Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1855-05-16
BowpAasf. zag os s4AsrePos;


Crimoa, giving details oi TIE bomhrdmcnt of
Sebastoll, up to the 1ith q. A,iri... We make
the following selections:
FIRST DAY-OrENISG OF THE rIRE.
Before SeDastopol, Easter Monday, April 9.
This me! ming at daybreak the Allied batteries
simultaneously opened fire on the defences of
Sebastopol. 1t is now9aur O'Clock in the af-
ternoon, ana the rain, which began TO fall last
night, is descending in torrents, accompanied
by = high breeze of wind. The enemy were
taken completely by surprise when we opened
fire. They replied, indeed, pretty briskly at
once to the French fire on our left, and the
Flagstaff Battery and works were manned inn
incdiately. The Garden Battery, and Redan
Battery, came inte Play soon after we opened
fire. bat some time elapsed before the Round
Tower works or the Mamclon answered. and
for half an hour their guns were weakly han
died.
-a SECOND DAy--THE HAIL OF SHOT
April 10.-During the Whole of the morning,
TIE firing continued on our side with little in
ternissi0n-wllile that OF the Russians was
evidently slackening. At about four O'Clock,
however all the euemy's lines and batteries
suddenly sprung into life and yigor. Folleys
o: from 1GU 10 l50 guns were fred at once from
the Redan, the Flagstaff, Barr&ck, Garden and
Maa;off batteries; even the Mameion, which
ell thought destroyed and untenaiie, fred five
or six grns in succession Their shot came in
upon our works like hail. On every point
along our lines balls were to be seen bound
ing and plunging, and shells bursting like
fireworks in the air. The rLpidity and deaf
ering uproar Of the fire brought all who were
at leisure 10 the front and the oldest and most
experienced artillery officers augured very un-
favorably of our prospect of taking the fortress
which could cuInGland such afierce cannon lde.
Suddenly, and in the midst of such remarks,
the cueIuy's batteries made a dead pause
For nearly quarter of an hour not gun was
fired.
Our long guns ceased firing little after sew
"a. the enery's about eight, and then both
lussians and Allies resorted to their mortars
The fire of these latter was maintained all
night.
1t is something awfuI to stand upon the hills
which overlook the town and watch the pro-
crcss of the nightly bomblrtiWent. The Con-
areSc rockets rush from the French batteries
with detaning rom, leaving trail OF fire be-
hind Just sufficient 70 tracc the course OF the
missile as it darts vaguely hithcr and thither
through the air, setting down at last with a
/ loud crash liz the Flagstaff This wild, ecdtlc
course occasionally lands them outside the
Russian lines, and now and then forces them
| clear over everything into the very centre OF
| tie ;own. From both right and left the NOR
tars are discharged V ith Il heavy, painful cN-
rlosion. and with II lsh which, even at 4 dis
| iance Is almost binding. As the dali boom
shakes your very frame, you hear the shell,
with a KIND Of wlistiing roar, mount higher
and higher into the air, till having reached
lis zenith, il descends with rcdouoled speed
and force into the euemy's works. The shock
with winch il strikes the ground can be dis
tinctIy heard even in the Allied camp, follow
ed in a second after by the sharp ringing eX,
riosioa in t!!e bright glare of which the earth
is thrown up like a cloud.
THIRD D,Y-ErF2CT OF THE SHOT.
spr:l lI-At aybreak this morning the
fire was resumed By the Allies and knsSiaAs'
aud COR some time with equa! yigor on botl
sides IN spite Of the fcs OF ORR inort.rs, the
enemy during the past night have managed to
rcuair much of the damage which To; Name
lon sustained and also the works of the Flag
zt,ii ;ttcry opposed to the French.
On the extreme left, where the French are
attacking. much harm has undoubtedly been
done The Mud Fort has received some hard
! kn0eas-scyeFIl OF its gans have resn dis
/ mounted, ad not yet replaced. Stiii, as
/ a battery, it is perfectly deienStjic. Next 10
! this came the Flagstaff, one Of the most for
! l;:anle of the kussitr dciences, and the me
! which blew up al the French batteries on lfti
! Of October last. Since that attack Us StfehStH
/ has been increased four fold; then IL mouutei
! forty-tive, now il mounts upwards Of one hun
( G-ed a-.i sixty heavy guns, At some parts III
! ;nr.a tiers aai at others IN two. This Worh
has sustained much damage, more perhaps
than al the other Russian batteries put t0Seih-
/ cr It's lower and more advanced tier ot guns
are quite siieaccd. The guns themselves arr
! gverthrcwn. lEc cnbr3sUreS destroyed, III
/ SON, cases shot quite away, and in others s.
/ damaged as to be mere piles Of black eartu
/ from, which the remnants OF Write sand big
reef, oJt here and there. The second tier /
also mueI, knocked about, and one or two Q
the guns silent and the slopes OF the eart!l
wor,s much damaged. Still thls portion Il
good and sary ic,.aDie, and some thirty or lortl
pieces OF ordnance in position IN it maintain
ING hot clnnonade. The upper tier Of abou
/ thirty gans was almost Uuiniared, certainly
| none Of It's guns were tOUched. They ha'
suffered very little. and continued to infiic
some mischief upon the French. Ore f1ce o
the BarracIi Battery, which adJolnS the Tag
staa. had been hit hard by the French, bu
was s:iH firing. The ether two sides OF /
were alrnt.st unScathed, and seemed even t
be making head against a French battery OF
our lett ana part Of oar left attack. \ Next L
this came the Garden Battery. 1t suteret
much yesterday. but from its position IN rea
OF the other works, the Russians have tee
) | able to repair II easily, and this morning
was again in active operation. The Redar
the enetny's niece De resistance, i regret to say
sherrs but little tokens of injury. Its from
face was considerably marked, and some thre
! or tour OF las guns quieted, but this WAS all
1t was still iring thirty or forty guns MN
ute. .rb
: The MalaI.off Tower-the key OF the Who'll
position, TIE point which formerly the enc
my appeared to concentrate ali the Figor c
tileiF defensive energies-was silent. 1t wa
unioubty much Injured, and half The guns {
th,, seInicircular battery gone, but still yer,
very fir from being untenabie or incapable
! for,nfdabie opposition. It's two tianfing ba
teries, mounting each some 10 or II gun:
were untouched. The Mamelon was very muc
Injured. lis parapc;s were mere loose pile
of earth, ani the FIRE OF our mortars played 5
80, -. that the enemy OIL