The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-30 00:00:00

(From the Times.)

A. great question of modern warfare was opened with
the commencement of the present hostilities. The arts
of offence and defence had both experienced what were
considered very signal improvements. On the one hand,
ships were not only moved by steam, but were so moved,
through the employment of the screw, without exposure
of their machinery to hostile shot. In addition to this,
the power of marine batteries had been prodigiously
augmented, and it might be said without exaggeration
cth3anteeanttrhatrieoen-dneockleerssotfhathnethpe dayweight
tht
rate in the time of Nelson and Jervis. Our steamers,
too, carried pivot guns of a range and calibre unknown
before, so that, altogether, we seemed to dispose of a
of her was,
from
broadside ,
the
s
full three times as formidable as a vessel of the same
force almost irresistible. On the other hand, a system
of fortification had been adopted by Russia, which, if
not absolutely nova?, was at any rate carried to an ex-
:traordinarf degree of perfection. Its character involved
some return Ale ttfiNteenf more ancient' times. Re-,
'Hand° was again placed On the height and 'solidity of
-stone, walls and bastions ; foundations of living rock
were surmounted by enormous blocks of granite. and
tier over tier of heavy artillery menaced instant de-
struction from behind the impregnable rampart of stone.
Now, which of these two systems was to prevail—the
new walls or the new shot—the defence or the attack—
the floating battery or the granite fort ? The result in-
volved the solution of two distinct questions ; first,
whether fortifications of this description were destruc-
tible at all; and next, whether, if they were destructible,
a ship could withstand the fire of their guns long enough
to destroy them with her own.
Without venturing to say that these points have been
yet decided, we do think that evidence of a character at
least partially conclusive has been furnished by the re-
cent capture of the Russian forts at Bomarsund. The
offensive and defensive systems were here fairly pitted
g
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nearly
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rorhisoyo_toepnohvepnseeecgtrromriaui.fintudipeisdloißo.epoianiroseectmFss.dfooaeouwrlbrlrlTsveasouteehs%ihn:ii.eeaeosdipv.ae:avweosielwa,trelbasyaxsecbsatetku,elnftianowtlnsrddiepoitveitiorfifieseihedneecarr.odcidi
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these stroughold.s in size only, and constructed in all re-
spectsn
ftct, the works were some of the most recent erected by
and two smaller ones, mounting iu the whole, we be-
resources of the combined fleets in the Baltic, but the
communications of our own correspondent they are cir-
cumstantially(arti.lery), with three mortars and three field pieces, and
600 Riflemen ; 2d, 100 British sailors and 60 Marine
Artillerymen, with three 32-pounders, four 121 b, howit-
zers, and aided by 200 marines, employed in skirmish-
ing; 3d, 20 British sailors, with one 10-inch gun in bat-
tery by itself. This was the sum total of the land force
engaged. Of the ships we are told that the steamer:,
fire,' none but their pivot guns (two to each), with the
exception of the Edinburgh and Ajax, which brought
four upper deck guns to bear. No broadside batteries
were brought to bear at all.

Now, what was the result of this experiment ?
What the peiformance of these comparatively few guns
against the granite wails of 13oniarsund ? Why, that
the ramparts of rucks were knocked to atoms, and the
impregnable fortress, with it, garrison of 2,300 men,
taken at the cost of only 22 lives to the allied forces ?
The description of the aspect presented by the forts
after the capitulation is instructive in the extreme. In
the second round tower, says our correspondent, " the
breach made by Captain Ramsay's battery (that
.of the
three 32-pounders), firing at 800 yards, across an
inlet, was something terrific. The whole west side
had literally fallen away, and eight men abreast could
have entered thereby. This breach was effected in nine
hours." Of the great fort itself we are told that, " Un-
der the walls of this huge fortification the ground was
completely bestrewn . with 841 b. shot, broken shells,
grape, and canister, intermixed with enormous sheefi of
iron that had been dislodged from the roof, and the
granite walls had been broken away in thousands of
places." The Governor of the fort himself declared
that the 10-inch gun (Captain Pelham's) and the 321 b.
battery (Captain Ramsay's) had, rendered his chanco of
holding out longer quite hopeless. Here, therefore, is a
strong fort of the new character absolutely battered to
pieces by some score of guns or so, and the power of
shot against stone so pinitly exemplified that it seems
difficult to raise any further question upon the point. If
ships themselves can but resist the fire of the shore bat-
teries they can soon demolish them, however strongly
constructed.

On this second point, however, evidence still remains
to be supplied. • The fighting at Lomarsund was all on
our own side, nor bad the Russians much to do except
to stand and be beaten. The steamers, with their heavy
pivot guns, anchored out of range of the fort, besides
which the fire of the French Riflemen was so deadly,
and so well sustained that the Russians could hardly
work their artillery. Such a shower of bullets, it is
said, was poured into the embrasures that 10 or 15
minutes frequently elapsed after a discharge before the '
enemy could stand to their guns to load again, Our list
of casualties indeed, is sufficient in itself to show that we
could not have been exposed to any heavy cannonade, and
that the trial was more of giving than taking. We are still,
therefore, left in doubt as to the relative means of
offence possessed by heavy ships and granite batteries,
but there are two or three considerations which seemed
to tell against the latter. Assuming that a discharge
from 200 or 300 embrasures must be tremendous, yet the
smoke arising from such a fire must be almost enough
to smother the gunners in their casemates, not to men-
tion the effects of the return broadsides against the walls.
In such a smoke all aim must be lost, and, as ships are
moveable objects, the offensive power of the batteries
must be almost destroyed for the time, whereas it seems
now clear that an hour or two's firing would give all
the superiority to the assailants. If a fort like that at
Bomarsund-was so knocked about by four guns in battery
and the pivot guns of a few steamers, what m.ust be the
effect of a dozen concentrated broadsides from twenty
huge ships of the line ? It almost stands to reason that
the granite, however solid, would be shattered to pieces.
To take a fair example, let us suppose that half-a-dozen
three-deckers, including the Duke of Wel:ington, had
been laid alongside the great fort at Bomarsund, so that
the batteries on both sides were within range of each
other. Would the 100 guns of the fort have demolished
the ships before the 300 guns of the ships had beaten the
fort about the ears of its garrison ? We confess we can
hardly think so. We are not complaining that this course
should not have been adopted. Undoubtedly the best
system of action was that which would [leave least to
chance and involve least peril of life. If other forts can
be taken in like manner by a couple of sailors' batteries
and a battalion of riflemen, by all means let such satis-
factory practice be continued ; but in cases where such
tactics are less feasible, and wooden walls must needs be
set against stone walls, we think our apprehensions re-
specting the invincible strength of granite may be con-
siderably modified by the recollections of Bomarsund.

AQUATICS.

THAMES UNITY BOAT CLUB.

The Thames Unity Boat Club rowed a very excellent
four-oared race yesterday, for pieces of plate given by
the club to its wagering members.

Red.............. . ............................................... 1
Messrs. Hearne. I Messrs. Mills.
Richardson. 1 Fraser.
Fox, steerer.

Yellow
Messrs. Blenckho.
Duckett.
Andrews, steerer.

I Messrs. Mills.
Pail.

Blue
Messrs. Newnham. I Messrs. Howland
Rae. Clayton.

Smith, steerer.
The distance was from Putney to Barnes. They all
got away evenly together and at a fine pace, red taking
the lead, closely followed by yellow up to Hammersmith
Bridge, where red increased their lead, ultimately win.
ning by nearly four lengths. Towards the last blue
seemed to abandon all notion of success, and eased.

CAUTION TO PUBLICANS AND TRADESSEEN.-A cor-
revondent writes, " that a gang of sharpers, four in
number, have lately adopted the plan of procuring
situations as barmen and waitresses for a number of
their confederates, who, as soon as they are installed,
commence their plundering operations. The leaders of
the gang make a daily round, calling in at the housos
where their confederates are placed, and ordering a
glass of ale or spirits, for which they tender a small coin
in payment, but receive change as for halta-crown.
The system is said to be extended to grocers' and otheri
tradesmen's shops."
The Committee of the Liverpool Exchange News-
room, acting upon a memorial of the shareholders, have
p.m e
given notice that on and after the 2nd proximo
Exchange News-room will be closed at 5
except on
on Satur-
day, the newspapers being removed at 4 p.m-,
xce h
the occasion of a foreign arrival, when the room will' be.
kept open until 8 p.m.