, 1870-12-14
RUsSIA'S PREPARATIONS FOR
WAR.
3he Forts ana Fleets Of the Cxar-
Akenss Ammuntt1ou% and Armicx.

From the Mag York T. ioun<, Dee, ..
Colonel Gowan, IN American engineer. VIM
hAs recently returned from I stav Of manr
years u husslA, gives SONG Interesting facts
10 regard to the armament Of that country.
In relation to the defeuces Of the BlscE a..
re GtAtea that Fort Eicolai, At the eutrsnre III
ne Sea Of Azov, nesr Eirtch, is now ons of
the strongest forts in the world. It ia oo con.
ssfqcted that one hundred guns can be brought
to bear at the same time upon vesta ais a.
preaching from any point. The tori ia nnf,-
plled slth 15-lnch steel Krupp guns, the bosF-
test uiade in the world prior 10 The Frarcn-
frnssian WAT A long artificial bar stretchea
oat Hom the opposite shore 1istarca Of
This hi bal: built Of stone, 1t an expenee of
xso,ooe. - ~ virtually cloaes up tho entrance
At sesa4topol. the fortidcasions On tho
non.hen .on.sr se aae s.e intact but those On The
the last I'VE years no lea1 than tl1res enRinaer.
!ne parties have beaa sent to Sebastnnof hv
the government, to commence the Tprk II
teeool1eing, but in each case the attempt wa
I'D pdnaenda He1sia on shs Baltic Sea, cronstatt,
entrance TO the Sera. have been so strengths
ened asto be considered impregnable.
Ihe feet Of the Car On the Bi.ck Sea, the
Saase ;rn o. .he present controversy, includes no
Of the gunbost class, not plated. .Ithonrh ~.
Sstded for transformation into iron-cl.ds.
LUG government have eykded tha rInvisio,, ~
tne treaty Of Paris, which forbade tuasn n
rave more than elx vessels in the Bl1ck ses
.fe5 taan cofvetses. By constructing What ara
piefctd for guns. which can be m.de avail.
anie lor var purposes In a vary short t;ma.
ihla nitcst navy is still further Increased hv
zee elghty steamers Of the Russian Steam
Nt.slsauon and Trading Company, which WIS
Inent, Immediately after tbs Termination Of
me Cramean VII. the royal family Owning tLe
eCeatss part Of the stock. 4 subsidy of
s&NU,Wo year haa put the hecompany on such
csn, T. 'ats = Is DOW paving tweatJ fire per
them over QUO tona burden. aud Iii OF tham
laes Tcesele. are now running to Constanttno-
PIE, Cairo, Marseltfes, and London. Thev aTa /
.. =. commanded y former officers Of the rus
tired list, and manned By a.ilors fosuaeriv of
me came nasy. These feats can, it ID esti-
mated. transport 5000 msu 1t one tin,e.
The French and English Goveroueuts Ira
represented in the Black Sea BY small gun
Io.fs stationed 1t trala,z. 1t the mouth OF the
The naval fotcs Of the Baltic conaists OF .
neet OF iton-clad fngztes. built ia England.
= iron clad monitors On the American ulIn.
~ i,ne-oi-bsttle ships Of the frst-cIass. H.
Ssa9'bg Wsh ,he y Mrsnd Admiral built By " H.
four to si3 guna- On the Caspian Bet there
are 80 or 40 steamers, hardly available. how
eyer. for war1ike purposes.
The country seems provided With all fa:ill.
Hee 1or the manufacture Of munitions OF war.
sAuEe eupples of ritEe and rnphur prevent |
anE scarcity OF gunpoHde1, that might other
T'ae result fron the discontinuauce Of friend
" Eesat1ona between RussfA and other poxara. |
1heIe eEe large stores Of powder at difIorsnt
p.fnfs throughout the country. Fort coustau-
1' t. 0n' was lisFs 4 Zoo setf,9s, tsos With IL
chief deEot OF the BIack Sea Depsrt-
neut, stuated On the River Booo.
about si1ty miles from it's mouth, al the line.
q 1f-ostss sh,ps aad fFig.tea s!s buiit 1t has
IT, sebi5ss "a iaoo1n1dhes, az ro.ng mills, plan
81 complete arsenal At Touls the1s ia
I thousand bEeech-loaders day for The I.st
tEo yeats. large establishment for the man
& Of nhicNcost g, SOC, 900, Is situated On The
hver Dop- Colts reEolveE1 are mxnufsc-
fnred in large quantities 1t Toula, bY ma
ebinesy puIchastd In America from Coloael
Colt himself. The a1senxIs Of tho eupire cou-
IAN. 1t = estimated, shout 2,5oo. 900 stand Of
anna. The Russian Government. as is veil
known. has been IN eager purchaser Of large
auAHtltlea OF the surplus machinery used 81
tho G1ited States Government In manufactur-
1rE war MATERIAL
Tne army Of Russia ai arailab1e It the present
EaucsNqs: under the command OF Tho Grand
Duke Michael, nuntets 25o, 900, and can h.
mustered IN \ very short ttEne. Beeide Iii
she *, there arc zoo 0oo reserves, who. .bas,or
{ q Fed certain period II the asmy. rn.ume
their nsuA1 yocationf, subject. however. tn
The saht 10 military duty. By tha I'D Of tho
e,to0 miles OF railroad recently conattuctei |
la1ge bodies Of men could b. quickly msssei J
4 o. fetershusK. 1T TaKonrok. II ths naonfi,
o. The Don, II klrtseh. SebastopoI or Odssss
lhe FRANCES Of the country arc in r,rh . I
stase, Is said, Il to seriously eubassaa fhe
necessary operations OF the Rorernment n
Haz ahould b declared. Tbs currnncT bas
been depfecsated rs per cent bT the exnend;- .
.u!es 1tenoant upon the construction ofrail.
loaas tnIonkh nsny pA1tp Of the country IL
most destitute Of fnhl hlbitAuts.
Co'oEsl doEan regards the popular ruisun- ;
uei7 taoding q the question 1t issue - soroe-
ta1oS marvellous. Ruesisu me7chaut-ah,na
easA through the Dlrdzoe1lee, and no ona
Eeafs 1of the Sultan . tenure Of authority. Int
1nsn II ~ proposed that Russian runbo.ts
sna! exercise the same pfiyiitee. thia il i'm.
e e necately AAsumtd to imply the deposition Of
she OTTOMAN sovereign.
a lo3g Feeidencs both in RussIa And Eng.
and md N intimate Acqualotauce wiah Tia
2ptn'one Of both peoples, couyinrn CoIonri
5oNan tbAt confr1pce can oo1v t4sInT thn
toA c1taafFpphs- Tha Russian nennl4 ara
sfre reuuons IA their demands, and ths Enel;.h
lre emphatic in their retusa1. Thars esn h..
'e e'affas' out one result, nAnels, 1ns.