DESTRUCTION OF THE RUSSIAN STEAMERS IN SEBASTOPOL HARBOUR.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 343, 13 February 1856, Page 6

DESTRUCTION OF THE RUSSIAN STEAMERS IN SEBASTOPOL HARBOUR.

f_From the Tunes" Correspondent.] Thursday, 13i.1i September. As tbe Russian steamers were still intact, notwithstanding the efforts of the French battery at the head of the roads near lukermann to touch them up, it was resolved to construct a battery on the ruins of Fort Paul, within 700 yards of the northern shore, tinder which they had taken refuge. Tiit* st<-timers lav in three irregular lines to the eastward of Fort Catherine, there the deep creeks in the high cliff* gave them some sort of shelter against the fire of the French. There they were agents of much mischief and injury to the Allies from the battle of Inkerm-Min down to this time. There was tbe famous" Vladimir," with her two large funnels and elegant clipper bull; the " Eibcetif," the steamer which made tbe celebrated dash into the Black Sea through all our fleet last rear and burned some Turkish vessels near Heraclea, just as the " Vladimir" was seen in Odessa harbour in tbe mouth of Juiv, 1851: there was the " Gromonosseiz,'' which bad caused such annoyance from the Dockyard Creek : and there were five others with bard, and to me unknown names, as calmly floating on tbe water as though no eager eyes were watching from every I battery to lay a gun upon them. A number of I very capacious dockyard, iumns and rowboats | were al-o secured in tir-se creeks or hung on by the steamers. In the course of the afternoon of the 11 tb (Tuesday), some 0 f the Russian guns in the ruined battery below the ii-dan were turned on these steamers, and, in a few rounds, not more j than twelve, I think, succeeded in hulling them j eight times. The range was, however, rat her great, and it became expedients move a little nearer, in order to afford tnem the full advantage of mir shot and shell. On Tuesday evening, Lieut. Goagii, of the •• Loudon," who commanded in the Naval Batteries on the left attack. ! accompanied Lieutenant Anderson, R.L.. ,1„., v ,, j to tbe town, in order to erect a batten- f'-r two I 9o cwt. gttus on ti,e rightofSt Paul's'lottery Ihe site of ibis battery was about Tin) yards Irom I-ort Catherine, on the opposite "sine The men, a!though deprived of t|, e quiet night aim' undisturbed rem.se they anticipated set Co work with a will, and 'bean Hilh-.r up the parapet and fining gabion". ; „„j ;( s it was pus Mid... that sn-uc interruption of the work migut take place from the other "side -, covering party of J-jO men was unbred down from tne trenches. There were Kn-iwh s-n---tnc-. in charge of ibis ,„„•,;„„ „ r , llf . , )]a , 1(1 tne imie party found that their nines. „•,.,■!. „„ tneq lu nve and wore keeping a M,a:p j„„k i out 0,,_ all side*. The men hm\ ]„.«„ wUm- ; sometime, v.i H -n it W :,s observed that one u\ | t..'.! enemy.s ,-;,:.,,ners bad left ,!,.. „,„■,(, , i(ie i •'- *'-'-v si*ut w]"™ Ur- tailors and t! lt; . eow :il ug pa UV w.-re at their labors ToI '"': :L 'V:' S ' l:,ll{' '"'t 'h.-y could clearly mako ! -i. .1.- -learner r ( Kin u down „,„„., (hem, and ... ,i.''" '<■ rv.-rry moment tl l( , v -pecc.! tier gnu, v, „,,,.,, U p oll (i^.,., wujl „r . ( ^

ami canister. The men therefore lay down on their laces and kept as uear »•* ihe ground as they could, and the steamer came over gently till "she was svilhin about a hundred yards of the very spot where they had been working. They hoard her anchor splash into the water, und'then tiie rattle oilier cable as it ran through the haweshole. Now, certainly, they were " going to catch it ;" but no, tlie Russian opened no port and showed no li»lit, but seemed to be makiii" himself comfortable in his iie« quarters. Captain Villieis, of ilit? '1711), who Cuimnamled the covering party, oidered his men to observe the utmost silence, and the same injunction was given to the seamen. About 230 in the morning, when she had been an hour or so in her novel birth, a bright light was perceived in her fore-hatchway. The leading steamer on the opposite side, in a second afterwards, exhibited gleams of c*qual brightness, and then one! two! three! fom ! live!—steamers, with one exception, emiuod jeis of lire from their l)ows. 'I'iie jeis soon became columns of flame and smoke—the wind blew fresh ainlrX strong, and (he niyht Mas dark,' so that the (ire spread with rapidity along (he vessels, and soon lighted up the whole of the northern heavens. The masis were speedily licked and warmed into a fiery glow, and the rigging burst out into fitful wavering lines of light struggling "ith 'he wind for life: the yards shed I.unbent shovters of sparks and burning splinters \ipon the water. The northern works emiiil be readily traced by the light of the conflagration, and the faces of the Russian soldiers and sailors who were scattered about on the face of the cliff, shone out now and then .'md justified Rembrandt. 'I'ie work of destruction sped rapidly. The vessels were soon nothing but hutjo arks of blinding light, which hissed and ciaekied (i.ieely, ami threw up clouds of spark-; and embers, and the tiuiis as they became hot, explo h jii, and shook the crazy hulls to atoms. One after another they went down into the seething waters. The cavalry mil on ?!ie plains wondered what great conflagration had broken out anew in the town. At daybreak only one steamer remained. A boat pushed alongside her from the shore. They boarded her, and after remaining below about ten minutes, returned to their boat and trained the shore. Very speedily, the vessel began lobe Si.-ized with a sort of internal eoKiniotiou—. first she dipped her bows, then her stern, [hen gave a lew uneasy shake-, and at length, after a short .-hivcr, ivoii do.vu b^-Jily. eievorly scuttled. Thus was Sinope a\euoed. Ot tht; men wiio planned, the sailors who executed, and ihr; ships which were engaged on '.hat memorable expedition, sc.iroeh one trace now remains. K. irniieflf. Naehinioif. Istomine, and their crews have disappeared. Their vessels now rest at the bottom of the roadstead of Sebastopol. The Russia us prefer being agents of their own destruction, itnd do not jrive the conqueror a chance of parading the fruits of his victory. We cannot delight the good people ol Plymouth or Portsmouth by the sight ol liu.-siau liners and^ steamers. We can oniy drive llie enemy in the option of destroying or of doing ihe work for him, and he invariably prefers the fur in or.

A ikit to iiik Cuii' Kitciikxs.—A correspondent writing Irciin the camp hefovu Sehasto}>ol says that in ih« afternoon of the day on which the investiture of the Order of the Bath took p!acu, a \\a\i was paid by the general ofheers and other distinguished " persons to M, S.tyer's kitchens, which were opr-sed on the fspliniinl,: i,, fn.nt n ( ll|( , (;, la , ( j- s c;l | n|)- t \ nnv «•{ hunu iron Jailers suppiiud each ..no its ilulen.Mit soup ov su-w, mincocicd entirely Horn tiie r.uions daily furnished v, ih L - troops. '' From nu: siuninit «.f .■. large n.avqm'e ilntiered the rrcncli and Kn-rlish colours ; smaller {lijrg Waved jr;,i]y OV(; ,. ( ] u , „.;,,: ] , U -|,i ( .|, „•., g fanned l»v of foila-u. 'i'he quests, who wen- very numerous paid due h.una-e f> Otes:.v ( »!iry caiddn,ns. the depth of vvhTcli nionc sued (!,(.,„ f,,, 1n <|ic..,|y<-x!ian<ti(m. 'I'ticre was no ft<Miviuu l!u: exreilenec of ihe e,okery. Fiv.s <''i:i'"-k is a hunory hour in the Crimea' ;,ud '; ««•' -'iiswcr for it thai few of the quests eonteKLed iIK-MiM.-lvrs wnli (ll( -rel> last.in-. (Jenr-^l Snnnsj.ii simled i.iiprol.i.ii,,,, of th,. skill of tl.o [•a-:,,;!, arfish; an<i (i,.. nn -al Peli.sier s.m-ikm! i'^l.i.V lo „i.j,.y |„s cuntiynien's potam: A U"-al iiuinhcr of pusons u ( . n; present. ' T.m, wn-e r,,:,. puddin- and Css^-k piutiittu-^liii" (:-il i-ai.-M,--), -uti- |<„,is, with «:l.ai,ipa»no, (nui iati»:. ft ; the ilIOS>l cy-uallinc cd ice.