The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-10-26
LOSS OF A RUSSIAN MAN-OF-WAR.
TREMENDOUS LOSS OF LIFE!

The Journal de st. Petersburg, Of the 1st inst,
publishes the following official account of the loss
OF the Russian shipoEthe-line Lefort already men,
toned
1t has pleased Providence should partieipata
In one OF the greatest disasters that can hsppe
sea, ana 70 make me witness OF the instantaneous
aud inexpiicable loss OF one of the vessels in INV
feet- few minutes have sufiiced for beautiful
ship OF the line, thoroughly seaworthy to he en-
gnlphed by the waves during tempestous night
Not cry OF distress reached us from the scene of
the disaster. although but four cables dis
tant to wndward. No one survives to explain to
us the cause of this unparalleled catastrophe
On the 18th Of August. (September 81 four shins
OF the line, the lmperatrice Alexandria, the yiad
mir, the Lefort Of As guns, and the Pamia ysoya
OF "a guns, which were in the port of Rsyel. re-
ceiyed orders to arm and return to Cronstadt Ten
days after the Pamit Asova quilted the roads tow
ed by steam frigate. The three other vessels
were ready to set sail two days later they had wa
ter and provisions for n month, and their stowape
was the same az at the end of their cruise in the
preceding year; the Lefort was thoroughly repair-
ed at Cronstadt in 1852. l had received instruc-
tons to profit by the favorable weather to set sail
without waiting for the steam tugs.
0n the 18th of September t2lst) got under sail
with beautiful weather and favorable breeze from
;. ). W, the barometer marking 29 ~ English. A
little later the wind freshened. and abreast of tho
island of Rothskar we were obliged to take i'm two
reefs in the topsaiis. At half past eight p NJ
after passing the Island of Hochand the fleet was
making more than III knots. The wind increasing
L ordered third, then fourth reef to be taken
in. The barometer being at y Is, and the weather
foggy, We sailed az close possible to the wind
endeavoring to keep our course by short tacks un
til morning, each time i gave the signal for the
nanoeuvre. At half past IL the wind shifted 10
the west, at midnight to the southeast, and at
four O'Clock to the north, with squalls land snow
At daybreak we were near the Island of Grand Tn
ters. The fleet was on the starboard tack the I'm
perotrice Alexandria a little te the windward and
the Vladimir in the wake of the l.efort with four
reefs in her topsails.
At a distance oi five miles from Tuters we war
ed; during our manmuvre the Lefort appear.,i 10
us rs if wishing to veer; suddenly violent sauall
laid her on her side. Though her sails were lot
go, she leaned over so much to the larboard that
we expected her masts would 60 but she con
tinued gradually to lean over till she f,undered
in the short time that the Vladimir took 10 tsck
about. The keel of the LefoFt appeared once and
was then swallowed up in the waves
;tExclusive Of the commander and IL officers the
vessel had on board IS seamen; % women and II
children; all perished
This disaster took place on September 10 (22l, at
% minutes past A. NJ. at 5 % miles to the north.
northeast of the Island of Grand Tuturs at deptb
Of thirty fatboms. After this unparalleled catas.
trophc, the wind continuing to increase, we brail
cd up the foretopsails and topgalant sails and af
at depth of 81 athoms letting out all the cable Of
two anchors Eifty-three hours afterwards the
wind camed, and the steamers arriving in the
meaDtime, tOwed us to Cronstadt.
Signed by the Rear-Admiral, NoRDMANI