Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-09-28
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.
The Fall Of South sebastopol We. see no

by tue washington vi Inc laii VI 'no soo'n
side of Sebastopol, insomuch as while it
appeared not at all likely that the Allies
could carry its defences, it was never pre-
tended that they, or any other defences as
sailable by land, can be impregnable. The
brief particulars that reached as yesterday by
telegraph before the Star went to press, were
clear, straightforward and reasonable, and
despite our propensity to discredit English first
accounts Of English exploits in this Russian
war, we saw no reason to doubt the main fact
that the Allies had gained possession of the
smouldering ruins of the south side of the
late city of Sebastotopol. Of it, we have
to remark that when the Russians took pos
session of the Crimea, they at once sppre-
ciated the value Of this harbor--the finest
in the Black sea; and q few years after, 1t
rose to be place of great importance. In
| 1877 it was resolved to make it an imperial
harbor; in 1921 was declared free for ships of
all nations, arriving from healthy ports.
The city was built phitheatrically, on an
eminence, with broad straight streets. The
view, as one approached it on the land side, was
| very imposing. The houses were all of stone
and the public buildings-admiralty, arsenal,
barracks, hospital, laEaretto, &C., including
| docks and dock yards-were on the most extern
sivs scale, neither labor nor expense being
spared to render it the great naval station of
the Black Sea feet.
The bay runs nearly Ave miles into the land
is from six hundred to eight hundred fathoms
broad, and from ten to twelve fathems deep.
1t is perfectly protected from all winds, and
and has no shoals 1t divides into several
branches, or smaller bays, rs Quarantine bay,
Artillery bay, Ship bay, (Which is the finest
and largest and some others Dr. Kohl saws
that /" the most and best of the Notifications
have been erected by the Emperor Nicholas -
The material is white calcareous stone, OBJ
tanned in the neighborhood; it resembles the
shell limestone of which Odessa is built, and
is so soft that the walls would have little to
fear from enemies balls, which would bury
In them as in sand; but the stone is very Der.
ishable-the houses decrepitate as at Odessa
DIR. Kohl, who visited Sebastopol in 1885,
| says that :" there are 10, 900 resident inhabit-
ants, besides the troops employed upon the
Qualifications, (of whom nearly 80, 900 are now
| encamped about the town. and the crews of
the numerous men of-war in the harbor. The
population is purely Russian, with a small
mixture Of Greeks"
| Every reader of the Star is familiar with it's
tragic history Of the past twelve months, to
which we therefore need not allude here.
The excitement to learn the details of the
last bombardment and assault and with ref
erence to subsequent operations and last known
| position of the contending forces among the
military and naval men and diplomatists in
Washington, is truly intense. We find none
Of the latter who appear to read in the fall of
the south side of the city hope of speedy end
of the war. 1t seems, on the contrary, to
strike ttem as an assurance for its very long
duration, as Russia's means are as intact as
the pride of her chief antagonist-France.
The nominal fall Of the city starts one inter
esting problem at least: Who hereafter is to be
the great man Of France9 Pellissier, the hero
of this great war, or his master, Louis Napoleon,
whose official, if not personal existence dc =.
ponds almost wholly on continuing to be the
most popular man in France?
A Grea. Discovery A Washington cor
respondent of that veracious journal, the New
York Herald, gravely informs its readers that
the Secretary Of War is shrewdly suspected
of having written a recent editorial in the
Star upon Mr.. Champions completely with
the operations Of Hertz & Co., in the violation
of the neutrality laws of the United States
1t has been the wont of the Herald, and other
green 'uns in the shape Of newspapers, to gull
| themselves and their readers with stories at
tributing our articles to the pens of Secretary
Marcy, Attorney General Cushing, and other
distinguished gentlemen in this city, after the
same fashion. Really We shall begin shortly
to imagine that we are "some pumpkins" in
our profession, if our lucubrations on public
affairs continue to be thus attributed to the
first men intellectually and in official posi-.
tions in the United States; knowing as we do
that our own hum-drum pen writes them all
every ono of them. As for the Secretary at
War, he could not have been more surprised
than amazed at the turn the dilemma-for
want Of a truthful paragraph-of the Heraid's
correspondent. referred to above, has taken
We need hardly add, that the first he ever
saw Of our article was in the Star columns, on
reading it after dinner to inform himself Of the
affairs Of the world, which al sensible people,
Of all classes and colors, and both sexss in this
region are sure to do.
The Convention Mania.-During the last
three or foC- days the Wings of New York
and Massachusetts, held their annual State
conventions; and, according to custom, the
isms also held theirs at the same time.
Syracuse and Auburn are the points in
New York, and Worcester, in Massachusetts,,
where they congregate. The Know Some
things, Seward Know Nothings, and one OF