The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-24 00:00:00

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ARRIVAL Or BNOLISH ENGINEERS
FROM RUSSTA.

On Thursday last several engineers, who have been lately
employed in the Russian fleet and dockyards,
and who suc-
ceeded iu making their escape from St. Petersburg on Mon-
day, the sth inst., called at the• Admiralty by the instruc-
tions of Lord Bloomfield, the British Minister in Berlin,• for
the purpose of having an interview with the First Lord. These
persons, having been selected by the Russian Government on
aocount of their superior intelligence and ability, and some of
them having filled the most confidential offices in connexion
with the engineering department of the enemy's navy, their
revelations are of interest. In the absence of Sir James
Graham they were received by his private secretary, Captain
Washington, who congratulated them very kindly on their
return to their native land, and immediately roco,guised ono
of them, Mr. Hardgrave, of the Imperial yacht the Alexan-
dria, whom he remembered as having talked with when he
visited Cronstadt in company with the Grand Duke Constan-
tine some years ago. The communications made on this
occasion were listened to with the utmost attention. One
of the gentlemen in question, Mr. Young, was chief
engineer on board the Emperor's private frigate the Grisiecliy,
and was thrown into frequent intercourse with his
Majesty and other members of the Royal family. Ho
seems to have been au established favourite with these
august personages, as appears • by the numerous valuables
presented to him -- three diamond rings, ono of them
worth 200 guineas, a diamond pin, a single stone of the first
water, several gold snuffboxes, and three gold watches being
among the proofs of the Imperial approbation of his services.
It appears from the description given of the state of public
feeling in Russia anterior to the affair of Sinope, that though
it was apprehended that a war with England was inevitable,
the English were universally spoken of in terms of oordiality
and respect ; but not so the French, whose hostility tho Rus-
sians affected to despise. Immediately, however, after the
massacre of the Black Sea, and as soon as the declaration of
war became known, a great revulsion of feeling was manifest-
ed towards the English residents, and the most opprobrious
epithets were lavished on them, and they were insulted when-
ever they were recognised. It was at this time the English
engineers and others employed in the Russian service received
a notice calling on them to declare whether they would stop
in the country or return home. A meeting was immediately
held of as many as could be called together, for the purpose of
determining the course to be adopted, as they bad been pre-
viously pledged to remain in the Russian service so long as the
war was between Russia and Turkey—yet, now that England
had become involved, it was a very different thing, and those
present had determined on demanding their passports. It was
with the greatest repugnance that the naval authorities en-
tertained their application for a discharge from the Royal
frigates, and the applicants were informed that, if even
their contracts were rescinded, they would be sent in-
to the interior—to Moscow, it was said—and not be per-
mitted to return home. Mr. Young had renewed his
original contract several times, and his last engagement
was within two months of expiration. By the original
contract he was entitled to 491: to defray his passage to Eng..
laud, but he was told that if he persisted in terminating-his
engagement this sum would be disallowed. The utmost panic
was observable at this time throughout the navy. The royal
yacht Alexandria, lying at Peterhoff, which was beautifully
ornamented with blue and gold, having a magnificent cabin,
with golden eagles on deck, had all her exterior decorations
daubed over with black paint, and the deck cabin taken
away; so that, in the event of any casualty, she might evade
the particular notice of the enemns, It is usual, it appears,
in the Russian navy in the Baltic, on the setting in of the
frost, to take the machinery asunder, and to put it together
on the approach of spring. The English engineer in charge
of the Ghnierch, having engines of 40 ,-horse power, made by
Rennie, called the officers together for the purpose of showing
that ho delivered up the vessel in proper order, and demanded
his discharge. A Russian engineer subsequently undertook
the duties, and succeeded very well once or twice, but, on
making a third trial of her speed, lie managed to knock the
bottoms out of her cylinders ; and for the present this fine
vessel is hors de comb at. From the millwright and other en-
gineering departments at Kulpino the Englishmen had less
difficulty in obtaining their passports, owing to the media-
tion of General Wilson, a native of Scotland, who is at the
head of that vztablishment, who has spent the greater part
of a long life (being now 80 years of age) in the Russian ser-
vice, and who is an immense favourite with the Emperor.
The estimation in which the General is held by the Emperor
may be judged from the following incident, which occurred
at Culpinskoy, which is the first station on the railway be-
tween St. Petersburg and Moscow :—On the occasion of the
Emperor's visit to the latter city some time since, the Gene-
ral waited on his Majesty at the station, when the Emperor
embraced him, kissed him on the cheek, and declared aloud
that he was the honestest man in his service. It is at this
place that all the swivels and other machinery for gunboats .
are manufactured which are sent down the Neva to the ship-
building yards below St. Petersburg. The construction of
gunboats has engaged the artificers for several months past
during the night, as well as the day, under the active and
anxious superintendence of the Grand Duke Constantine, who,
as far as the naval preparations for war are concerned, is
perpetually on the gui vivo. These boats, upon which so
much reliance is placed by the Russians, are built of fir, and
carry two guns fore and aft; 100 of these boats have been
already launched, for the purpose of the present emergency,
and 60 more were nearly ready when the English engineers
left, at the beginning of the present month.
On the arrival of the English engineers at St. Petersburg
they at once perceived, from some difficulties thrown in their
way, that it was not intended to let them escape easily. At
the public offices where it was necessary to apply they found
that various subterfuges were being resorted to, in order to
impede their departure. It was necessary, they were told,
that eight days should elapse from the time of their applying
for a passport to its being granted, and they had therefore
considerable time on their bands for admiring the beauties of
the Russian metropolis. Some of them who were familiar
with the person of the Emperor, were quite shocked on be-
holding him again, as he looked almost 20 years older than
when they had last seen him at Cronstadt a few mouths
before. He, so conspicuous for his erect carriage, now appears
stooped with age and infirmity. A pertinacious liver com-
plaint and a disease in the leg, with what is still worse, a
" mind diseased," had in these few months marked this sad
change. His Majesty takes very little suStenanoe ; he is re-
stricted in his diet to a wing of a fowl, a little weak tea, or an
occasional glans of champagne, diluted with water.
The Russian public cannot bear to talk about Admiral
Napier with anything like moderation or common decency.
The St. Petersburr, papers teem daily with abominable lies of
all kinds, especially concerning England and the affairs of the
Black Sea ; but that which appears to be their favourite
theme, and is constantly repeated, is that the English people
aro starving, and that the price of bread in London is a silver
rouble (3s. 2d.) per pound.

At length, by dint of management and bribery, three of the
party of engineers contrived to obtain their passports, when,
having an extra post diligence 'in waiting for several days,
they immediately started, accompanied by two children,
without waiting for arrears of salary or the liquidation of
many other claims which they might have had against the
Government. It is needless to say that, once out of St.
Petersburgh, the refugees permitted no ill-timed thought of
economy to retard their flight, and the Prussian frontier, a
distance of 780 miles, was reached without unnecessary
The route lay through Konigsberg, and thence to Berlin by
railway. On reaching this latter place they waited on Lord
Bloomfield, by whom they were heartily congratulated on their
escape, even at the loss of their pecuniary claims. His Lord-
ship took a kindly interest in their affairs, and particularly
in the narrative of their adventures, listening with great
attention to the description given of the Emperor Nicholas's
present condition by persons by whom he was so intimately
known, and by whom he was so recently seen as during the
preceding week. After a short sojourn in the Prussian capi-
tal, the travellers pursued their route by Hamburg, where
they embarked for London on board the General Steam Navi-
gation Company's ship Manilla, arriving, much to their de-
light, once more in their native land.
With regard to the engineers left behind, it is very doubtful
whether they will be permitted to return to England.