New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-03-02
STATE OF THE SIEGE.
The London Times


BEFORE SEyAsToPoL Jan. 2s, 1855.
Sunday was celebrated by an extremely hesvy fire
Of musk etry between the Ru.sisns and the French
covering parties and sharpsbOoters. The voleys,
which roleo through the lees massive reports Of the
continual rife practice were ~ heavy a. those we
heard at the Alma or Iukernann, and from the H.
bers Of Russian infantry thto toto the works. il is
evident the enemy intend to Dispute the small space
OF ground between the last French trench and the
broken outworks Of their late batteries with III great
est yigor and obstnscy. Possibly, indeed, orders
have been received iDs,ructing the commanding Off
resist any approaches the part IF the
French, who have now burrowed up, trenched, zig
ragged paralleed and parspeted the whole Of the
country, Fl, NJ the shore below the Quarantine Fort,
to the rising ground close the Fsgst Fort for two
miles 10 depth, by FIVE six miles III length These
works the French have executed under very hssvy
fire and continued distractions from the enemy
sheliug from gun mortar and coborn, nightly sor-
ties musketry direct attack aud the fire of odtdsnk
ing parties from the works. As general rule tney
are Lot 20 soidly and fn- finished works,
nor they thick the carefully constructed
portions Of Chapmabs and GerdoRs Batteries. But
these works are Of enormous extent, and the very
eight defects in their construction may be attributed
10 the loose way in which allies construct their
gsbions They not so strongly, neatly, or carefully
made as our gabiops, and We have hsd, in fact, to
reconstruct portion of trench and parape. abe for
Us by the French in one Of our attacks, owing to
that very circumstance Ii must not be forgotten
that the Of inst attack was materially i'm
peded by the failure OF the French in msnt ,ning their
fire. aid that the failure itself arose from the imper-
feet construction of the sier magazines in rear Of
their batteries and by the weakness OF their works.
These defects have been made good by all es with
rsre energy and assduity. Thsr psrspets have been
made Of great sodity, and their officers nov con-
struet Ii cir mag asnes on the English principle.
magazine which theiFrencbIbult for us was srack by
q shell the other day and the roof was at once de-
stroyed Fortunately II was not charged. This fact
shows that even their wsrkm Anship 10 some what
slirhfa At time in ~ n
the new parspets and earth~orks Of their advanced
attack seem Of extreme solidy and excellence. II 10
stated that the new French batteries will open fire
with guns which will be more than twice ss n Any
as they had on the nth of October. The guns OF
Russian batteries inside the Flagstaff Fort are not
plsiDly discernbe, but the French have counted on
two three occasions, when the neny opened
q general FIRE, about 200 boEchss fen, including
the newly erected batteries by tne Quarantine
Fort. The storm Of muskeuy never ceased
last right upon these advanced works, aud
the coIsfant tsshes OF the heavy guns lighted up
the sky till Daylight. The French replied by smsll
arms and scarcely returned q cannon shot Many Of
their guns are yet masked, but nearly all of tssm
in position, anc each gun will be provided With
$50 rounds Of ammunition. The Russians have dis
covered of the guns and their IRE has been par
uculsrly ci ected upon tbose pieces, but they have
done little dsmsge. 1t cannot be expected tia. such
al sffsr a. last hits take place without con-
siderable lose both sides. After DAY break the IRE
RECOMMENDED with crest fury, and st about oclock
irregular battle sss raging IN the trenches ostSeen
the French and Russians There could not have been
lees than 600 men on each side firing hard IS they
could load and pull trigger AMI the lines of the works
were marked by thick curling backs OF smoke Ine
ere sackened on both sides about o'clock simuts-
peousy 1t is ssid the Russian lined the crenelsted
wall, ard enabled 10 fire down into the treocaes
l, IL strange enough that this ssd wall should h.vs
siccd go long ana we'll. The last time say IL
and thst was very recently could not zee aoy
ties OF breach in it, though 1t is nearly opposite
TIE French center attack. We further hear tbs tue
French drove the Russians bsck. aud effected lods-
ntpt irside their frs; parallel at point where II
Flagstaff Battery; but very much doubt the cor
rtcpess Of that statement Every night, aitsr unusu
ally heavy firing some such report is circulate
tnrosen me camp and nov not night Pssea viii rat
the parapen and tn the broken Rrouad between the
ines The works ere, indeed, almost into the TOW