Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-01-16
Correspondence of the London times.
Interesting Details concerning the Destruc
tion Of tho Turkish Fleet

sAVA Va tuV 4 VI AnH 3lSSt.
VIENNA, Deoember00.
The Triest Zeitmg, containing the
Constantinople correspondence o. the
18th, has reached us. One writer states
that the reports brought by the English
and French steamers from Sinope, had
caused the greatest CONSERVATION. Moth
ing is left of the Turkish ships but heaps
Offragments. Oftle crew, which amount.
ed to 5000 men, at most, only 800 are
alive. The supineness of the Turks is
considered inexcusable. From the 23d
of November, three Russian ships of the
line, cruised during four days in sight
of Sinope. On the 29th, a reinforcement
of three three-deckers, two other ships
of the line, two frigates, and four steam
ers arrived, and on the following day at
noon, the Russian flagship summoned the
Turks to surrender.
The correspondent Of the
Triest Zeitung, who is an admirer of the
Russians, says it was not until the Turks
had fired, that their adversaries began the
cannonade, but this does not appear very
probable. For some time the Russians
were completely sheltered from the guns
Of the strand batteries by the Turkish
ships, land, as the liners fired from
distance, they suffered very little from
the lighter metal of the frigates" The
Turks having at last cut their ca bles, and
let their ships drift on shore, the strand
batteries opened their fire.
The Russians then began to shell the
town, which. with the frigates, was soon
in flames. "This was fearful moment.
The sea of fire, the roaring of the artil
lery, the continual explosions, and the
fragments of human bodies which were
hurled about in all directions in the air,
formed one of the most fearful spectacles
man ever beheld." The Turkish quarter
was completely burnt, and the houses in
the other part of the town, where no
bombs had fallen, were perforated with
balls. The corpse of lIussein Ramsi
Pasha, the Turkish Rear-Admiral, was
found in the water the next morning.
1t is said (the writer is an Austrian)
that all the employees left the town ex
cepting NJ. Pirjantz, the Austrian Consul;
to whom the Russian Korni!eff wrote,
principally attributing the the misfortune
which had befallen the town to the ex-
ploslon of the ships, which the Turks
themselves had set on fire." 1t was
added that the Russians had no intention
to take possession of the place, their only
object having been to put it out of the
power of the Turkish feet again to con-
vey ammunition to the coast of Circassia,
and & commit piracy" The Russian
feet had left Sinope before the French
and English vessels arrived; but eye-wit-
nesSes stated that it had not suffered
much; as it was almost out of range OF
the guns of the friga,es.
A British trader, which lay in the port
had two men killed by shots from the
Russian ships, and being subsequently
run foul by burning Turkish frigate,
she was destroyed. Her captain and crew
who escaped say that the Turks /" fought
like DEVILS" blowing up their own ships
rather than they should fall into the hands
of the Russians. The ships Of the line
poured in such tremendous broadsides
that the decks of the Turkish vessels were
literally carried overheard. 1t is said
that Halii Pasha is to be appointed
Capudan Pasha, and that violent quar-
rel had taken place between the Seraskier
and Redschid Pasha. According to ad-
vices from Persia, the Russians have
commenced their steamboat expedition
from the Sea of Aral against khiya and
Bokhara.