Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-07-14
THE WAR IN THE CRIMEA.
The Kertsch Erpedition-PIunder OF the
Houses, &C.

The London Times correspondent, who accom-
panied the kertsch expedition, records many adj
ditiona instances Of barbarous violence and de-
structon of the property Of the unfortunate in
habitants of the town, protesting, however, that
the outrages not much ascribable TO the
French and English soldiery as to the Tartar
rufiians who remained, and to the Turks
sin the afternoon of the day on which we oc-
cupied Yenikale, the crews of some merchant
ships from Arlbalika landed and began to break
into three or four houses which had been closed
and fastened up, and to pllage the contents. As
they could not remove the heavy furniture, they
smashed it 10 atoms. Towards evening, Turkish
stragglers from the camp and Others who had
fallen out Of the line of march flocked into the
town. and perpetrated the most attrocious crimes.
To pillage and wanton devastation they added
violation and murder. The Tartars who were
in the town hailed the arrival Of the Osmanli
with delight, and received them rs liberators, and
as brethren 10 whom they were bound by the ties
Of religion, of language, and Of hatred to the
Russians 1t was with difficulty that the French
controlled the excuses of the Turks, and Of some
Of their oiDn countynen. Some English merchant
sailors next day aided in the work Of pllage and
destruction"
An ancient Greek building, supposed TO be the
tomb Of Mithridates, and which had latterly been
used as museum, was totally sacked, and the
many interesting antique relics which il contain.
ed smashed and scattered about the floors. In
the house of the governor the ruin was equally
ndscriminate and universal.
'Not a single article of furniture in il remains
intact. The floors of the saloons are covered
with fine fragments of costly mirrors. The locks
of solid brass, the hinges and the window fasten-
ings of the same material, are broken Off or de-
stroyed-not single window is left entire in the
whole mansion. Legs of Sofas, chairs, tables,
bits of bureaus, Of library shelves, cushions Of Of
tomans, and fauteuils ripped up, and the Gilt
leather and damask coverings torn into shreds
lie in litter, mixed with the locks and feathers OF
beds and pillows over the house, and State papers,
documents connected with the government of the
province, passports, &c, arc scattered about for
an inch deep in some parts Of the building"
"Amongst the fragments Of papers found there
were several curious documents-amonrst them
registry Of vessels entering or passing BY Kertsch
was exceedingly minute and copious and the
notes against some Of the names was proof Of
the surveillance exercised, in peace as in war; by
Russia on all her neighbors. What a pity, OBJ
serves the writer, that these documents should be
destroyed. Many strange dark secret may lie
buried with them forever.
Numbers Of old boats, Of large rudders
covered with copper, and hung on brass, Of small
guns, of shot, shell, grape, and canister, were
lying in the dockyard. An internal machine Of
curious construction attracted n great deal of
attention. IL consisted Of six vessels Of wood,
snapeu ike Two cones, placed base To base, eacn
about q feet long by | ] feet in diameter at the
base, and of several similar vessels of n conical
form, and Of equal dimensions, loaded to float
with the apex downwards; the base being pro-
vided with cover, to fall on a prepared fuse,
and ignite upon contact with any floating object
The vessels were attached TO each other by wires,
and when placed in the water would look like a
line Of buoys; but the wires were carried to tho
poles Of a galvanic battery within the Russian
magazine on shore, and there is no doubt but that
had there been no failure, had we given the enc
my proper knghtly warning Of our approach,
and had we gone in shore in proper order, sent
our ships exactly against the line Of the ma
chimes, and bad the battery not missed fire, there
is no doubt that then the machine might have
occasoned some inconvenience and damage 10
our vessels"
The English commissariat was found ineffective