New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-03-05

onnb.r Of French and English Oficers assembled at
THE SPOT 49,.
nc weather was a. fine o. during the two or three
preceding day. II had been stormy ana
ecrld occur for such spectacle. The air was 20 brI.
stty clear ;ha; every outline wss sharply defined OF
The buildings in the town. and every ioft aud earta-
work on the north side wa. pailay Vi'loe. Inc Sgi
Of the roadsead was a. smooth ana calm a. AXE
The ,ounnasts of the sunken ships, and 10 some IN
lance the wards and cordsge, stood out from the
water without the slightest evidence OF movement, or
causing the lee' ripple OF the surface, y, Inc sea oul
cnIo, beine broken only by white line where the
x.ves were breaking on the shoals beyond Fort Con-
.,apfine There was scarcely any breeze, but what
iittIe there was came from the north. The ground
vas covered By thin layer of snow, and in the shade
vas stil freezing that the crisp surface cracked
under the pressure Of the foot elsewhere the sGn,
which was shining brightly, caused slight thaw. Al,
together II was one OF the most exharatng days and
hest fitted for exercise that we have had for long
time mast and this 10 doubt, was one Of the
which aided in determining many Sardlnlan officers
and others to come all the distance from ChOrgOun
and Kamara to see the explosion
Al fr.t while the concourse Of spectators were
assembling on the nights lot gru was fired from the
ror4b .ide. The silence continued uninterrupted for
twenty minutes or upward excepting ~ the sound OF
one discbarce toward IDkermann. By means of
telescope the Russians could be observed gathering
sbout he batteries standing in the embrasures by
tbsr guDs and collected in email groups on the hght-
They appeared to be eyeing us and wondering tor
what object 50 many hOrsemen and pedestrians were
assembled They must have seen distinctly the SOL
der running and riders gaopng, over the cress OF
the hills and along the slopes. Presently white spot
Appeared at one Of the lower batteries. This eI-
banded and slowly curled away, and then came the
report of the gun The same thing was Immediately
reneated at another battery, q -hOrt distance off,
and then came large puff of smoke, which rose in
brilliant whiteness. and another loud report rom
Fort Michael. This last was probably from
f4 sN1s aud
the bur.ting Of the shell were heard among the
huildir cs below on the KarGbelnaya eide. From this
time fOr ter minutes o. 80, moderate IRE was
kent up from the north sde. The Russians were evil
IDENTIFY in complete uncertainty respecting what
about TO happen on the south side. They directed all
their fire toward the Dockyard, not knowing perhap.
that the destruction of the docks had been completed,
and thinking that some operations were IN progress IN
their neigh borhood. This fire going on, and
ing to distract little the attention Of the spectators
who were assembled IN great numbers, when sudden
exclamation among the crowds drew al eyes toward
Fort Nicholas. The gaze Of the enemy was equally
fascinated toward the same direction, aud all firing
from their batterie ceased From the west extremity of
the long fort partly concealed from view by other
buildings wa slowly rising and swelling huge dense
cloud Of smoke which, rose and spread, developed
all the neighborhoOd in thick fog. At the same time
came n slight sensation oftrembing Of the ground,
and dull rumbling sound Ike distant clap Of
thunder. II not loud, and there was no echo.
While watching this scene the massve-lOoklng east
end where II tuned round toward inc rOutu
ard the arched galleries for distance toward the
cepter-all very conspicuous the run was lighting
I'D the white stone-of which they were bull, aud
without ANYTHING TO intercept full view OF their sruc-
appeared suddenly to be split and rent asunder,
and as Tie walls fell and dissolved away great blasts
of smoke and dust ont of the ground and stood in
their stead IL was most exciting sight to witness
such destruction accomplished nolselessy as seemed
ri n distance and if by magic for there was no WISH
ble human agency, in the midst of bright still atmOs
pierre and therefore without any of the usual concom
liant circumstances of a natural CONFUSION.
The cloud which rose from this end OF the building
was very dark almost black in the center. 1t rolled
and dlated over the grOurd from whence It had
issued but assembled very gradually. thick sprnk.
ling of white spots IN the water OF the roadstead
showed that fragments OF stones Were falling there;
and AZ they continued for many seconds after the
EXPLOSION some of them had evidently been projected
TO a great hight Nearly five minutes must have
elapsed after this second discharge the great canopies
of smoke were bending over toward the town, the
spectators were rcInarkng that only he two ends OF
the fort had been blown up, when another explosion
took place on the west side, and was succeeded,
almost Immediately afterward, by fourth, at what
remained Of the east end The two reports from these
EXPLOSIONS seemed louder than the reports which had
followed the two former blasts. Still part OF
the fort remained upright, and between the dark
folds of drapery which srouded the VIDE spaces left
vacant by the fall Of the two wings might stu be seen,
though msly the high central tower and observatory
These did not exist long. A fifth and then a sixth
nine was sprung, and the whole OF the gigantic work
which not long ago. stood offering defiance TO the
navies of the whole world wac eveed TO the ground
The clouds of smoke cleared away slowly and driven
gently by the breeze from the north passed over the
rims Of the town, for time enveoplng II IN fog aud
throwing il into dark shadow. The removal OF the
accustomed outline, and the long gap which was left
by the destruction OF the ior was tneh seen 10 FAYE
changed il lis most striking feature the aspect OF the
whole town OF Sevastopol, and to have left more
wrecked in appearance than ever.
As al engineering operation the success was COM
:. 1.0a 10th 20. .tana
The nature or form of the building which so lately
existed on the site of the long line of ruined heaps
left by the explosion. The destruction OF Fort Paul,
Al the opposite point OF entrance to the south harbOr,
comparatively easy taski Tor IL was lofty
building. and It's base was very limited in area. The
French engineers cay that Fort Nicholas was by no
means so solid and firm structure as II appeared TO
be- for the cut stone was confined IN great degree
the outer walls and to other parts where deception
could NOT be easily practiced. The interstices, and
occasionally large spaces the masonry of the walls
were filed up with hubble and small loose fragments
OF stone II has also been stated by Polish officers
who have fallen into the hands OF the Allies, aud who
had been chartered IN this fort that experiments
made when the invasion Of the Crmea was first talked
OF 10 ascertain what amount of conclusion the build
ing could stand and il then found, with one gun
only in every third or fourth casemate, that the walls
suffered very considerably.
The Russians did not resume the firing from the
north side for some considerable time-neaTly half an
hour-after the blowing up of For Nicholas. They
subsequently kept up dropping hre for the remainder
of the day seemingly directing their shots al random
through the town and suburb. II was generally er.
pected that a very heavy bombsrdment would have
been opened similar to that which occurred on the
evening of the 29th ultmo and which was described in
my last letter. Although the immediate intention ard
object OF the very heavy FIRE which poured into
tie on that date not yet known, it very
generally believed that Russian boats were crossing
al the time il first occurred. Several oieers, az wen
ne the men at the Fort Paul Guard assert that they
distinctly counted FIX boats the water Whether a
dGriDg attempt about 10 be made 10 cut off this
guard, and that il interrupted by the vigilance Of