Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-10-13
RICHMOND WHIG.
Visit to sebastopol.

| From Mr.. Sct's NV Book on the Crimes. &n)
The port of Sebasiopol consists Of b.y rum np in
s"uthea''e'y direction abou four miles long. and mile
wide al the entrance. diminishing To 400 yans n, the
end, where the .Tchernaa Reichka," or Black River
emP''vs itself The ave'sgs deph in about eish, IA
horns the bottom being comP sed If mud in the centre
and grave. at The sides. On the suhern coas, Of this
oay are the c'mmercal, military. AID careehng bab,rs
The quarantine hsrbor being outside the entrsnce. All
these taking souhery direction and having deep wa
ter.
The military hsrbor is the largest being abou,
mile aohst lung. BY 4u0 yards wide; and il com.
pletely land"ck.d every side Here /, is thai the
Black Sea feet is moored in the winter; the l,roes,
shPs being able to lie with all their stores on bard
close tn the quays. The small harbor, which contains
the naval s and d,cks the eastern side of the
IN liary ha.b 7, near the entrance
The port Is deeuded To the south by six PRINCIPAL
batteries ard ion sses, each mounting from 50 to 9O
guns; and the north by four having. from 10 1871 pie
ces each snd besides these there are mauy smaller ba,
ter es.
lhe for;reSses are built the casemae principle
three of them having three tiers of guns. and furth
Two tiers Fort 81. Nicholas is the largest and muuu,s
about lsp guns; On carefully COUNTING them made
loO. by great interest We obtained permission To en-
ter this iurss Is buIlt Of white limestone; fine
suund stone, which becumes hard and very endurabe
the same material being used Tor all the other forts
Between every two casenates furnaces for HEATING
shut red hot; measured The calbre Of the guns and
found II To be eight inches, pabe Of throwing shells
vi 6S pund s0Iid shot.
Whether all the guns in the fortress were ofthe same
ze, 1t Is mPissbie " say, but my belief is that must
OF the foricatlons uf S-bastopol heavily armed
We entered FUrI 81. Nicholas through the elegantly
furnished apartments "f the military commandant, sit.
uated al lis southwestern end.
AT the period OF visit there were certainly moi
more ihan $50 pieces Of artillery defending the por TO-
wards he and Of these abIu, $50 could be cuncen
trsted on hip enterEg the bays O.her battenes
however, said TO have bern aimee built We t,k
sumo trouble To ascertain these facts by COUNTING the
guns OF he various frs, always an easy matter
where any susPco of our object might have subjected
US TO grave iurouveuences. Sebasrpol is admirably
adap ed by nature for srung position towards the sea
and will b. frUm hat stated above that this
has b. fully taken advantage Of To render il ure of
the most ormdaby fortified places in that direction
which could be insgimd.
We we'll aware that the c,semaied fDrtresses 70
very badly cons ruci.d and though having an mnsnp
exterior, that the walls filled in with rubbls The
work was carried on under Russian engineers whuse
object was t. make as much muney as pssibe .u, Of
II. They Were mureUyer found tu be detective in ven
IIllaIUn remedy which sone alterations wers subss
,ealy msde but sdmlilug all their deiecs they are
I'll srong enUus To lLici amount Of iniurv mn
attacking fleet D. fore their guns c.uli be senc.d
Aud wh-n that is accom- plI>hrd, suppo,lng there az.
rOw 95O pieces. there would sill I-nan 3 guns Of
large csnr" IN str ny open batieiir half ui them
throwing shells and red hot shot, independent mur.s
his a furrr vi Armament against which M fleets
have been ed, not only with regard the number uf
gum and weight u metal. but the n,ure Uf the iec
, any sIuge she fired paint blank aud striking he
tween Mind and water. being sufficient sink SHIN
Ii Sebast'pOl can be Easily taken BY the allie,
fees alone, aud without land Ices sm. o, upe sn
n-ar IN n'sene, would be very satiaciUry know
what unit Of resistance is xpeced that Portsmouth,
could : iieI enemy, with her seven or e. bty
guns, MOI 40 yr fivs>and-twen Uf whi are heavier
Than 81 p,undeIs2
We do not TO assert that it is mpnsihls ,o d..
Sir"y SebasioPo irun The SEA alone believe thai
could only he accomplished BY unilec. ssary sacr
flee Of life and ships with Pre>rn, means and thai
would oe nuhinL short rf madness To siempt il nm
less had reserve O. eI on the spot, sufficiently
strong isue the mmand OF The Black Sea in cas-
{ taIlute.t
In speak ng OF the Of defence at Sebsst. pol
We have left the Russian tel Of he les Ion This
however Is tot O be treated either with indifference
~ Contempt ur while we are ready T. admit th,t n.
-r ia the ing Of the ships in the quality of the
sailors, nor In any Oher ect be COMPARED for
an tlr Sc Of England and France; We, there
can be no doubt Of the Russian seamen being we'll
trained in gunnery. of their being endowed with
kind vi passive courage, which would lead them ,n
suck 10 their work, when not called upon TO exercise
their seamanshIP IN which they very deficient
There were in the military hlroOr Of Sebasiopol
twelve line t baIe ships, eight frigates aEd seven
cuIyeties comprising tie Black Sea hret ndrpendent
Of steamers. We visited, amongst others The Twelve
Ap ses, Uf l2O guns. and the firsl rutenan, accom-
panied US over her. She was remarkable fine LOOK
Ing ship, IN excellent order, and very neat in her fit
tIngs.
The tovn Of Sehastopol s sitpste nm the noi,,