The New York herald., 1877-08-27
Visit of a Correspondent to the
Bssieged City.
THE ATTACK AND DEFENCE
Plenty of Food and Ammunition
Among the Turks.
Correspondent Of the London Timea

prophcsy triumphant entry INTO TINS. ihdeeu JUG
ing from present appearances and the events oi Inc
past days II tho Muscovites were beaten
out of the held aud that nothing remains but TO ad
varcc on I.ors Meikon and push him back on Gumri.
Situated as we now are, 100 miles from the nearest
tslerraph Office our latest English dates being the
3lst OF Nav we arc necessarily dependent on the
Turks for all European news. SO we are ignorant
OF the march events on the Continent, where com.
pcaons may have arisen 10 account for the quietudc
of The rand Dukes force and for unmolested ad
vance from tho Zewn position. To attribute the
inactivity OF the enemy TO their two adverscs ut
Khaliass and Zewn an absurdty, Tor their
losses IN these two actions certainly did rot
sxcced tnose of the Turks ana impeied as
are by faulty commssariat arrangements. an
ABSENCE OF transport ana the very worst system
Ior moving an army that have read Of
Nc have contrved TO move this force forward and
lake up decidedly strong position for the support Of
Kars To call II a relief is an absurdity. We have
not brought up one pound OF grain or one round Of
ammunition to the place. but we have placed within
striking distance forcc equal In strength to the gar
rison, and that, combined with II and supported
by the tire OF tho batteries, pight venture with some
hopc Of success to drive the enemy from the ridge
tuey occupy.
INSPECTING THE CITADEL.
Aud now for Kars. Yesterday noi ming after
Kombal and his ade-de-canp, Lieutenant Dougall
Russian Navy, visit the beleaguered iortress-the
place that has been haunting our dreams day and
ngnt-rumors OF tho tall OF which have reached
ever and anon with such mnutoness Of deiail to
lead to doubt the stories OF lis mpregnabty and 10
fancy that, sooner later must la IL was not with
out some small feeling Of pride that rodo through the
open cheruuD de se III tie outer ntrenched line 10 the
soah OF the town, and, looking a. .me ~ irS~ning
To toe Russian batteries, thought OF that gallant
band OF our own conItryinen under whose heroic
guidance, twenty-five years ago. the turkish army
OF the most memorable segcs OF modern
times, hnaily surrenderng twhen starvation stared
the supn.ness OF the Ottoman government had passed
away 10 foe as chvalrous as they themselves had
ruE HILLS ON THE WESTERN SIDE
kars is situated al the extreme end OF one OF the
easternmos: slopes OF The Sognanll range This spur
Is pierced by the kurs rchal Stream, which flows be-
tween prccpitous banks, rising some $50 feet above
the level OF the water On the eastern side OF this
the ridge constitutes Hat plateau, about one
mile in length by 500 yards IN BREADTH with steep
rocky slopes to the north and south, and gentle
grassy glacis toward the Russian frontier On this
Eastern spur built the kara0agh and Kara
Patak forts he latter Snown as the Arab tubia In tho
days of lS55( FIVE miles oil on SPUR some three
hundred feet below tho Turkish crest lies the Army OF
the Czar their siege batteries being placed in ravne
some four thousand yards IRON our works The hills
the western side OF the kars Tchai extend COM
maudiDs heights tor about a mile when a second
small cuts the soghan spur, and beyond the
range is lower, and consequently vhueiess for all
military purposes 10 friend ioa On this west
ern hill are built tho largest forts-for l be.
Geve IL is generally conceded that when the
karadagh tails the place hold out, for II
tue town. situated IL Is both banks oil the
knrs Tcba on the southern slopes OF the hl: and In
the tho magazines, commissarat stores, nos
pia &c, the possession OF which ny the enemy would
neccsstale the capuation Of the fortress. Al some
distance from tho town, IN the plain on the southern
side three very substantial permanent redoubts have
been built these are CONNECTED with oAch other by
breastwork OF strong profile, which Is carried over
the hills and runs from rom tort to tort.
THE oUrwoRks.
was not enabled " ascertain exactly the profile of
any OF the works, but Judged the trench running
round the works 10 have parapct our and hall cet
height and feet IN Thickness. II was revetted
with stones u and mad trench TWO feet deep and
about six feet in width in The whole front was
defended by various aces-troup de toup-smaller
military pits, and wire entang clements being
freely made OF. AT irregular intervals
small batteries Tor Two or more field guns
we're placed These were neatly constructed but am
afraid the school OF Military Engineering at Brompton
Barracks would not approve the Turkish works. the
roup dc ioup about four eet deep and about five
lcet circumference; IN TACT, they were excellent
rifle PITS ior enterprisng enemy. The sod revet-
meuts. which were lew and Tar between, were built up
with the turf being lad. not horizontally, but ver-
tcally they were not even peeged 10, while
the sphnters from the stone revetments caused
the Casualties from The enemys shell fire TO
be largely Increased. The works on the PLAIN and on
the western hills were very SUBSTANTIAL the pararets
being from twentyiour feet TO thirtysx feet IN thick
ness, with command varying IRON ffteen feet to
twenty feet but the batteres four III number,
the kuradagn Hill were very weak, Win only from
ieet to ten ieet Of thickness These rivetted
at ALL aud, consequently, were In very dilapidated
CONDITION. | DO not think II would be lar for
disclose the OF guns in euch battery but
| may mention that there are 800 sic e. besides 4S
bcld guns the work. OF this all the latter are
Krupp four or sIx-pouuder breechloaders while tne
former comprise nine and twelve cen,imetro muzzle
loading rled shunt guns and Diteen and twelve cent?
metre krupp rned cannon. The shots fired by The
enemy show that tbcy have some sixteen and one.
half centimetTe guns and altogether thirty heavy
Siege cannon IN tner advanced batteries 1t may ap
pear absurd, but was assured by an officer OF the
Royal Engineers, on the authority. believe OF the
turkish Commandant oil Artillery. that the garrison
commenced firing al the eneny's camp ut a range OF
upward OF ten thousand yards and at that distance
did considerable execution.
FRAGMENTS OF SHELLS.
The day went over the batteries the twenty.
first OF the bOmbardment, ana during tnat time tue
Turks hud fired 1858 shell at the enemy, who, In
their turn, had replied with average of 1000 day
tnclr largest number beng 800 IL was amaziag 10
the ground round about tEc Kara Pa,uk and Kara
dagn batteries which had the prime pal objects
the Russian fire. Tho place was literally covered
with fragments OF shell, ana In many places with
unpusged sixteen centimetre proJectnes. 1t was
marvellous TO see the wreck that the ridge appeared,
aud ihon learn that the total damage done by this
fr gntiul cannonsde had been eighty y-ivc men Killed,
one held pounder completely disabled, one fifteen
ccnumotre krupp partially disabled one nine cent?
metre shunt gun partially disabled, three carriages
totally disabled and eight express magazines blown up.
EXPLOSION or THE MAGAZINES
u Is impossible 10 estimate tue Russian loss,
but twelve magazines have been seen 10 ex-
plode They have not as yet attempted 10 advance by
regular approaches but drew up a what l should
ludge distance oil six thousand wards two batteries
each containing two sixteen aud q hall centimetre
guns aud then they constructed under cover OF their
Gre btiaries at 900 yards distance: thcse each
contain nyo nflecn ceutImetre guns. but
whenever bombardmcnt is contemplated
forty tcd guns brought up seIors
aawn, placed iD The trenches when toe
batteries, aud win these the IRE is ccEsulersDly
bireng ihcncJ. Tie projcctlie fired from f. "a
pieces escites considefable curiosity, aud - az aafa
iniar 10 TIE British officers present II ls tas
Turk. The diameter was three inches, The eXtrene
length nDe and hai inches. hollow cylnger of
hall inch iron, SURROUNDED 10y ioar belts, sur
mounted by solid irDn shot, through which fs4 per-
cussiO fuse screwed connecting ~ith the cargs e.
powder III tho lower cylinder On striking The iase
p'odes tue bursting charge; The shell scatters ns
spIniers IN every direction aud ihc solid round shot
Is propelled Tor further distance, sometimes as
mucs AZ 2,J9O yarls 30 ] nm assured on the aulnor
iy oil tbs Turkish comnandant oi ari cry, an OH er
wbo stuuicd Tor seven years at WOolwich aud wbo
would pe tfcdit 10 the ordnance brahcn oil any nl
l0n sa" great number OF these prujeciIlcs; some
were perfect Tie use having failed explode; the
tyhDdroa snnl was sti nnscparaed from It's spneri-
cai head, wLue ~ others HE round shot only
tOund lnLact, lne cylnder having bnfs into Innmmcra