Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1853-12-29
forsign gntrlligtnts.
The Defeat and Destruction Of the Turkish
Squadron.

The Defeat and Destruction Of the Turkish
Squadron.
On Monday, the 18th, the British public was
startled from its propriety by q telegraphic
dispatch published in the London Times stating
that Russian squadron of six sailofthe-line
had forced the harbor Of Sinope, and burnt,
sunk, captured, or destroyed every ship, with
one exception. of Turkish squadron Of four
teen sail, and taken prisoner the Turkish ad-
miral, Osman Pasha, carried off his flagship
from under the guns of the shore batteries,
and were towing it to Sebastopol when it sunk,
and with it the supply of money for paying the
Turkish fleet. This disastrous intelligence
caused great excitement, and further intelli-
| gence was anxiously looked for. Additional
accounts came at length, but only to confirm
the previous news.
| On the 30th November the Russian admiral
Machinoff, with six ships of the line, appeared
off the Roads of Sinope, and forthwith pro-
ceeded to attack the Turkish force that he
found there. After an engagement Of one
hours duration, he had destroyed seven Turkish
frigates, two coryettes, one steamer, and three
transports. The larger vessels destroyed had
each eight hundred soldiers, besides artillery
men, on board, and large sum of money, be-
ing bound for the east coast of the Black Sea-
The Turkish admiral's frigate was towed out
| by the Russians, but burnt at sea.
Osman Pasha and his suite were taken on
board the Russian admirals ship. One Turk
ish vessel managed to escape unchanged, being
| the only survivor of the fourteen. The battle.
says the dispatch, begun an hours distance from
Sinope. The Russian flagship was SO much
injured that it could with difficulty reach Sc
bastopol Prince Menschikoff immediately left
Odessa for st. Petersburgh, to communicate the
victory to the emperor.
We already knew that Osman Pasha was
charged with the conveyance of troops and
stores to Batun. Accounts said 'scharged with
a few steam-frigates, with the escort of six or
seven transports of troops" The battle is said
| to have commenced at Gan hours distance from
Sinope." There is, therefore, every probability
that on leaving the harbor of Sinope he fell in
with the Russiansquadron, and either accepted
battle on unequal terms, or attempted toregain
the protection Of the land batteries, but was
cut to pieces before reaching. The latter is the
more likely, as one ship is reported to have es.
capped undamaged having, no doubt, succeeded
in gaining shelter under the shore guns.
1 Observe that this report of the victory was
brought to Odessa bya Russian abide camp of
Menschikof, andfrom Odessa it was telegraph
ed to Vienna. The confirmation came from
Bucharest and cher Russian sources
HERE IS THE OTHER SIDE-Haying given
/ the Russian account of the battle, we learn BY
a telegraph dispatch, received at Paris on the
18th instant, that the Russian force consider
ably outnumbered the Turkish
In addition to the six shipsofthe-line men
| toned in the Moniteur as the strength Of
Nachimofs fleet, he had twelve frigates, brig,
and five steamers--in all twenty-four sail,
| while Osman had but fourteen. The Turks
| fought with the most desperate bravery, and
caused the Russians the loss, in sunk and
burnt, Of two ships ofthe line three frigates
| and two steamboats, The shore batteries were
totally inefficient for protection. The remain
| ing Russian ships were so badly disabled that
they could takeno prizes, and could with diff
Guilty make their way back to Sebastopo
The ALLIED RLEET.-While this calamity is
Detailing the Turkish ships, the English and
French fleets are lying idle in the Bosphorus,
And, more extraordinary still, the main divi-
sion of the Turkish feet is lying there idle too.
Private letters from Paris state that the
news of the disaster to the Turkish fleet was
received with the profoundest establishment
and grief
The emperor is stated to have been over.
whelmed By the intelligence. Explanation is
imperatively demanded why considerable
part Of the Turkish naval force was permitted
to be annihilated within SO short distance Of
where the powerful English and French fleets
were lying in inglorous ease.
| The WAR IN EURoPE.-On the line Of the
Danube we have not much to report The
Russians are announced November 30) as
pushing their troops forward on the road to
kalafat. The Turks are still engaged in forti
flying that place. They continue to hold the
| island of Mokan. On the 26th Russian ma
jor was killed in skirmish near Giurgevo.
From the city of Constantinople letters are
to the Goth November. At that date detach.
ments Of redifs continued to pour in, and al
ready 10000 have been forwarded to the army
in Asia. The Russian prisoners who we're at
Constantlnople have been sent to Kiutaya. The
Porte, as already published, had indefinitely
replied to the English ambassador that the draft
of note before spoken of could not be taken
into consideration under present circumstances,
and that the determination of the Sultan, in
accord with his ministers, was that negotia-
tons could not be resumed so long as the Rus
slams continued to occupy any portion of the
Turkish soil.
Other accounts from Constantinope state
that deputation from the Mussulman tribes
of Mingrelia had arrived there. These Asiatic
tribes had declared against Russia. This de-
putation had been received by Reschid Pacha,
and was to be presented to the sultan. The
weather had been very bad along the coast and
snow had begun to fall at Smyrna on the 9Th
November. The plains in the island of Nifty
lene were covered with snow, and severe
winter was expected.
From the London Times, Dec. 13.
The NAVAL DEFEAT OF THE TURKs.-The
intelligence from the seat of war, which we re-
ca;vad yostardau With Meditation hoe no,, boa,,