The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-05-24
Hobart Pasha's Defiance of the
Russian Blockade at GalatZ.

The account of Hobart Pasha's de !
fiance of the Russians on the Danube /
makes thrilling story. tits stated that !
while his vessel was lying near Rustchuk |
the Turkish authorities received intelli-
gence of the arrival of the Russians at
Galatz and that they were placing tor
pedoes in the river Hobart Pasha was
advised to leave his steamer in the Dan
ube and return to Constantinople via
Varna, but, disdaining all such counsel,
he declared that he would rather blow
up his ship than desert her. Night APP
preaching, he made every thing ready
for running into the Black Sea in oppo-
sition to all Russian hostile intentions,
getting clear fires under the boilers of
his craft in order to avoid smoke from
her funnel, and making other arrange
ments. The Rethymo, be it said, is a
very fast boat, capable of steaming at the
rate of Is knots an hour When Ho-
bart Pasha started on his daring expedi-
ton the Danube current was running
swiftly, being estimated at fully
five knots an hour. Upon nearing
Galatz he found that heavily armed Rus
sian batteries commanded the river,
looking capable of sinking any thing
afoat, besides the torpedoes reported to
be hidden beneath the waters Imme-
diately it was dark the word was passed
"Lights out" and the steamer sped
rapidly along. The batteries were soon
reached, and the Russian lanterns, the
heavy guns, and soldiers in great num-
bers were clearly visible to those who
manned the saucy Rethymo, when sud-
denly rocket was sent up from the
Roumanian shore to apprise the Mus
covite gunners of Hobart Pasha's COM
ing. Other rockets followed in quick
succession. Then the hoarse word of
command was distinctly heard, bugles
sounded, and the drums beat merrily,
summoning the Russians to their posts.
Hobart Pasha expected every moment to
be blown out Of the water by the fire of
the heavy guns he was treating so cava-
lierly, but being determined to make eff
forts in some degree proportiOnate to
the great risk he was taking, he ran his
vessel close in shore-nOt forty meters
from the batteries themselves-indeed,
so near that the Russian gunners were
unable to compress their pieces suf-
GENTLY fast to get good aim. His
boat went quickly by at twenty knots an
hour, and soon all danger was over.
When satisfied he had nothing to fear
from his enemies, Hobart Pasha order
ed the crew of the RethymO, which
carries one 40-pounder, to throw one
shell into the center of the Russian
camp, an order which was quickly OBJ
served-the missile bursting in the
midst of the Muscovite tents. Its effects
were of course unknown, but it was the
first cannon shot fired upon the Danube
in the Russo-Turkish war. Hobart
Pasha subsequently proceeded to Con-
stantinOple, where he received hearty
welcome and enthusiastic congratula-
tons.
Hobart Pasha reports the Russians in
great force close to Galatz, making
preparations apparently to cross the
Danube and enter Dobrudscha, to move
upon Yarna. He also found that twelve
small Russian gunboats had been
brought by rail across ROumania, and
were ready for launching in the river.
He has formed an opinion that the depth
of water is insufficient to enable gun
boat operations against Galatz to be
successfully carried out, but believes
that if he were allowed to act, he could
prevent any crossing of the Russians
The Muscovites fired shell and shot in
considerable quantities, but the daring
of Hobart Pasha carried him into the
Black Sea, past all dangers, with flying
colors. -Nel0 York Times.