Washington sentinel., 1854-01-01
foreign Sntel1igents.
"DETAILS BY THE AFRICA.

DETAILS By THE AFRICA.
The Recent Terrible Disaster to the Tnrk-
ish fieet. .--Requeslng the reader 10 bear in mind
that all the accounts Of the massacre-ior II can
scarcely be called battle---in the harbor of ST.
nope, have come through Russian sources, we
proceed to give as connected narrative OF the oc-
currence as the mperfect Information yet received
will permit. Although called : Turkish defeat
the intelligence before us describes the defeat"
more glorious to the Turks than their victory"
of twenty-one ships over fourteen is to the Rus
SLAMS.
The harbor of Snope is not strongly fortified.
Formerly, il was the principal naval establishment
of Turkey, but of late the arsenal has been trans
ferred 10 Constantinople, and single battery on
the little fort of Boze Tepe now constitutes the
whole defence of the port
On the Both ult., the fleet Of Admiral Nachimof,
that had been sent expressly TO look for the Turk
ish fotla that was conveying reintorcements TO
the army on the east coast OF the Black Sea, APP
peared off the roads OF Sinope, where the Turkish
ships, under command of Osinan Bey, were at an
chor, having been driven 10 anchorage there day
or two previously by stress of weather. Nachi-
moh7s squadron consisted OF twenty-four SAIL OF
which six were line ofbattle ships Finding there
was no help but fight or surrender Osman bravely
threw his own and some other Of his ships across
the entrance 10 the harbor, and attempted TO keep
the Russians at bay while the transports fastened
to land their men and stores. From the confined
position in which his ships We're, he abored at
great disadvantage. The Turks had TO sustain the
fire of over 600 Russian guns, and could not bring
more than 200 to play against them.
Notwithstanding this fearful odds, the Turks
made proposals to surrender, but kept up their
fire until one after another of their ships sunk or
blew up Astonishing to relate, they managed to
sink and burn no fewer than seven Of the enemy
To the last Osman refused to strike his flag, but
continued 10 blaze away from his shattered ship
at the Russian steamers that Were towing it TO-
wards Sebastopol. AT length he was taken,
wounded, on board Nachimof's ship, and his
frigate sunk, so that of all the spells Of this bril-
liant victory the Russians took into Sebastopo
only few wounded men, but not plank of a
Turkish Ship
The following is copy Of the bllletin that was
posted on the Bourse, at Odessa, December 5th:
s. The Russian feet, under the command of Ad-
mral Nachmoff, has met in the Black Sea, q
Turkish and Egyptian fleet, composed ofeighteen
ships-two decker frigates, corvettes, together
with two steamers of five hundred horse power,
and two others of three hundred horse power.
After long engagement, the following Turkish
ships have been destroyed or captured: One of
81 guns-no name given do. 60--no name given; /;
do. 52--Nezrami Effendi do. 50--Almet Eli; do.
46-Nazim Fessim do. 22--Fess Mahmoud.-
Steamers--Two of 20 guns EACH 2 transports !
British transport. The engagement took place
near Snope. Five thousand Turks have been
killed, and many taken prisoners osman Bey'
who was wounded, was also taken prisoner Sew
eral officers, both English and French, We're on
board the Turkish ships"
From this bulletin it would appear that only
eleven Turkish sH swere edestroyed-two Of them
transports and DR. Senceess-instead of the thirteen
frigateS previoysly announced. Also that II there
were eigh4SI Turkish ships, seven must have es-
capped. And further, the no name given OF the
two heaviest ships Of 81 and 60 guns, looks susp-
ciously like as if there had been no such ships.
The 5000 Turks reported 10 be killed would have
been sufficient armament for the eleven ships,
tI,aN 81 md ha
Russians lost seven Of their own ships, including
two ships of the line, their victory consists in a
surplus of four ships only namely, three trans
ports and 20 gun steamer! Even these they
have not to show; and ifthey had they would not
begin to pay for repairs to the Russian admirals
ship, which had to be buoyed up before it could
reach Sebastopol.
Two French and two English frigates have
gone TO Sinope, nominally with medical assistance
for the wounded.
Immediately on the news of the disaster being
published, on the Sd instant, al Constantinople,
grand divan was held, at which all the foreign
ministers were present. The English and French
ambassadors were strongly called upon TO order
the combined fleets into the Black Sea; but they
Hhe ambassadors) requested an audience Of the
Sultan and persuaded him that it would be better
not to send forward the whole fleet, but only a
ship or two TO acquire more definite information.
This was agreed to-
The widest excitement prevailed at Constan-
tinople, and it was expected that the whole fleet
would be ordered to proceed TO the Black Sea
forthwith. Their mission there will be to prevent
further conflict between Russian and Turkish
ships.
Persia Declares War Against the Turks
Although no official confirmation of the declara-
ton Of war by Persia against Turkey has been re-
ceived the intelligence is considered quite proba-
Bile. The English press although admitting that
the circumstance compcates the position of af.
fairs, do dot consider il of supreme Importance
Persia, they say, although small in military strength
has, il is true, the advantage of a geographical
position which counterbalances the deficiencies.
considerable Persian force is usually stationed
in the frontier province of Azerbjan, Immediately
contiguous TO the locality Of the present fighting,
and nothing can be more probable than that this
force will combine with the troops of Prince
Woronzof TO make concerted attack upon Ell
zeroum.
The loss sustained by the destruction Of the
transports at Sinope would make such an attempt
at the present moment the more likely TO be un-
favorable TO the Turks.
Consequent on this step on the part Of the Shah,
the British minister at the Court of Teheran (as
we learn from Vienna, Of date 18th inst.) has
broken off diplomatic relations with Persia.
Switzerland.--A Geneva paper mentions that,
on the 4th instant, between ten and eleven o'clock
al night, shock of an earthquake, sufficiently
violent TO crack the walls of several houses oc-
CURED in the Val dIllies. The shock was repeated
towards. morning, the undulations oil the earth
being prolonged for some seconds, and accompa-
MED by duh, heavy noise. A similar phenome-
non was observed at Sion, in the Valais, on the
third instant.
Italy.--A correspondent ofthe London Morning
Chronicle supplies the following very doubtful in
telligence
AT the present moment, negotiations are going,
on for the simultaneous evacuation of the Roman
States by the French and Austrian armies ofoc
cupation"
1t appeares that secret treaty exists, by which
that double occupation was TO last for five years.
The five years about to expire, and the Pope
is anxious to get rid of his former protectors, and
TO trust his safety TO the guard of Italian soldiers
alone.
With this object the King of Naples Is at the
present moment organizing body of 20 900 men,
which he promised the Pope during his residence
at Gaeta, that he would place at his disposal.
The whole of these troops to adopt the pontf-
fieal cockade, and TO protect the Holy See, along
with the 10000 men whom the Pope has already
in his service.
NEW JEWELRY STORE.--The SUBJ
In scriber would most respectfully inform the
citizens of Washington and vicinity, that he has