New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1855-07-14
Internal Machiues at cronstadt.

4n1ernal Machines at Cr0nstadt,
A letter from the Baltic fleet off Cronstradt,
to The, Times, (June 19) says:
cat noon the Merlin, carrying the French
Admiral Penaud and several French and Eng.
tlsh Captains, proceeded to reconnoitre Con
stradt. They were attacked by the Dragon,
Firehy and corvette D'Assas, Going first along
the north side Of the island they approached
within 1000 yards Of the blockships lying in
the open water between Cronstradt and ST.
Petersburgh. They consisted of four liners,
i've trigates, and two corvettes, moored'in line
along the three-fathom bank, with their broad-
sides bearing upon the northern passage. In
side these, IA steam gun boats lay at anchor,
and under the wall Of Man Of. War Harbor,
| anchored in three lines, we're d row gun boats
When the Merlin went in 80 close, two Of the
steam gun-boats came out, and one fired a
heayy shot at her, but it fell short.
l In the Man War Harbor were seventeen
fine-of- battle ships, four Of them fully rigged
and the others in progress Between this har-
bor and Fort Kronslot we're ten steamers OF va
rious sizes. some Of them screws, andsbetween
kronslot and Fort Menehikoff two three -deckers
are moored bow to bow. with their breadsides
commanding the only entrance. The island
seems full of soldiers, for besides those quar-
tered in the town and batteries, three large
camps were formed outside, two on the north
and the other on the south side Immense new
complete chain of them runs from the Govern
ors house across the island to the old Kessell
Battery, dividing it into halves, one fortified,
the other without gun upon it. just as the
Merlin was returning, and when going aboul
seven knots an hour, a severe shock was felt as
ifshe had struck upon asunken pile. 1t made
the ship squiver from stem to stern. The en-.
gnes were instantly stopped and reversed, ba
before she had stern way upon her, another
4 Inlps han ftn Ercf
struck her on the starboard bow, just before th,
paddle wheel sensibly lifting her over to por
| and making her masts bend and shake as i
they would topple down. The Firefy was il
the Merlin's wake, and before she could stop she
ran to starboard of the Merlin and partly
tturned round, when a tremendous explosion
took place under her bows, causing her to stag
ger, and proving very plainly that they were
over nest of Professor Jacobs Internal ma
/ chimes, the existence Of which is now beyond 0
doubt.
| "They then proceeded carefully until they
got into deep water without meeting with any
more, and then recennoitered the south side
and getting so near the shore as to witness
sort Of review of the Russian horse artillery
and afterward returned to the fleet. A dive
i was Immediately sent down to examine tn
Fireiy, and not the slightest injury could b,
detected but inside the ship almost every bi
of crockeryware was broken, and,ths hulkhead
thrown down or displaced. On examining tn,
Merlin, eight sheets of her copper were blown
| not scraped of, and the side appeared to b.
charred ALL the inside fittings Of the engi
neers bath. room, mess-reom and store-room
were completely demolished, An iron tanl
which was bolted to the ships side, and con
i tanned l3 cwt. of tallow, was knocked distanc
of four feet Shot were shaken out of the racks
and almost every thing meyeable in theship wa
displaced.
| :" 1t is supposed these machines have beenlai
down since Admiral Dundas reconnoitered tn
place the last time; for, after he returned, tw
steamers came from the harbor and were busil
II employed for some time"
Latest news from the Baltic states that on tn
tl4th ult the Allied fleets were to weigh ancht
for the neighborhood of Hango, at the entrans
f of the Gulf of Finland, where the flag of Franc
was fred on.
n LOYALTY OF ABIRD-.-" Lira, an interestiI
correspondent of the Edgefeld Advertiser, fu
nishes the following anecdotes:
u 4