Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-01-29
The DardanelleS.

The New York Herald of yesterday publish.
cd az ditorial on ''the Dardaneles, nthe first
FIVE lines eff which were two objectionable mis-.
takes in history. The Dardanelles were not so
called from the Notifications there erected, and
Mahumed II. did not live 10 the 18th century.
As TIC eyes of the civilized world are now d..
rccIei towards ConsIaDtinople, propose to
lay bef.re your readers some facts concerning
that c!s and its defences -
the Grand Duke has arrived at Adrian.
ople." Gen. Diebisch did the same in 1929,
and then marched back again. Between Ad
riaDopIc and Copstaotiuople are impeachment,
which might we'll make any army, though
flushed with victory, shrink 10 despair. The
road from Adriaoople to the famous city is like
the rcdoubtable Jordan, "a hard road to trav-
ell About twenty miles from Constantinople
two small arms of the sea of Marmora run into
the main land ard from the western arm runs
liue of bills, six hundred feet above tho level
of the road. Ga either flank is the sea. If
these hills are fortified as they should be, and
doubtless, are, Russia charge upon them
would result as did the charge of Picketts d.
vision at Gettysburg. Admitting that the
Russians are willing to sacrafoe such large
per oeDtage of the attacking troops, and should
succeed 10 carrying this position, their troubles
arc yet to come. These troubles can be bCss
shown by brief account of the deienoes of
city which has successfully resisted the sieges
and assaults of Saracens, Bulgarians and Rus.
slams, and was at last captured on the 29sh of
May, 1853, by the Turks, under Mahomed H.,
who assaulted the city from the Asiatio side OF
the Bosphorus, which side is held to-day by
the same race who hold the city. Constantine.
pie is situated at the southwest entrance of the
Bosphorus, on triangular penlnsuar, which
is bounded on one side by the sea of Marmora,
and on tho other side by the Golden Horn,
which is az toilet Of that sea. The water sides
can easily be defended by tho Turkish navy if
commanded by such man as Hobart Pasha.
The third side of this peninsula faces towards
the northwest. and from this side only can
hand attack be made. but here we find extend
log from the Seven Towers to the Golden Horn
stone wall, thirty feet high and five eetthick,
with macy projecting towers. Fifteen PAGES
from this wall is another wall lower in height,
but very strong, and in front of which is ditch
fifteen feet deep, with scarps and counterSoarps.
Outside Of these lie the immense grave yards
of the Moslems, covered with O dense growth
of cypress trees Now it would be a difficult
matter to use field artillery to any advantage
against the city under the circumstances here
named, but that difficulty is more apparent,
when it is stated as fact that there are very
few houses within athousand PAGES of that wall.
rhe late battles have proved the Turks to be
brave and staunch soldiers, and it is not unrea-
sonable to suppose that such men as fought
under Osman Pasha, when armed with Martini
Henry rifles, and commanded by officers train
ed at Woolwich, should be able to repe an at.
tack from that quarter. An attack by water
would result in disastrous defeat; the fleet in
the Baltic is. in reality, useless, and one from
the Black Sea would be as fatal a bunder as
the charge at Balaklava, as the city could only
DO reached by passage through the Bospho
rus. This little strait is about nineteen miles
long, and 10 many places not more than
six hundred yards wide. On one eide of
it's entrance stands Fanarak, with one
hundred aud sixty pieces of artillery. I'm.
mediately opposite is Anadoli Fenan, with
sixty heavy guns. On both sides of the strait
are batteries of Krupp, Armstrong and Frazer
guns. which extend from the forts to Scutari
and the Golden Horn, where long steel barrels
CLEAN from grasSey mounds and wait in grim
silence for the approach of fool-hsrdy enemies.
Under the gray hills, half hidden away in rich
groves of cypress and faced with banks of flow
ers, the heaviest guns in the world are waiting
to contest with the invader tho passage of the
water upon which ConsLsntinople stands. Rock
after rock hill after hill, would vomit forth
such tempest Of iron that more potent seamen
hsn the Russians might quail at the prospect.
The defences Of Constsntlnople have been do.
clared impregnsbe by such military writers as
Won Moltke, Con. Mcintosh and Sir John Bur-
goyne. Such authorities ss these have doubtless
had their weight and effect with the Russians,
and led them to propose terms of peace before
marching upon city from whose aged walls so
many generations of would be csptors have been
hurled. Z. @. 2.
SAEEPTA uAlL.-On Monday, February 4th,
Harry Robinson's Mlnstrels will make their first
appearance in this city at the above hall. This is
the largest troupe of the kind travelling. The
Lynchburg Virginia News of Monday, January
2Sth, says:
TIE ROBINSON M1SsTRELs.-Wo do not hesl-
tate to say that the entertainment by this troupe
Saturday night was one OF the very best Of the
kind ever given in Lynchburg. The music wit,
fun and comicalities were all good, and there was
nothing coarse or vulgar, The audience were
profuse in their signs of enjoyment. The COM
pany will play here again tomorrow (Tucsday)
night, and we are sure that none will be dlsap-