New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-01-09
PROGRESS OF THE TURKISH WAR.

After a lorg delay we at last in possession Of
official documents in relation to the two victories which
Russia so loudly boasts of and literally TardS We
allude of course to the destruction of the Turkish
squadron at Snope and the engagement near Akatzk,
in Asia. These documents are the Russian bulletins;
but the fact that the Turkish official organ has main
tanned profound silence the subject, when its COM
munications if it had any make should have reached
us before those from ST Petersburg makes it certain
that the Porte has nothing agreeable to publish. Ac
cOrdingy we proceed, the information have, TO
anayze the events in question in order to make orr
readers acquainted with the real state Of the ease.
The battle of Sinope the result Of such unpar
aeled series of bunders the part of the Turks that
the whole affair can only be explained by the mis-
chievOus interference of Western diplomacy by col
fusion with the Russians Of parties in CONSTANT
pie connected with the French and English Embassies.
In November, the whole Turkish and Egyptian feet
proceeded to the Black Sea- in order to draw the aten
ton of the Russian Admrals from an expedition sent
10 the coast Of the Caucasus in order to land supplies Of
arms and ammunition for the nsurgent mOuntaineers
The feet remained eighteen days at sea without meet
ing with a single Russian man ofwar; some say the
Russian squadron left Seyastopol during all that
time, whereby the expedition to the Caucasus en-
ablcd to effect its object others report that being
welinformed Of the plans of the Turks 1t withdrew
eastward, and merely watched the vessels conveying
stores, which in consequence never reached the eau
casan shore and had TO return to SinOpe, while the
main fleet reSntered the BOsphorus. The great amount
powder board the Sinope squadron, which caused
the explosion of several Of them Of a comparatively
early period Of the engagement appears to be proof
that the latter version is correct.
Thus seven Turkish frigates, two steamers, three
sloops and two erships, together with some
transports were abandoned in the barbor of Sinope,
which is little better than open roadstead formed
by bay open towards the sea, and protected by few
neglected and RECONSTRUCTED batteries, the best of
which was castle constructed at the time of the
Greek Emperors and most likely before artillery
known in Europe How il happened that squadron of
some three hundred guns mostly of inferior CALDER,
thus abandoned to the tender mercies of aeet of
three times its force and weight of metal at that point
of the Turkish shore which from its proximity to Sc
vastOpo is most exposed to Russian attack while the
main feet was enjoying the tranquil ripple of the Bos
phorus we have yet to learn. We know that the dan
gerous position of this squadron was well appreciated
and warmly debated at head quarters that the dscOr
ant voices of Turkish French and British admirals
were loudly heard in the councils of war; and that the
eyermeddlng ambassadors there also in order to
speak their minds upon the matter, but nothing was
done.
In the mean time it appears according to state
ment that an Austrian steamer reported at sevastopol
the position of the squadron The Russian official re-
port maintains the contrary, that Nachimof while
cruising of the coast of Asia deserted the squadron
and took measures to attack it. But, if the Russians
deserted the Turks at Snope the Turks from the tower
and mnarets of the town must necessarily have
deserted the Russians long before. How then came it
to pass that the Turkish batteries were in such bad
trim, when couple Of days labor might have done
great deal toward their repair How happened it that
the Turkish vessels were at anchor in places where
they Distracted the fire OF the batteries and were not
shifted 10 moOrings more ht 10 meet the threatened
danger There was time enough for all this for Adj
nirAl Nschimof states that he first sent TO Seyas
topol for three threedeckers before be yeftured the
attack Six days, from November "a to November 80.
would not have been allowed to elspse without some
effort on the part of the Turks bu. Indeed the report
ofihe Turkish steamer TAFT which escapes TO CONSTANT
nope amply proves that the Turks were taken BY sur
prise So far, then, the Russian report cannot be
correct
Admiral Naehinof had under his command three
ships of.the-lne, one of them a thresdecker. SIX
fgstes several steamers and six or eight smaller YES