New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-06-26

a., ~, cove,ed ,,v buta mere glacis, the crete or
,t,ho., mart of which Was hardly four feet above the
top of the cOunterscarp. The rampant '"''.. "'
eight feet high by twenty feet in thickness anu 'o"
struc,ed Of earth scarp aud counterscarp were nv
cited TO the hight Of the ditch, viz, egh' iee''
The ditch tsolf is from the hight of its level neces-
farily dry There were lunettes IN front Oh
the curtains Such was Sstria up to $50; ana these
weaknesses of its defenses crowned by the fact
that within COO yards from the wall the fortress is
commanded by range of nights extending TO the
south of it. These nights are the abutment Of the
bulgarian Plateau, which perfectly fat at the top
extends within 1900 yards of the town. and then
slopes down toward the river offering splendid EN-
placement for terraced batteries for front euadng
fires with the narrow arm OF the river on one side
and the nights on the other. Major Mc'ke, who sur
yeyed the place in 1896, and to whose work on the
csmpanu of ls49 we are indebted for the above par
ticulars gives it as his opinion 'that sistra cannot
''be made capable of serious defense without iour
detached forts on the nights and orldge-head on
1.-The large island opposite" The bridse-head was
an impossbility, the island belonging TO Wallachla'
fromwhich the Turkswere excluded by treaty. but the
forts are there and if we are well informed, almost
on the identical spots pointed out by Major Motke
What Col. Grach may have been able TO do with
the faulty main-wall we cannot tell There is, how
ever hardly doubt that be must have constructed at
least covered way and introduced loop-holes for
enfladng the ditch at the middle of the curtain in
each of the most menaced and least defended fronts.
As to the four detached forts, we know nothing AS
yet respecting their mode of construction but from
Col. Grach's being Prussan, and cheapnesS being
great object with the Porte should say they must
most likely be constructed upon the system which Is
now almost generally adopted on the continent ana
especially in Prussia, viz: plain square or octagonai
redoubts with loop-hoes on every alternate corner.
Their situation is pointed out by the four promonto-
ries which form the final projections of the plateau
toward the town, and which are separated by three
rayines Their distance from the main wall must be,
on an average, 500 yards, that they cannot be
very eectuay protected by the fire from the fortress
But there is no absolute necessity for this; and there
appear 10 be no spots the town on the slope
where fort could be well defladed against the COM
manding edge of the plateau
Beside these permanent works, Col. Grach has
constructed On the plateau itself an earthwork' not
of a permanent nature, called Arab Tabiassi, (fOrt
Arabia situated in front of the two central forts at
about GOO yards distance. Some reports would lead
to the conclusion that other fed-redoubts have been
erected so as to form outer line of forts thus CIV
ing three lines of successive defense. Arab Tabass
however remains the key of this position, and must
be taken before the inner line OF forts can De ap-
preached This disposition of the works endows
Silistria with great defensive and offensive strength
AS the regular attack can lead to decisive results on
its southern front only garrison from io,OJo to
5000 strong can spare great number OF men Tor
salles. The sally troops find splendldiy covered
position on the slope behind the detached forts from
which they advance unseen up the ravnes, until
near the enemy. In a storm upon Arab Iabiass
therefore it would not be much the garrison OF thai
fort as the saying troops from Silistria who would
decide the battle. Now to the siege itself
From the end of April the Russians had occasion
ally fired across the Danube into Silistria In May
they began to construct regular approach on the
large island opposite the town. close to the dyke
leading to Kalarash and by the 10th they had their
batteries completed along the shore of the river.
violent bombardment against the town as we'll as
horizontal firing against the northern front took place
On the llth 1t repeated on the Eth, when Lieut.
Nasmyth, gal Artillery, who had just arrived, wit
messed it, and gives bis report in The London Itmes.
The main point of aim the northeastern or lshen-
gel Basti0n, from which the Turks replied most vgor'
ously and with great steadiness of aim. The prac-
tce of the Russians on the contrary is described as
very Indifferent Numbers of shells were found in
the town which had been fired without taking OIL the
caps of the fuses that they could not take fire and
explode Such an overnight, though common in rapid
fed-practce in the beg inning of campaign is I'M
heard of in siege firing. where the fire is always com
paratiyely slow 1t proves what hurry the Russians
must have been in to get rid of their ammunition.
The Russians had besides, erected batteries during
the night ON the island of Shiblak to the east OF Stills
trs. (They had two batteries on the same spot III
1920 The four guns of this battery must have been
intended 10 enade the whole OF the northern front
From the 18th to the 10Th nothing much appears to
have been done; the reports at least are entirely
silent. Ii il not improbable that the Russian generals
finding, as they might well have expected, bonn
bardment Of 10 avail against Turkish fortress, pre-
pared for an attack the right bank of the river.
Accordingly on the 10th bridge was completed be-
low Silistria; 10000 men crossed on it, and were
shortly afterward joined it is said, by 10000 more
from the Dobrodia. A general movement OF concen-
traton toward Sistra and Turtukai took place among
the Russans for the attack was to be car
ed on upon the right bank, force was necessary 70
cover il against Omer Pasha at shumla and any
Arglo.French troops which might be landed at
Nama.
On the 18th the first reconoitering took place against
Arab Tabiassi large masses Of troops were concen-
trated ust out OF gun-rsnge while line Of skirnish-
ere advanced. After short cannonade, Mussa Pasha
s.,no RuzouLs upor the Dlateau who drove