The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-10-15
SEBASTOP0L, AND ELEAT THEY ARE DOING
# THERE
IFrom The Leader ]

[Fron the Leader
From information which we have received from most
reliable sources enabled TO give brief account of
what the Russians are now doing at Sebastopol Our
readers be assured that have spared pains in
testing the truth Of the statements which about
TO make, and can assert, with some degree of conf
dence that the statements which have lately appeared IA
the German papers respecting the present state of Sebas
topo are utterly untrue, and have proceeded from Rus
sian sources The truth u.s. that the and neghbor-
hood are now occupied by large numbers Of troops
among them several corps Of engineers who bu
IL engaged In making trignometrical surveyg
lruh 70 tie cri improvement Of The Place The inab-
itants have for the most part returned and are busiy
engaged In repairing their deserted hahtations The
poorer sort collect shot and she'll and as the government
paws them well for that work. there brisk trade In
old iron being driven. The fortihcaons the south
side of being demolished their temporary
ture metng better fate and the work people find
profitable digging in the Great Redan which mostly
constructed Of watertsnks from the ships, filled with
earth For every tank recovered the government
gives half the value to the digger Whilst mentioning
the Great Redan, it VIII not be out OF place to notice
that the promise of the Russians to respect the
ment erected there in honor of those who fell the
memorable 8th of September has not been faithfully
kept Although the English inscriptions, three sides
Of the obelis left intact that in Russian the fourth
side has been entirely Clipped away.
In the harbor the greatest activity prevails The task
OF sing and removing the ships that sunk it is
known, has been conded to party of Americans who
undertook the affair speculation So far from their
proceedings being unattended with success as OF
the German papers have falsely asserted great deal has
already been effected and there is every prospect that
the most sanguine expectations Of the Russian govern
ment will be exceeded From the time when they sunk
the first line OF ten psofwar the mouth OF the
harbor down TO the night when they evacuated Sbasto
pol the Russians disposed Of cghtys slips in that way
Although most Of the heavy guns had been taken out Of
the vessels for the defence Of the south for6caons
about eleven hundred guns sunk and many OF the
ships had full equipments and stores aboard
fal examination by diving-bcll has established the
fact that the greater proportion of the wooden vessels
SO damaged by the traSo napali as 10 be not
worth floating These have to be blown UP with gun
powder after the removal Of all stores and ten have
already been so treated In cases the troio
has done but little injury, and that only to the deck
timbcrs Two have been raised in this condition by
of hollow caissons and these, with slight repair,
will be perfectly t for service Among the vessels sunk
ten of on and the contractors expect to raise these
without any difficulty. and in comparatively unnjured
state The ropes tackle and iron work OF all the ships
have suffered very little by the immersion, and although
the provisions for the most part In such state as to
render them very unwecome to ordinary tastes we are
assured that the Russian sodey evincd repugnance
against particularly rancid butter which brought
up by one OF the explosions The information which
have received represents the state Of things about three
months ago since which great progress has in s prob
ability been made In about six months hence all those
vessels which worth floating win be once more riding
AT their anchors and the viii have been removed
from the rway OF the harbor by the potent aid of gun
powder and the electric spark.
The nucleus Of Black Sea feet being thus tho road
20 restoration, IL becomes interesting fact that wheth
or in Russia, England or America, about 1--WE hundred
vessels In OF construction for the Russian
OF course neither these the recovered
section of the Black Sea fleet 10 be armed The treaty
Of Paris pointed out to Russia that her proper mission in
the Black Sen is commercial and commercial she win be
,rsfz aax hcr % d chera For the sake of commerce,
she will cover these waters with steamers and with sail
ing vessels osensbly the purposes Of the vast carry
ing trade to Consantnople Tebsond and the coast Of