 3gainSt 3 recce
attack are rendered more compact, and the chantko
of a successful landing, which last year oast is
operations,
most, or one of the most, feasible
now rendered hopeless. Alexande..
On the north side the barri extended submarine Piling„
has been much improved and ; the feet
employed are large wooden caissons, some 25 '8
square, which are first floated over the place they
and afterwards filled with the same
are intended to occupy, and then sunk with stone
sages are left between many of the piles about 18
feet in width, for the egress of their gun-boate
should the north side be menaced. A fort and bat'_
tery have also been erected on Lisi-ness, to pro
any attempt to force the barrier, material ; Fab'
which is also pi 4
tasted by a line of floating batteries, consisting °II,
liners, 5 frigates, and 2 corvettes, together
some 40 gun-boats: moored within it, the distan°
varyingfrom 500 to 1000 yards, and stretching frel'
the- island to the main, and which will now,
fore, prevent the possibility, of passing round tibiae
attacking from the eastward. The other vulnera.
t_
point, and which was most accessible torn naval at'
tack last year—the line of defences onhe Dona
of the town—has also been much inapved.,a33be
very heavy nuns mounted. Were on ors "°
trusted in Russia any more than one's ears, th
ey
have actually built twelve steam gnii-b.°,rov•
there.n.
but, as two only have been seen under Way, i. it;
'fairly be surmised that the remainder are dunrnfoj
with a funnel and wood fire at the bottom of 1!, our
by this time ou,r friends must have prceive%
gullibility, and acted accordingly, vide Xerte 'aro
would here notice that 17 of their largest shiPas to
dismantled and lying in the basin, which servaThe
show their cok;,fidence in the means of defence' ure
infernal machineo, to which they have in frets
re
confided the defen.ce of the north side, areraag
longer the' myth of las.
Year. One of o,lr:with
steamers, when reconnoitring the other uaisord,_
very nearly received its quietus.
the French admiral and several captains en, woof
these machines whether from contact °r othe
_lit
is uncertain—luckily in 5 fathoms water ;dai;ovr
was, the one exploding under the staYbfar •ii the
fairly lifted her out of the water, bulgi rich
side before the paddlebox, and ripping el" ,u of
copper—at the same time throwing up 3 co" ~
water alongside about 14 feet bight.
She exploded
rvr.so
Eia it . hat
pened in shoal water, or bad the explosion tb:eu,
place more directly under her, it would hal dare
a similar case to the John o' Gaunt, whin,,,, the
say, your readers recollect being destroy ,end yupon
much-abused Warner, off Brighton. DePe,ll,:u'strY
it, those who first succeed in bringing pre bus the
and science to bear in the matter of war I:o,ll%,posed
winners. Hitherto it has been studiotta,„-cuse
by the authorities, under the Exeter-hart p° dia-
of being a too certain, or, perhaps, '(:)." The
bolical, means of getting rid of your enernY* •00, of
more certain the better is the practical teach' f,,, 0.
war, and I fancy the prevailing opinion of th°,rorci
ment ; and it is to be fervently hoped that my any
Dundonald may have a fair trial. He, With. than
others, may not succeed at first, any ra°r;r the
Watt could have built an express-engine °, sui
Great Western, were he resuscitated ; but, at
rate, it is a step in the right direction. ,soir,
These machines, when seen from a vessel a__...d
have the appearance_ of large cylinders more
under water, well below the surface, with a fern
rising from the centre to within a few. feet of
.7_,
same, and the probability is that violent cont
and
causes explosion, though it is perfectly osible,ao
_,."'
even probable, that they are fired by batteries from
the shore (on the vessel's identifying herself
of
their position), more particularly as neither ot
_tour
explosions which took place were under the h
urr:
toms, but alongside, and consequently the anion b
of damage was small.
less vigorous in the north than at Sebastopol, eon_
sidering the winter, and it is no exaggeration t:
The energies of our antagonist have been little
state that this year Cronstadt is twice as strong .9,_
last. Then it had two vulnerable points—novr Ib,
has none. Soething, however, may yet be'don.ei
olden opportunity was
be impossible ; but the g d red
should it be deferred
lost last year, when Cronsta t was as unprepa
until xar that will
Sebastopol was to resist the combined armies. la
the meantime, where are the batteries and mortar
to resist the combined fleet and 30,000 troops
...so
flats ?