The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-10-18
VOL. VIII.--NO.
THE DAILY DISPATCH.
Aspect Of SebastopOl

| Thursday Morning, Oct0ber Is, 1900.
Aspect of SebastopoI.
| The Semaphore of Marseilles publishes the fol
lowing letter, giving account Of the state of Sc
bastopol when occupied by the Allies;
| AFTER crossing the cemetery, where there il
still chapel riddcd with balls aud bullets enter
| ed Sebastopol through an enormous breach made
| in the central bastion. A large fortified all pro-
| teets all this side Of the town: within IL lies SUI
burb compose of small houses, which were no
doubt occupied by various small tradesn en-
This suburb gradually deseends towards the wafer;
four streets converge to sort of platform, con
nected with little bridge, which enabled the in
habitants to cross street below when violent
| rains transformed it into torrent In this small
space counted sixtyeight shells that had not
burst, and balls. We then proceeded to the street
and boulevard which bear the name of Catarine;
Is the elegant quarter of the town; all the houses
have but one story, very neat, and are sur
| rounded with gardens. There Is not ono that has
not received at least ball. they are completely
gutted; all the furniture, such mahogany bed
steads chests Of drawers, writing desks, &c, was
lying about the street. l remarked considerable
number OF Pianos many prints tmoSt of them
rather licentiou6) and what is very extraordinary
portraits of the Emperor Napoleon and the En-.
press Eugenic.
The whole of this quarter rises in an anphthe-
atrc Just opposite Fort Constantine the theatre is
untouched; il is a pretty white building. When /
passed by, the scenes were lying outside against
the wall. The church called st. GATHERINGS a Dor
ic temple with a gilt pediment has also suffered
very little In this quarter not 4 soul was to be
seem the streets We're deserted, the houses COM
plctely abandoned and it made one melancholy to
see these vast Sofudes. The whole town ID now
peopled with only a,GO0 French soldiers, who are
encaMpcd in the streets, Gen BaZaine who has
been appointed governor Of the place, occupies
pretty house pierced like others Wth three four
balls. In Catherine street is q house which vas
cupied as Il tavern; the doors have been torn down.
and the soldiers have written on a board, centres
10 iiaGg nY1IrS ,.GI,
with playing at pitch and toss and shooting at cats
which are the only inhabitants Of the town. Most
of the houses have a story underground where
artisans had their shops. From this quarter We
went down to the quay5.
The nearer one gets to the port the greater L. the
number Of barricades. The Russians evidently i'll
tended TO have defended Sebastopol by street
or at the top of every street wall of large stones
two metres in height. behind which small pieces OF
artillery were placed. On the quays, which are
wide and planted with trees, it more difficult
% enjoy ones wall, rs the Russians still occupy
Fort Constantine opposite, and every three min
UtCa they throw either i shell a ball at the pee
pie who were walking about; an Enylishman was
Killed III that way ten steps off from where was
standing. From this quay, and as far rs the docks
We may distinguish the maSttOpS of the Russian
fleet rising above the water; it has all been burnt
and sunk, with the exception Of small steamer on
her beanlcndS at the ecrner of the military port
IEe streets are actually covered with projectiles of
every description. The docks have suffered con-
SlueraOy from our nrt; SRlrtlllS them was quar-
ter of the town, set apart most likely for workmen
and invalits; il is now Shapcless mass of ruins
Nothing in the town has been destroyed by us
our artillery has only ruined what iniispens-
able it was the Russians who, during their retreat,
sprung an enormous number OF mines, and are
finding more daily. Even on Monday and Tues
day, the 10Th and 1lth, there We're explosions
every moment, and many fell victims to their Gu
riOsity. Russian colonel, they tell me, was killed
at the moment that he was STOPPING down to fire
new mine, while hurriedly retreating. Since then
our hrenen have thrown water over all the sus-
peced spots, and put out all the fires. Our soldiers
behaved well during the first hours of the occupa-
ton they did not then pillage to any very great
extent, and allowed inoffensivc men, women, and
children 10 retire unnolested Afterwards they
spread over the town, and, you may be sure took
very exact inventories of all that could be turned
to any use. Thus, / met soldier carrying off an
enormous mahogany bedstead for tirewood.
To conclude, the general aspect of Seba bastopol is
heart rending nothing but ruins blackened walls,
and gutted houses the ground strewn with projcc-
tiles and broken and spoiled furniture. But few
visitors i'll the streets; not cry, not the slightest
noise dcnoting living cityall is mournful and ST.
lent. The Russians are shut up i'll Fort Constan-
tine; their camp extends beyond Fort Siyernaia-
There is a rulnor that they are about to evacuate
the North but, in orderto make them do so sooner,
of the Tchernaya with 10000 men. Our fleets are
still opposite the Quarantine Harbor, and as soon
the entrance into great hafbor is cleared they
will enter it, and Them if the Russians have not vet
evacuated the North, the fleets will cannonade
Fort Constantine on one side and haraSs them on
the other and that part Of Sebastopo will then soon
be in power.