Eaton Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1843-1856, 1854-12-07
wARL1xE OPERATIONS IN THE cRIMEA'
SIEGE OF
Horrible occur ence-Burning Of the Russian
Hospital, with 1000 Sick and Wounded!


An occurrence ofthe most horrible nature
has taken place. The great hospital III Ss-
bastopol, was set on fire by the shells OF the
allies, and was burned to the grouud, with all
its inmates ttoo thousand sick and M
This %irightful circumstance is passed over ns
quietly as possible in the English and French
papers, but ii demands the most pointed at
tenlion. 1t may be remembered that we pub
lished an English story TO the effect that Men,
chikoif hoisted The hospital flag over a maya
zine, which the English directed their fire
upln ard blewup. We fear the building thus
fred upon wos the hospital.
WHAT TIE RESULT OF THE SEIGE DEFENDS
UPoN.
There is q great simplicity in the struggle
between the Russ ians and the allies. 1t is
purely a question Of supply. Everything else
appears 10 be known. proved, indisputable,
and capable Of the ~exacteSt appreclation.---
We may safely assume that the allies VIII
hold their grounds in the peninsula they have
occupied, as long as they can muster even one
division of their armies; that they Will stand
any amount of charges as long MS they can form
O line two deep; that they will turn out nlgh,
and day, and to Ike their turns at The trenches
as long as tn e blood flows in their veins; mat
as long as il will answer any purpose oil OIL
Tense or defense, they will continue TO batter
the walls and earthworks before then; and
that whenever they have a chance ihey VIII
rush 10 the assault of the city. They suTpass
the enemy in courage, in StubborneSs, and in
skill, and are moi inferior even in hardihood;
other Use they'would not have triumphed on
every occasion, whether acting on the oifen-
sive or the defensive.
On the pail of the Russians it may equally
be assumed that they will attempt TO waste
and weary out the allies by lnceSsant aitacKS
by %soriieS, by diversions, and by surprises; lhat
they will not spare their men, and that lhelr
men will do their duty quite as well as Nus
slams have usually done 1t before AS 10 Int
question Of skill and strategy,i II would be very
unjust 10 the allies to doubt their equality, ior
if they have made mistakes, so also have thelr
enemy, and if we occasionally have lost more
men than we ought TO have done, sun we
have been uniformly conquerors. When
all these elements of the questions are knowh
and, so 10 s eak, fixed qualities in the calcu-
lation, there only remains one element nnue-
termined, and that j. The numbers OF men and
quantities Of material we C on severally Orihg
10 the point Of collision.
That point seem almost intended by ma
lure for some such mighty struggle. 1t IS to-
wa:d the Mediterranean that's virtually, to The
whole world, the most southern and most ac-
ceSSible point of Ihe great Russian empire
1t is the salient angle Of the whole continent,
occupied by serfs and nomadic tribes under
al Asialic despotism. But it is washed and
and almost surrounded by sea which belongs
TO The great ocean that surronds the whole
world. From the coast OF Cape Cherson you
may walk on TO Sibeia; once on the water be-
fore it, you may sail 10 every shore, ocean, bay
or navigable stream. The Russians are mas
tiers Of the continent, we OF the sea; and the
only question is, which can bring up supplies
10 the battle field the quickest, the Russians
with their continent, or we with the sea-
London Times Mop. 16