The New York herald., 1877-07-28
THE WAR.
Naval Battle on the Danube
Below Silistria.
RUSSIAN TORPEDO BOATS.
They Ascend the River and Attack a
Turkish Monitor and Camp.
A CRIPPLED IRON-CLAD.
Details Of Holly Contested Combat Between
The Boats and Monitors.
RUSSIA SWEEPING SOUTHWARK.
Defeat OF Suleiman Pacha and His
Retreat Upon Adnanople.
ABANDONMENT OF PHILIPPOPOLIS.
A CRIPPLED IRON-CLAD.
Details Of Holly Contested Combat Between
The Boats and Monitors.
RUSSIA SWEEPING SOUTHWARK.
Defeat OF SuIeiman Pacha and His
Retreat Upon AdnanopIe.
ABANDONMENT OF PHILIPPOPOLlS.
GBy CABLE TO THE HERALD

ri CABLE TO THE HERALD
LONDON, July 2s, 1877.
The HERALD correspondent at Tcherna-
voda telegraphs under date Of Tuesday, July
"a, giving the following account Of the naval
engagement which took place on the Danube
below Silistria on last Saturday, July 81.
SCENE OF THE ENGAGEMENT.
81 hasten to send you particulars of one
of the most daring and brilliant feats that
havebeen accomplished since the commence.
ment Of the present war. A naval battle
has taken place on the Danube, at about fif-
teen kilometres (about nine miles) down the
river from Silistria, in which the Russian
officers and sailors engaged have won great
glory.
HOW THE ACTION WAS BROUGHT ABOUT.
''The account of the affair.which 1 send
you have received from the Russian Off
GERS who took part in it, and corresponds
with the official report forwarded to the
imperial headquarters. It seems that the
strength of the Turkish position at Silistria
was not known with sufficient accuracy
to warrant serious movement against
the fortress, and it was particularly
desirable to find out how far the gunboats
ct Silistria were able to support the land de-
fences in case of attack by the Russian
army. boat expedition was therefore
secretly planned to explore the river toward
Silistria and discover the character of the
defences, both along the eastern side of the
town and on the water front.
THE REcoNNo1TERING EXPEDITION.
'"rhe expeditionary force consisted of
three boats, armed with light pieces and
torpedoes. The largest Of these little yes.
sells was the Fulgerul, an iron-plated gun
boat. not over sixty feet in length, and car
rying one brass one-pounder gun on
her bow and four under the steel
shield covering her stern. She was under
the command Of Lieutenant Du bashoff. who
had already distinguished himself by de-
stroying the Turkish monitor with topedoes
near Matchin. The other two boats were
the torpedo boat Czarovitch, carrying one
ur-pounder at the bow and commanded
by Lieutenant Schestakoff, and the torpedo
boat Plitchkin, armed only with torpedoes,
commanded by Midshipman Bal
MOSQUITO FLEET.
ssThe last two named boats were only
small steam launches, fitted with torpedo
spars, and in appearance were utterly mad
equate to the dangerous service on which
they were despatched. But then their off,
GERS and crews were picked men, on whose
skill and courage the fullest reliance could
be placed. All three boats carried six tor
pedoes each, and a single shot from the
enemy hitting any of them might have
easily exploded these and destroyed the
IN SEARCH OF THE ENEMY.
'In the gray of the morning of Saturday,
or about four o'clock, the little expedi-
ton started on its perilous trip. TAX
ing advantage of the fog that overhung
the river at that hour the boats steamed
cautiously up the river, keeping close to the
left or Roumanian shore, and passing, when
possible, behind the small, low islands that
dot that side of the Danube. 1t was known
that the Turks kept rather sharp look
out for Russian scouts and that the least
suspicious sound on the river would be
certain to attract their attention. Under
the circumstances strict silence was main
tained on the boats, and nothing could be
heard on board but the dull throbbing of
the little engines and the light swash of the
wnter around the propellcrs.
SLOW AND SURE.
''AS the morning advanced the strong
rays OF the sun began to dispel the fog and
occasional glimpscs Of the Bulgarian bank
could be had at times. Sometimes rift in
the vapory veil disclosed tho bold outline of
the right bank and the distant tree-clad hills
recediug in wave-like lines to the SOUTH
ward But the mist still hung over the
swampy lands on the left bank and COM
pletely masked the slow but sure advance
of the Russian torpedo boats.
sraHrINo TURKISH VILLAGE.
eft was fully eleven o'clock in the FORE