Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-06-09

to Run ~ the Latter-Amusing Expert.
epccs Of Naval Ohscers.
Tho strait Of tho Dardanelles Is, rs many
know. n narrow and tortuous waterway
Of no great length leading In from the
north E1ean to the inland sea Of Mar
mora. But what many do not know Il
that the Turkish Notifications Of tho Oar
daneiles-at least, those Of any impor.
tance-ara situated In IL single locality in
the vicinity Of tho squatty little Turkish
town of Chanak-Kales (or the Pottery
Castle), which lies on h Asiatic shore a
few miles in from the mouth OF the strait.
One OF these batteries-a low lying fOrti-
flcation constructed OF mud, or rather clay
walls, faced here and there with stonc-is
situated 1T Chanak-K alesi itself. Another
is planted about two miles further north
east on q 0 same shore, while Immediately
across tho strait from Chanak- Kalesi other
battlemeilt is nave been reared on some
what hil her ground. None Of these de-
lenses is especially formidable. as mod
ern Notifications go, although 1t must be
admitted that, inferior as they are in many
respects, they do mount some heavy krupp
guns of modern construction II undotibt-
I'd power, while torpedoes, 1t is said, have
lately been sunk In the channel. Every
now and then the Turkish government
buys q new gun and sets it up at the Oar
danelles with n sublime confidence that
thereby the integrity Of the empire will be
effectually secured.
But the Turks understand little about
the handling of these great guns, although
the Osms NIL. soldiers are brave when well
differed, and it Is probable that In the
event OF actual hostilities the gunners
would soon be driven from these dcfenses,
and maEy OF the guns themselves be dis
mounted Thy the skilIful fire at long
range Of y feet lying just inside the lower
strait) be fore the Os,nanli garrison could
discharge more than IA few wild shots
with Their intricate, but poorly managed,
balIistic apparatus. What really adds
moro to tho strength of these doorway de
lenses u Turkey, SO TO speak, than any
qualities OF the garrison in these forts is
tho sw~iftness Of the currents and the tor
tuous character Of the ship channel of the
DarJane les. Yet it is not improbable
that ono crippled by "a fire at long range
"a Merry Ind resolute captain Of a modern
battlushi, could run the gantlet Of the
ul4Ai - sft Ds4AAt Al4A Nb
nuss could adjust their artillery to the
warship's varying range or succeed in &C
completing more than a smashing Of
some OF he vessels upper works. Out OF
a fleet o. half "a dozen vessels ~endeavoring
to force the passage Of the Dardanellcs,
two would probably be disabled or would
helplessly ground in rnaneuvering, while
the balance would steam triumphantly
past Ga'.ipoli, at the upper end Of tho
Dardane,!cs, and thereafter have absolute
~ free course directly to the Golden Horn
ard ihLt part Of the pretty Bosporus
overlooked by the windows and modest
facades II the Yildiz palace. 1t is said
that In the old days Of three deckers an
AIIerical frigate, whose right of entrance
hal been challenged by the Turks, hove to
opposite Chanak tas the orientals familiar
ly and almost nffe~ctionately term the pal.
ace}, firel IA salute and then under the
cover Of tho smoke this raised-for that
was bcfcre the days Of ~"smokeless pow
der'-made boldly up the strait for the
sea Of Marmora before the Turks could re-
cover from the establishment or interpose
any fore.ole remonstrancc.
Another American naval officer tells AL
amusing story of an experience that befeli
him when his ship was anchored off
Chnnak awaiting the reception Of ''pra-
tique." After some delay q boat was OBJ
served putting off from shore in the diroc
.iou OF the United States corvet. AS the
boa, can g alongside u dirty Turkish Off
Ger stood NJ in the stern sheets, and
pointing with his thumb in the general
direction of Constantinople, exclaimed,
giti" The officer of the deck
did not understand the whole force Of the
expression ego to Constantinople), but
with the quick wit OF a Yankee he In
stinotivcly OWNED the significance of tho
git tan imperative from the Turkish
verb eit!lekl, which seemed to possess a
certain resemblance to Yankee slang, and
Immediately gave orders to get the anchor
aboard c9d bear away up the strait toward
Stambol | as fast as the slow American
tub coul travel.
Outgo. ng-that is, westward bound
vessels 5 op their engines abreast of a Turk
ish guar ship no bigger than a North river
tug, anchored about two miles above
Chanak- Kalesi, and there tho permission [
in docui Ientary form which they had re-
ceivod authorizing the navigation of the
Turkish waters by them they deliver up
before SCANNING past Chanak out among
Gre, k islands Of the Egean. If a
venturesoine or ignorant merchant steam
er on Ell. oring the strait presumes TO pass
on beyond a certain point, q shot is fired
across htr bow, and the cost Of the powder
burned is collected ~scrupulously
from the owners or agents of the vessel ON
her arrival at STEAMBOAT, rs oriental logic
to comprehend why poor Turkey
ny for any foreign disregard Of her
rules. -lriny and Navy Journal.