Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-04-29

tTe bdTudnellcS were forced u. a Brit
ish fleet for the passage of the straits
by Nice-Admiral G. r phipps Hornby
in 1878 was unopposcd. In 1907 Vice
Admiral Sir John Thomas Duckxorth
took fleet OF eleven sail through the
Dardanelles to Constantinoplc and back
again, not without trouble according
TO writer in the London Telegraph
The conditions which existed i'm those
days compared with existing conditions
to-day were as sailing ships arc to
steamships: that is differing in detail
but so alike in essentials that perhaps
Vice Admiral Sack VILE Garden and
Vice Admiral John de Roheck may dis
cover "A certain sympathy with their
predecessor. Sir John Duckworth, who
has been rather vigorously tutorcd BY
the historians.
Duckworth's expedition was preceded
by a reconnaissance. carried into exc
cution by Rcar-Admiral Sir Thomas,
Louis in Campus; Captain T. G. short
land. with Thnnderer; Captain Talbot,
standard: Captain Harvey, Active: Can
tain Moubray, and Nautilus. Com
mander Palmer The squadron was de-
tached by Lord Collngwood from his
heet stationed at Cadiz, in consequence
Of the action OF Turkey in closing the
Dardanelles TO Russian vessels
On January -. 1907, ice-AdmIraI
Sir John 7. Duckworth. in Royal
George. Captain r. d. Dunn. left Lord
CollinGwoods feet to proceed 10 the
Dardanelles in command OF powerful
squadron. Duckworth was instructed
to proceed to Constantinoplc as quickly
as possible. 10 demand Of the Sultan
that he should deliver to Great Britain
the Turkish fleet, equipped with stores
and In the event OF the refusal Of that
monarch. to lombard his capital
On February 10. 1907. Sir John Duck
worth arrived off Tcnedos His SQUAD
ron consisted OF twelve vessels: the
Royal George. 100 (hag). Captain r. D.
Dunn: Campus. so tAaE). Rcar-Ad-
miral Sir Thomas Louis, Captain T. G.
Shorthand: Pompec, a tAaG). Rear-Ad-
miral Sir w. Sidney Smith. Captain r.
Dacres: Windsor Castle. IS. Captain C.
Boyles: Repulsc, -. Captain the Hon
A. X. Leege: Ajax. -. Captain the Hon.
Henry Blackwood; Thunderer, "a, Cap
tain J. Talbot; Standard. 81. Captain r
Hon, T, r. Capcll; Active. IS. Captain
r. H. Moubray: Lucifer. bomb. s. Com
mander r. Elliott, and Meteor. bomb.
s, Commander J. Collins.
For some days the squadron lay
windb off Cape Janissary On Feb
ruary II Duckworth wrote TO Co!ling-
wood. informing him that the Turks
had employed French engineers to for
tify the straits. and that. in conse-
Qucnce. the enterprise had become the
most .ardnous and doubtful that has
ever been undertaken" II has boon
said that the dispatch was designed
TO prepare Lord CollinGwood 70 hear of
the failure Of the expedition. James.
the naval historian. says quantity that
Duckworth Was "stuffing a cushion for
his fall" Tho reflection seems unjust;
Duckworth was, after all. merely stat
ing the fact when he wrote that we
are TO enter sea environed with enc
mics. without a possible resource but
In ourselves; and when we arc to return
there cannot remain doubt that the
passage will be rendered as formidable
as the efforts of the Turkish Empire.
directed and assisted by their allies the
French. can make it" Duckworth
knew that willie he might or might not
be compelled To fight his way through
to the Sea of Marmora. if he carried
into execution his orders his communi-
cations would be severed and he would
undoubtedly be obliged to fight his way
ported by lane forces, which alone could
secure the shores of the straits.
On the evening OF the day upon
which The admiral wrote his dispatch
the Ajax. Captain Blackwood. caught
fire. burned all night and blew up in
the morning. Out of her complement
of about 633 there We're lost $50 Cap
tain Blackwood saved himself by leap
Ing from the spiritsaii yard. with the
other surviving officers and the sur
vfvors OF the crew Captain Bla ckwood
was tried by courtmartial for the loss
Of the ship and was honorably ac-
quilted. SO inviolable was the custom
of the navy that upon the eve Of mo-
mentous enterprise, In which every
hour was Of value, when the wind
might have shifted Mt any minute, n
court of inquiry was held upon the day
after the loss of the ship The court
martial was subsequently ordered by
Lord Collingwood.
'On February 10, 1907, the SQUADRON
entered the straits. 1t was fired upon
by what were then called the outer
castles. named Europe and Asia The
bomb vessels replied. The losses in
the squadron were six killed and fifty
ono wounded. The next forts to be
encountered were what are now called
Kilid Bahr and Chanak, at tho entrance
to the Narrows. They were then
known the inner castles, Europe
and Asia, or Sestos and Abydos: but
map OF the period shows that where
is now Chanak was the castle OF Sui
tanieh. and that the castle OF Abydos
stood upon Niagara Point, the upper
horn of the Narrows. Just below Ma
CARA lay the Turkish squadron. con-
sisting of one line Of battle ship, ca;
one frigate. 40: two frigntes. 50: one
frigatc. 81: four corvettcs, two briggs,
and three gunboats. II vessels in all.
Rear Admiral Sir William Sidney Smith
In Pompee, with Thunderer, Standard
and Active. was detached to engage the
Turkish squadron, which retreatcd,
firing as it went the British squadron
firing as II followed. About three
miles farther up the straits the Turks
anchored. Sir ". sidney Smith closed
upon them, anchored Eith musket shot,