The Sun.
London, England, 1854-11-08 00:00:00

SIEGE OF SEBASTOPOL.

CONSTANTINOPLE, 00t.24.—1t is now the eighth
day since the beginning of the great conflict. No
steamer has made its appearance from Sepastopol
for the last two days. Had any such left on the
22d it would be already here, and if any event of
importance had occurred such a vessel would cer-
tainly have been despatched. We may conclude,
therefore, that on the sixth day of incessant can-
nonading the fortress still remained in the hands
of the Czar. It is said that one effect of the naval
diversion on the 17th was, that the Allies were
able to gain a parallel 200 yards nearer the Russian
works, a considerable advantage, if the story be
true ; for such an advance might make all the dif-
ference between a destructive and an ineffectual
fire against earth and stone. A person who left
on the 19th says that the only effect of the English
and French balls on some of the Russian works was
to make them seem speckled all over. The strength
of the
.defences is most undoubted. But when once
a breach is made the rest will be easy. The Russian
troops are said to be disheartened. The sailors
from the fleet work well, and are the principal ar-
tillerymen. Should the Allies once get in among
them the affair will not last a couple of hours,
though it cannot be doubted that numbers must
fall before an entrance is effected. The loss at
Alma is a proof of the difficulty of attacking a
strong position, even when those defending it are
inferior in every way. It would be madness to
attempt an attack without having made two or
three practicable breaches, and, as far as our
present information extends, we aro unaware of
any such success having been achieved. How-
ever, there is another month fit for operations,
and there seems no reason to believe that any
considerable force of Russians can advance to
help the place for some weeks to come. The troops
fired at by an English steamer when crossing the
Dniester did not appear to be more than 20,000
strong, and they can hardly arrive in the south of
the Crimea for another month. There are persons
who say that the Russian army of Simpheropol is
of great strength, but it seems most improbable,
for it would hardly, in that case, have allowed the
town to be so endangered as it was on the 17th and
18th.

The dismasted and battered Albion arrived yes-
terday in Bujukdere Bay, towed by the Orinoco.
This vessel, with the Agamemnon and Sanspareil,
,bore the brunt of the action. She had 15 killed
and 72 wounded in the day's combat. She was
towed down to Constantinople this morning to be
docked. As she passed, with her main and mizen
topmasts shot away, and her sides showing the
marks of the fray, a band on board played enliven-
ing airs—a strange contrast to the scene which
had been witnessed on board a week before. She
has several large holes near the waterline, which
have been temporarily boarded
.up and painted ;
and the round marks of the shot are to be seen on
every part of her hull. Her vast bulk, equal to
to that of a first-rate, with her battered aspect,
and the interest attached to the fight, attracted
crowds during her passage down the Bosphorus.
The spectators eyed her silently with various ideas
and sympathies—the English, with pride, mingled
with sorrow the Turks with apathy which might
veil any feeling, other parts of the population with
something like secret gratification. She had sent
upwards of 120 men on shore previous to the com-
mencement of the action, in which she was exposed
to the hottest fire of the Russian batteries. There
was a general anticipation on board that the fleet
would again try its fortune against the fortifica-
tions which it has so long 'watched ; but, whatever
may be the ardour of the. soldiers, it would be un-
wise to allow any chagrin at an incomplete result
to urge the valuable squadron into action under
circumstances in which our loss must at least be
greater than any we can inflict on the enemy. The
Arethusa is not so much injured as some of the
other vessels, but she was found to be in a rotten
state, and thei shot which struck her knocked out
whole pieces of her hull, although this would have
done little damage to a sound ship.
The French loss it is difficult to ascertain with
exactness. It is, however, certainly greater than
was supposed at first, being now stated at 60 killed
and 250 wounded. The total loss of the allied
fleets on the 17th was therefore more than 600 men.
No French vessel, however, was so much injured
as the Albion, although the Ville do Paris had her
upper deck very much shattered by the shells of
the enemy. Lieutenant Lloyd is still alive at the
naval hospital at Therapia, although his wound is
most severe, and his escape from instant death
wonderful. A shell struck him under the arm and
tore away part of his side ; the hurt, however, is
not mortal, and he has the advantage of at least
sufficient medical attendance. About 84 wounded
have been landed at Therapia • two had died up to
the night of the 22d ; since then there have been
also one or two deaths. Many of the men who
wora slightly hurt have remained on board. The
Orinoco, which towed down the Albion, will pro-
bably return with Turkish troops. 'However, the
supply of these is nearly exhausted, and the arrival
of French reinforcements from Marseilles would be
received with satisfaction. The Allied troops are
no doubt incomparably superior to the Russians,
but still the expected superiority of the enemy
after a short time is a cause of disquiet even to the
sanguine. By the last accounts the force of the
Russians on the Tchernaya was estimated at about
24,000 men. Such an army can, indeed, do nothing
of itself, but it may serve to reinforce the garrison
of Sebastopol, which had its communication entirely
open, and has continually received and sent intel-
ligence connected with the defence of the place.
CONSTANTINOPLE, Oct. 26.—The British army
mail, which left yesterday by the French boat for
Marseilles, will be 14 days on its passage, It may
be as well to give some account of events up to the
last arrival from Sebastopol. We have news up to
the 23d, which is on the whole satisfactory, although
the progress of the siege may not keep pace with
the anticipations of the sanatnne. On the evening
of the 20th the Russians made a sortie, and spiked
three of the French guns. They were, however,
driven baek with considerable slaughter. Much
harm is done to the siege operations by the insuffi-
cient solidity of the French works. It appears
that they are smith injdred by the Itiissian fire,
and the work of cannonading goes on slowly in
their palt of the line. A spectator on the 20th
ColnPated it iq child's play, and said that the fire
diu not exceed a shot every ore inintitee from each
battery. This, however, seems to be an exaggera-
tion. The town has been on fire several times ;it
is nanch ct't abol, a the of the enemy must
110 13.
the
21st treat. aeserter Caine mit trie
21st said that no less than 5,000 liaclbooll killed
and wounded. Nachimar the adsdiral sihd
mendednincase was said to be among the dead;
ihe accounts •we receive are of the most nie4gre
kind, as they are In
ainip
hurried lines ferhish.;d Pehans
writ!? fetk, htir
rnes to their friends, or by
in`..vai officers who have been kept at a distance
from the sceneof •
action. It is,however, Stated is
positive that the Brit; I, hadvanced I •
e t leir works
within 390 yards -8
a
of the Russians and are making
a considerable I •
mpression. The Rifles have been
engaged in Picking off tie ussi R •
an gunners,, who
are 'Shot down in considerable niinileehl. There
are several volunteers also armed with rifles
who have
joined
in this part of the warfare.
It is said by deserters that the greatest panic
prevails in the town, which is almost
soldiers are said to be kept at their guns by the
swords of their officers, and many have been shot
for attempting to desert.
On the 22d the French
opened another battery
on the extreme right of the
Russians ; it was sup-
posed that when
this new work produced its effect
the place would be stormed simultaneously from
the British and French positions. The British
troops had conducted the siege wit • h a coolness and
courage which was the admiration of beholders.
The loss had been as yet very slight—not more
than 200 •
killed and wounded since the beginning
of the cannonade. The chief difficulty was the
transport of ammunition for such a distance. In
some places we had been pressed very hard by the
Russian fire, but in the end the enemy
had always
received the worst of the conflict.
The force of the Russians in the field is t• l cer am y
less than 30,000 men. It has made
no fresh attack,
or attempt at one, since the 17th. No news of re-
inforcements has arrived, although it is believed
that a large force of R • is
Russians already south of
Perekop.
The Allies are no doubt in want of fresh troops.
The effective British force is not more than 16,000,
so great has been the void made by battle and
disease. No less than 9,000 men are dead or hors
de combat in the last eight weeks. More Turkish
troops aro being sent up ; to-day the Golden Fleece
arrived hero from Vole, with 2,000 troops, who
were engaged in opposing the Greek invasion. But
it could be wished that reinforcements of a better
rMarseilles.
The could arrive from Portsmouth o
The Viper arrived this morning.
A. fire broke
out in the town at 3 a.m. of the 233, and was burn-
ing 18 hours after. Whether this be intentional
accidental cannot be stated. There is no doubtthoart
the town has suffered greatly, and would have been
destroyed, but that it is, to a great extent, built
of stone. The prisoners and even the deserters
say that the Russian generals are determined to
leave the place a ruin. The women and children
may probably have been sent over to the northern
sides. It is to be hoped that they may be placed
in safety before the final assault, for such is the
obstinacy of the defence that the rage of the sol-
diers are being roused, and assuredly the Zonaves
and other African regiments will display no small
ferocity when the place is sacked.
There does not seem any intention of sending in
the ships a second time to attack the forts. If the