Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-11-28
.fefeian sntslIiaents.
INTrnEsrINe FRoM EURoPE.

We extract the following:
The Naval Attack ON SebastOpol.
Oct %. Correspondence Of the
London Times
The Arethusa arrived yesterday eyeningwith
fuller accounts OF the great events of the siege
up to the 10Th, and from it we are able to learn
of the details Of the naval action
In case you should receive no better narrative
of it from the spot, the following may be inter
esting: On the morning of the 18th, when the
opened, it, was intended to storm
the works during the day, should the effect OF
the shot and shell on the Russians render the
plan possible. One part of the scheme was,
that the fleets should attack the great batteries
at the mouth of the bay, so as to make diver,
sion and draw a certain number of the Rus
sian artllerymen from their guns. The can,
nonade on the land side commenced little be-.
fore in the morning, and for an hour all went
well, until it became evident that some of the
French works were enfladed by the Russians,
and that the latter were able to keep up o fire
much stronger than was first supposed. The
terrible explosion which took place on the left
of the French line threw everything into con
fusion, many Of their guns were dismpunted !;
and though the loss by the accident was not
more than I20 men, yet the encouragement
produced seems to have been very great. The
details of the action for the next few hours you
have already learned the main features Of it
were a vigorous fire on the part Of the British,
returned by one equally obstinate from the Rus
sian works nhila tha E-e.>.L
some places their batteries were silenced al
together. About midday the feet stood in
70 engage the batteries at the mouth of the
pay. Il IS said that some disagreement took
place between the French and British au
thorities, and that admiral Dundas gave in
70 the views OF his French colleague, whose
plan was adopted. AT all events the French
went IN and engaged the batteries on
their right. The fire of their vessels WAS al
effective as could be expected, and in better
circumstances the combined fleets might have
won an easy victory. But nature interposed
dithculties perfectly insurmountable. The
water in the neighborhood of the works on
each side IS shoal, and it is impossible for even
q frigate to run in closer than from eipht hun
dred to eleven hundred yards. At such dis
lance the action of shot upon stone walls Is
only trifing. The consequence was. that. al
though the enemy were several times driven
from their gums of which not few were dis
mounted, yet the damage done to the works
which guard the entrance to Sebastopol was
extremely small. The precise loss Of the
French We have not yet learnt. The Vile de
Paris engaged the Quarantine battery, and
after an hours firing the Russian gunners
were driven Off they, however, returned short
~ afterwards and renewed the fight. At about
three o'clock they seem to have begun to open
with red-hot shot. Some time after this shell
came into the Vile de Paris, and blew away
o great part of her poop-deck, killing and
Wounding considerable number of men.
The English had come up within range Of
the batteries on the left shortly before o'clock.
The Agamemnon steamed in and engaged Fort
constantine with great determination. The
britannia was, believe, towed in by thesRe
tributlon, then followed the Arethusa. Albion
and London. The Sphinx, newly arrived from
the Baltic, went in firing her long fore and aft
guns at Fort Constantine with considerable
effect for the enemy took especial pains to be
rid OF her, and the shot which fell round her
kept the sea in continual foam. Two or
three Turkish sail of the line also stood in and
hred at the batteries on the Constantine side.
The practice was not bad, and the effect Of their
AID would have been more acceptable had they
not placed themselves between the Queen and
the Russians, so as to prevent that ship from
engaging until she had changed her position.
The British line was anchored all along the
left point of the entrance, at distance of
about 900 yards. The Agamemnon poured in
an incessaut FIRE on Fort Constantine. and at
about 3. o'clock great explosion took. place
inside, which no doubt occasioned great dam,
are, for the Russian fire slackened considerable
for nearly half an hour. But from the dis
lance of the vessels the shot could have little
effect on the stone walls Of the fort. and the
British were exposed TO severe Ere, not only
from them but from other batteries, the work
Of the last few months. 1t appears that the
enemy have constructed a sunk battery Of great
power between Fort Constantine and the hill
which lies further IN. The effect of this when
it opened on the British line was very great.
The Agamemnon, about four o'clock, was
very much cut about, and was obliged to haul
of, and her place was taken BIT the Sanspareil.
The Albion received several shells close 10 the
waterline, and was once or twice on fire. She
is expected down here hourly to repair dam.
ages. The Arethusa experienced nearly as
much damsge; her hun IS very much IN ured.
She has four men killed and twenty wounded.
At about three o'clock the Russians had open.
cd with red-hot shot, and ii was from this that
the chief damage arose, as many Of the ships
were on FIRE three or four times. The sunk bat.
terry was never injured, but Fort Constantine
and the Quarantine Fort must have had many
Of their guns dismounted. Finding that there
was no possibility OF making any impression on
the forts from the distance at which the ships
were placed, and that any effect was only tenn
porary, and consisted merely IN diving the
Russians from their guns, IL was resolved to re-
tire, more particularly as Il was growing dark,
and all idea ofstotming the place that day had
been given over on account Of the ,unsatisfac.
tory nature Of the operations on the land side
...f.,1..f 10 a1i.usasr ----- 81. -alilii.tts si
Paris, Nov. g. Correspondence Of London Times
3 A prirateletter from Constantibopfe, Of the
25th Of October, speaks as follows Of the reoen.
operations before Sebastopol: ios4 "a. "
The ERE opened on the 18th. That of the
Russians was in the early part Of the day we'll
supported, and even more active than thar Of
the allies. Towards the evening the ADVANTAGE
was decidedly TO the assailants The attack
by sea took place simultaneously, but Il must
be admitted that on this side the hopes have
not been realized. The French and English
ships suffered good deal. The Internal and
the Albion are here for repairs. The Retribu-
ton has Iost her two masts. The Vile de Paris
has been also much injured by two shells the