Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-07-06
Marrow Escape OF the British War Steamer
So Merlino before Cronstadt.

A letter from the Baltic feet or Cronstadt to
ahe Times (Juno lsth) says:
AT noon the Merlin, carrying the French Adj
miral Penaud and several French and English cap
tains, proceeded to reconnoitre Cronstadt. They
were attended by the Dragon, Firefy, and corvette
D'Assas. Going first along the north side Of the
island, they approached within 1000 yards Of the
blocksbips lying In the open water between Cron-
stadt and St Petersburgh. They consisted Of four
liners, Ave figates, and two corvettes, moored in
a line along the three-fathom bank, with their
broadsides bearing upon the northern passage. In.
side these, fourteen steam gun boats lay at anchor
and under the wall of Msn-ofWar Hsrbor, an
chored In three lines, were "a row gun-boats
When the Merlin went In 40 close two Of the steam
gun-boats came out, and one fred O heavy shot at
her, but II fell short -
In the Man-ofWar Hsrbor we're II lne-ofbattle
ships, four Of them fully rugged and the others in
progress Between this hsrbor and Fort Kronslot
were 10 steamers Of various sizes, some Of them
screws, and between Kronslot and Fort Menschi-
koff two three-deckers are moored bow 70 bow
with their broadsides commanding the only en-
trance The island seems full Of soldiers, for, be-
sides those quartered in the town and batteries,
three large camps were formed outside, two on the
north and the other on the south side. Immense
new earthworks have been erected this spring |;
a complete chain Of them runs from the Governors
house the island 70 the old Kessel Battery,
dividing Il into halves one fortified, the other with
out gun upon Il. just as the Merlin was return
ing, and when going about seven knots an hour, a
severe shock was felt, as II she had stuck upon a
sunken pile. 1t made the ship culver from stem
TO stern. The engines were instantly stopped and
reversed, but before she had stern way upon her
another blow, ten times more severe than the first
struck her on the starboard bow, just before the
paddle wheel, sensbly lifting her over TO port and
making her masts bend and shake as If they would
topple down. The FREELY was In the Merlin's
wake, and before she could stop, she ran TO star
board OF the Merlin, and partly turned round,
when a tremendous explosion took place under
her bows causing her to stagger, and proving very
plainly that they were over a nest OF Professor
Jacobss Internal machines, the existence Of which
is now beyond doubt.
ssThey then proceeded carefully, until they got
into deep water, without meeting with any more,
and then reconnoitercd the south side and getting
go near the shore as 10 witness sort Of review OF
the Russian horse artillery and afterwards return
cd 70 the feet. diver was Immediately sent
down To examine the FREELY, and not the slightest
| injury could be detected but inside the ship
almost every bit Of crockery ware was broken, and
the bultheads thrown down or displaced. On er-
aiming the Merlin, eight sheets of her copper
were blown, not scraped of, and the side appeared
10 be charred All the inside fittings OF the engi-
neers, bathroom, mess-room, and store-room we're
completely demolished. An iron tank, which was
bolted to the ships side, and contained thirteen
cwt. Of tallow, was Knocked distance OF four feet
Shot were shaken out Of the racks, and almost
everything movable In the ship was displaced.
Ills supposed these machines have been laid
down since Admiral Dundas reconnoitcred the place
the last time for, after he returned two steamers
came from tho hsrbor, AMI we're busily employed
! for some time. N