Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1853-08-05
r,s Dafeness ofconstantinople.

The Dsfences ofconstantincpis.
military correspondent of the London Times,
who appears to have aitentively examined the capa
bilite of defence of Constantnople In cases of at
tack gives the following description OF them VIZ
It requires very favorable wind or the assistance
of steamboats, to enable feet to penetrate the OAR
daneles. The mail boat takes sixteen hours from
the entrance of the strait to the Golden Horn-the
port of Constantinople. The Publications raised at
the Dardanelles have, moreover, added still tormlda-
BILE defences to those created by nature. Two for
midabie batteries we'll armed, erected at the
very entrance of the strait, at the point at which
the waters of the Black Sea fall into the Medterra-
mean These batteries are called " Seddll- balsar
and Kumkalessi" The system OF batteries on the
two sides is continued in the strait itself ihese
batteries are mounted with 400 guns. and served
by a brigade of artillery, commanded by Pasha.-I
regiment of the brigade is lodged in the barracks
on each side and we'll exercised at handing their
guns for is we'll known the artillery Is the pest
| corps in the Turkish army.
Among the guns bv which the passage of the
Dardanees is defended, there is one which deserves
particular notice. Such guns bear the name OF
kemmerliks in Turkey, and cast stone balls OF the
weight of 10 quintaIs. The charge of gunpo"der
is nearly one quintal. The battery in which the
kemmerIik are placed is called ''Sul'anes - Bat
terry of the Sultan" 1t is situated on the Atlantic
side, near the residence of the Pasha who commands
the brigade 1t is the largest battery at the OAR
danelles 1t contains 1902 pieces of artillery. Up
the * Namasa.' placed side by side with the " klu
Bahar," with &c guns. The latter contains the larg-
est piece of artillery in Turkey til kemmerhk'
which casts stone balls of IL quintals weight The
point OF which these batteries is erected Is the mar
rowest in the Dardanelles. Any ships which should
endeavor to force the strait would, consequently,
have pass under the fire of 200 pieces of ar
tillery, without counting all the others which they
might meet in their passage. The Dardaneles
could stop French or English feet which should
endeavor to reach Constantlneple. lit is through
this strait, which forms the southern maritime gate
of Constantnople that the combined fleets OF Great
Britain and France must pass to arrive at the capt.
tai or beyond it. protect it the side of the Bos
phorus and the Black Sea- 1t is through the Bos
phorus, which performs the northern maritime gate
that the Russian fleet, coming from ODESSA would
have to enter.
Now, let US see what are the means of defence on
the side of the Bosphorus and the Black Sea. This
is the most important sub ect under existing crcum
stances 1t is the point the most menaced, because
it is by that that the Russian fleet will arrive from
Sebastopo in case it should make a serious attempt
by sea to take possession of the capital of Turkey
The Russian fleet in the Black Sea is composed of
Is ships of the line, of which 6 of 100 guns, 3
rigaes of 80 guns corvetes, and II vessels OF IN
feror size. This feet is supplied with park of ar
tllery of large cabre but it is deficient in steam
boats, which renders its evOlutlOns difficult and
might become dangerous, particularly in the neigh
borhood of Bosphorus. The navigation of the Black
Sea offers, in fact, much danger. The winds are in
ccssant in that sea. They cannot be depended on
for many days in succession. The wind varies from
one point to another, and raises such swell that
fleet at could with difficulty escape for there is
in fact, no harbor on the Asatc side, and Varna is
the only port the European side capable of re-
ceving ships oflarge tonnage. But Varna is very
strong place belonging to Turkey, and to which the
E Russians could not have access easily. The Black
Sea is, moreover, frequently and suddenly covered
with thick fog so thick that it is impossible 10 see
100 yards ahead and consequently large ships nav
no. flI1I of oh
other, of running the shoals. The banks of
the two sides of the Bosphorus covered through
out the year with the wrecks of ships and dead bod
f les the has thrown up.
q Numerous modes of defence have been created,
# moreover, by artificial MEANS defend the entrance
of the Bosphorus There are 81 batteries, we'll arm
ed, both banks. Each of those batteries forms
small stone fortress, provided with barracks powder
magazines, and mosque and behind each is small
village. The batteries placed partly in the Bos
phorus, opposite each other, that ship attempt
ing the passage would be exposed to the fire OF
both banks. Two others situated out of the BOs
phorus, on the European sde and two the Asiatic
coast of the Black sea. The two batteries erected
at the exTemites of the points of the Bosphorus
provided with lighthouses Cfene1s,) and are fol
that reason called-that on the Asiatic side Ana
toll Fener," and that in Europe, Rum Fener.'
The Pasha at the head of the artillery of the Black
Sea resides at Rumili Fener, and his house command
an extensive view of the sea.
In the Bosphorus itself close to the entrance, arr
u elght batteries, tour on each side. Those TIT
~ ~ batteries chiefly for defence. They contain 16;
'' guns of the largest size They placed in tn
narrowest part of the strait, where the width doe
not exceed 1900 yards The waters of the Blacl
Sea rush through this passage with impetuosity, AM
rs its navigation is rendered still dangerous b.
the shallowness of the water in spot, where tn
2r vessels in order to avoid the shoals, obliged
approach within 200 yards of the Asiatic batteries
so that feet which should attempt to force an en-
trance would be literally ridded by shot.
Further the strait this system of batteries contin
ues. Some placed on level with the ground
to sweep the surface of the sea- and others ar
erected on the summit of rocks plunging their fir
on the ships. The guns mounted on a ston
platform, in order to obviate the Inconvenience oc
. casioned in manoeuvering them by the changes i
~ the temperature. Above each battery is woode
- tower Of symmetrical construction, surmounte
"a by long pole for the flags. These poles serve
I teegraphs for the transmission of orders along tn
~ whole line of the Bosphorus. When a ship of tn
~ Ottoman navy passes, the batteries salute her b
" hosting flag bearing the crescent and the star
l., The Sultan sometimes comes to breathe the sea al
IN one of his palaces on the Bosphorus All the ba
~ teries then hoist large banner bearing white su
III crimson ground.
)" brigade of artillery is specially charged wit
~ the service of the batteries along the Bosphoru
and Black Sea, and another is intrusted with tn
"A defence of the Dardanees 1t consists of two r.
he gments, OF six companies of $50 men eaeh-in q
mo- loOO artillerymen. These artilerymen are we
e drilled and organized by the Prussian colon
tb Kuezkowsky, assisted by number of non-commi
w. stoned officers he had brought with him.
las 1t will be seen by the summary description of II
as Notifications of Constontinople that the capta Of II
III urklsh empire, even if abandoned to itself won
IN not be so easily connnred The eIomon,s H. -.