THE CRIMEA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 357, 5 April 1856, Page 5

THE CRIMEA.

General Codriiigton sends horn'! the fol)owin <r narrative of the explosion of tin; Freauli siege-tiaiu air.l its consequences: — Sebasiopol, Nor 17. ii yiy Lord—-On ihe lo:.h iust,, about 3 |>.ni., * terrilie explosion shook the camp of the army and spread heavy de-lrueiiou in the im;ncdiutc n , ; i..-hhoiuhootl of Us ('i)vct: ; ovoii here, ni headnu.'uters, lWt) ani' il h:l'* lIUMN perhaps, distant, it burst open and broke windows; all foil ihe power of i', and lac '''n'l "oluiun »•'' smoke with shells bursting in the midst and around it, told too well ilus cause, iin.i .showed the «i;ni<rer of all wiihiu its reach. " ft wa> H"t long before we were on the spot ; to the sudden bur>t had succeeded a couii out-id and d-uk drift of sihoke, which told its 'talc of continued tire and of danger; constant bursting of shells was going on, and the » round was covered with hits of wood, tnu^ket b;ilN, :ill(' splinters ©f shells from the (ir.-t heavy cx|ilosion, which had strewed the ground with desuuetion, and kiiied mid hurl very many people. " Oat; hundred thou-s.iud pounds of powder had exploded in the French siege train, sri fire to all tin* stores there, ami to our ncitjlil'<>urin<r Eivjr'i^h park, where all w;-.s l>urnin^ fiercely, while the tendency of the li'^ht air at lir<t threatened a sec-md and as serious an accident from powder, m>t eighty yards off. for the roof of ihu building had been daina^ed and the door blown in by the shock. " Soum? general officers had fal'en in and marched part of their divisions down, others sent some in fatigue, some with stretchers fur the ■wounded—all exerted themselves %\ith tiie French with an energy and disregard of danger lliiit was admirable:; blankets were taken to lite exposed siore, placed and welted on the roof by water b^ing passed up in buckets; the doors were covered with wet blankets aixt sandbags, and in a short time it was reputed and looked safe, though closeness of the fire and the frequent explosions could not allow the feeling of .security. Many detached though sniull fires were burning, and the ground of both the French and English parks, a space of 250 yards across, was a mass of of large lire's,-some of fuel, some ofhiiis.some of gun-carriages, boxes, haiuisjsikes, and ropes. "The fortunately light airliad rather changed its direction, and by breaking up and drag ging a way things, a sort of lane was at last formed, the (ires cut off, and gradually got under control, because confused to smaller but fierce iires, though manageable. " I saw every one working well, and I know that French and English look large shells from the neighbourhood of danger to a more distant spot, and at a later period parties threw what earth the rocky soil could give upon the (i>es, and helped much so subdue them ; all was safe about 7 p.m., and a strong guard and working party posted for the-night. "The army was under arms the following morning before .daylight, and, everything being qu;et, I ordered the divisions to turn in, and continue the working parlies in the roads, which i had counter-ordered for that mnniiti»; •The exploded powder-store was situated i" the ruins of some walls which bad been made use of for the purpose of shelter; it bad been the sioro of supply to the French attack on the Aliilakhoir fiont, and it contained the Jimvder which had been brought back from their batteries. "It is at the head of the ravine which, as )!■ gets towards Sebastopul, forms the steep and rooky v Hey of Haviu dv Corenage. Ihe Ligh: Division was on the ground it first took up in (Vtober, 15.04 ; the Hillcs on the right, then the 7th, the 33rd, and «ho 23rd ; ( ,u their left the 34th Regiment, which su'isequently j,)ini;d, was (mi the right front in •"IviUH-o; and the vacating of a spot of ground >} the Sappers' cam)) enabled me, when eom■•iiunidirg tlw division, to phicathe Artillery and Binall-urni Brigade on the immediate right of l"c Hides. I lie I'reneh snb-w <{nently brought ihoir 111:1111 siege-train and store to ilie position il lias Jiow for some time oeenpied. " showe,! (he damage, of which I ),n\e giv ( >ii yotir lordship an outline in an-ot'it-r letter. " the more iinportanl and sad part is the loss "I life, and tbo woutvied who have siiftoretl. Jne oiliepr and twenty non-commissioned officers anil mtf i, killed, four oilicers and 112

nun cniiiiius-miH-<l uiru:uis and men wounded, with seven ini-isin^, show the sudden itnii fatal power of Hit* .shock, '.vlnc'n mil only destroyed in its iiiiinuiiiiiH: nci^iiliutiihooii, but wounded, hy shell and »piitiU'is, sume at a distance of liiree-qiiiu'icis of n mile. " I lie loss of oni allies is distressingly lieavy. I have, ,Vc, " W. J. CoDitixoroN, (Jen. Conimaiiding. " I'lte Lonl Pa sun nee, \i:." 'l'he manner in which this yreat disaster \vas caused is suid by Mr. B-us&ell to be tliis :~ " Some French ariiliervmen wcie en«ia«jeil iti shii'iimr |)o.vd<r troni e^ise u> casein the nark, and, as ihii operation is rat-er dangerous, every cue was taken to prevent aceiileiiis. The powder was poured from one case into the other llii'otiirh cup)»t;T fiiiiiicls, aitd no lire was allowed near the )»laee where tiie men weie sd cni|iioye(l. As one of the soldiers was pourintr tlie poi-der out of a ease lie perceived a fragment of sliel! ul'diu^- oiu ot it int'i tiie funnel, and not v\isliin^ lo lei it vet inio the oilier ease, lit; jerked lli»-.' funnel to one side; the piece of shell fell on rlie stones, which w^re covered with loose powder, and is supposed to have struck fire in its (all, lor the exjito-iun took place at once. Miraculous as ii may appear, this artilleryman, who was, as it were, in ihs focus of the explosion, escaped alive, and is only hlijjhtly hnrnt and sc;>rch"d. His comradt*, who held tho other case, was blown to atoms.'' The Daily News relates a »iillant incident : —

" Immediately after the first jrieat ex|«lusi<)ii, when it. was ascertained that the windir.iil itself —which forms our main magazine in ihis part of the camp, v jI contains some hundred and eighty tons of powder —had escaped, General Sivaubenz'v'e, who C"in"inn<ls the brigade, hurried up lo the tents of the 7ih Fusiliers, and asked if any of the men would volunteer to mount tlif wall i>f ilie mill and cover the roof witli wet tarpaulins and blankets, as ,1 protection ;»<jiiiu>t the thickly flying sparks ami hunting wood. Now, tin; concussion had literally tlirown the roof off the old building, and there it stood in the very centre of the spreading flames, exposed every mir.uU> to a thousand chances of instantaneous destruction. Hanily ainthinu" could exceed the danuer attending such a labour as the General proposed, hut, notwithstanding, Lieutenant Hope and twentyiive men at once responded to the Brigadier's appeal, and proceeded to the powder-crammed huildinr. A sergeant and some Rifles with also a party of the 34th Regiment, weie induced to accompany them ; and, within ten minutes from the first great h]ow-up, Mr. Hope was on the walls of the mill piling the wet coverings over the exposed powder-boxes— exploding shells and burning wood flying through the air in perfect storms the while. Whilst the officer and snne half-dozen of the men were thus employed, the remainder carried water to throw ni>>m the blankets anil bare raTiers of the miil, and in little more than half an hour this vast pile "f powder was as we!! protected from the quickly flyinjr sparks and rockets as it could be, shoit of entire removal from the scene of the conflagration. The danger, however, was still »reat, for a shell mii;htf>t any moment penetrate the textile covering, and send tin: whole into the air, spread)osr around destruction and death.com pared with which ihe injury already done would have been as nolhin<r. The troops were, therefore, kept as fur as possible from the scene of the fire till late in the evening, when it had so ex pended its fury as to^ive less ground for apprehension. Fur the most perilous service wnich he had so bravely and efficiently rendered. I.ieutenttnt Hope was pu'iiiiclv thanked by General Sitaubenzee and the Colonel of his own regiment, on Tlmrsday inorninp; on parade; and I, for one of many, siuct'ielv hope that his daringly moniorions i-oiuhiel will not be allowed to pas* vvithou! further rew ud. Hait the contents of the wi.idmill exploded, \v« should not now be itT-koninir our killed and w.-uuiioii by tens, lnit by bunilri'ds, for t*xpt'vii*isced ICnyiueer oilicers di'Ciare that hardly a livinjr tiling in tlje whole Lij>ht Division could hau; e>e.uH'ii destruction."

Speaking of the departure of General Simpson— ■' Never," says the " Herald" correspondent, "did a, General leave his command with less ostentation : — " 110 roile away from Ijcad-tjiuiru-rs to pro-

ccfd to Balaclava, and embark, accompanied only by liis two /lide-de-camps, Major Cohille j. n 1 Captain Gordon. The sale at headfjii.trier«, on the General's departure, amounted to nearly £:^OO. His successor, hearing a name which one cannot, but connect with Navnrino, is already very active and popular; and it is to he Imped he may soon catch the Muscovites ' napping,' and thus both rejoice the Turks, who still remember the l untoward ' event of 1827, as well as the Sinope massacre; and in gaining' some crowning victory tor his country, win for himself an advanced position on that road in glory which le.ids to the ultimate possession of a Marshal's baton. General Cod mis: ion, among other accomplishments, can ride as hard as the first Napolvoii ; and was instantly seen, with all his stiiff, crossing the country at a steeple-chase rate on the occurrence of the late melancholy explosion at the ritrlit siege-train.'

The'camp is reported healthy, and the Times' correspondent allows that the severe weather or November, 1854, must have been an exception to the climate of the Crimea, i'cr if similar weather had ruled the barometer last year as this, none of the complaints arising from distress and sickness could have arisen. Speaking of the hospitals, he saj rs— " The Sardinian < fficers who have visiied our ambulances declare that they are superior to the French, and have taken much interest in the cases referred to, which exhibit great skill and professional knowledge. In some instances, the elbow joint having been injured, the surgeon has made clean surfaces on the bones of the lower and upper anus, cm away the fractured pieces, and then brought the surfaces together, and the hones have joined by a false joint, or by a sort of liirnmen ions union, making a stiff .short ann indeed, but with a serviceable hand attached to it. Ihe principle is extended to other injuries oi limb.-., and has never, perhaps, been adopted to such an ex:ent in the field as it now is by our English army surgeon?. MKs Nightingale has contributed to the comforts of the Sardinian sick us well as to the amelioration of the condition of our own poor fellows. A Sardinian surgeon, who received some arrowroot, or " freufc," as he called it, from her, said the men did not like it. On inquiry, it turned out that they merely poured cold water on the arrowroot and served it out without milk, sugar, or wine. -No wonder the men thought it a very unpalatable mess.*' The morality of the camp does not rise with its comforts. A new complaint is that thieves and murders are rife therein. During the night the hor.-es are robbed of their blankets, and the regiments returning1 from Kertch found their huts broken into and despoiled. Geese, turkeys, and poultry are not safe a moment, and a system of petty thieving is going on, very discreditable. However, the Provo-t Sergeants are on the look-out, and it is their opinion that some of the canteen men, or rather the sutlers' followers, are the guilty people : — " T rei»ret to say that a very sh 'eking murder was committed near Kazaleh on Sunday night or early on .Monday morning. The body ot ■•iv iSuglish sailor, covered with Mabs to the number of eighteen, many of ihtm in the ludiy. and some apparently infl'.cied by a ba\ onot, w;is found as I was down at Kaz i;c!i yt>«t<Tiiay, not wry far iVoiu a French UV'JHM. Vh..' soldiers ksunv nothing about ihe ail'iir, and as the bouy h;i> not yet been idt'iitiii-. d, no t>nt: can tell whether die murder w;is commitu.'d for ilu> sake of plunder. A short lime pivi i..u>,y I w;is di^uusted and horrified by st'i-ing out- of the M.ihrse boats towiu" out siul h>-iy of a siilor fio-n Bal.iolnva II arWour. a> if it. >\as the carcase of a dog, a rope t'ui! ro-.md !!;e waist niul a siont- fastened to tin- oilier t-iui \\:::e!i lay in the boat, iv order to sii.k t'n- ivn* ■■\''-n< at sea. i was (..Id tliore wove maik- -.<;' u'.^-u-i- on the (hi. '.i!, but uo one e-tuid U-l! ,tn\ thir-g .ibi-ut the man t-xi-cpt that his hoiiy ha:: ><;'>u<! fr ;<nt tl.<^ I'oitoni and w^s tl.iatiug aiion! \\.< =i:s]>'» t >ii ot in iliis dii-gr.icctul and u't.-Mi.g manner. 'I'lu'V might, at a:i even:-. H.Mr pir. the c-o'-j'so i:>t.> a s,u-k." Under dale o{' Sim:>hrrop->i. 11-th Nov., the ]•'.!!)p'M-oi' Alcxan-U'i- !!;».< i'l-i: '-seJ Vi->o foil^wini; order to \i\< Ivmi:^ : —• ** Hravo soMici> uf ihf „!uiv O:-.M.;timca i —

Br my orders of the day of the 30th of August last, I expressed to you the sentiments winch filled my heart with "sincere gratitude for your services which have immortalised the jrlorv of the defence of Sebastopol. But U. did not suffiice for my heart to thank you from a distance for the "rent acts of bravery and self-denial which even astonished your enemies, and which made you brave all those difficulties of nearly a year's siesie. " Here, in the midst of yon, I desire to say to you personally how much benevolence and real affection I entertain tor you. My interview with you has procured, me inexpressible pleasure, and the brilliant conuiiun in which I found all the troops of the army of the Crimea, nfterhavimr inspected them, surpassed my expectation*/ I fell pleasure in beholdnig you niuliiiad.uirinsiy.ni. I thunk yon, trom my re--y soul, for your services, Your exploits, and your bravery.' They are guarantees for me that my brave army well knows how to uphold the gl'orv of Hassan arms, and to sacrifice itself For its faith, its sovereign, and its country. 'In commemoration-of the celebrated and valorous defence of Sebastopol, I have instituted, fis.ieciailv for the troops who defended' the fortifications* a silver medal, to he worn at the button-hole with the riband of St. George. _ " May this sign bn the certificate of merit for each, and inspire your future comrades with that sentiment of duiy" and honour which constitutes the unsbakeable foundation of the throne and country. " May the union upon the same medal of the Name of mv father, of imperishable meivory, and myself, be a pledge to you of our sentiments, which* are equally devoted to you, and may it perpetuate with Vtui the inseparable memory of the Emperor Nicholas and of myself. "I am proud of you as he was. Like him I p'aee full confidence in our tried devotion and in your zeal in the accomplishment of your duty. In his name and in my own I once more thank the brave defenders of Sebastopol. I thank the whole army. (Signed) " Alexander."

Death of Admiral Brcat.—The Uim, which arrived at Touion on Sunday, November 25, brought news of the deaih of Admiral Brunt. Tnis misfi-it'.ine, which happened whilst the French fleet were briuginj; home the Tinperial Guards in the Messina roads, is attributed to suppressed gout. This premature death removes from the French navy "lie of its most tried ami skilful officers at the moment when, after having addtd to its glories and rendered the highest sei vices to the Einpen.r and the nation, he was Hearing the shores of his native land to receive there the honours and sympathies so justly his due. The deceased Admiral was born at Cohnar, on the 26ih May, 1796, and his various ranks in the service hare lie following dates —pupil at the Naval School at Brest', in 1811; aspuant of the 1-t class, 1815; ensign tie vaisseau, 1819; lieutenant de vai»s e ;iu, in 1827; c.ipiiaiue de legate, FB3l ; ctpitainede va<«p;tu, IS3B ; rear-suuniral, 1840 ; vice-admiral, 1552: admiral, !805. From the first he \v;is reported by liis Miperinr officers as " svell-ini'oimed, of i:ii!efati<.'a!iie zeal, brave and geiuMiMi-." ilis earlii?.-t scp.sr.tte command was ii:if.Mtun ite, a<. wii^n in ctinunand of die Silent: l»vi i», in \S2't). mi lhe ou-M of Alrica, the »essei was wrt't-krd, and her Cninm>in<!er made | a prisoner by the Aiyeriiits, and «ml\ released by (he f.ii! oi'thit ci:y be'ore ti'ie Freneli amis. J]\< ;<fter-s( I'vicfc coiupiisfd a niinibtM' of position* of yri'Hi inij)ur.;o!(:c, showing iliat he ent'nKJv |)i'.s^t Sve>i the cr-uWieuva and fstcc-in of l)x: »uiio!is ?iJ!!ii-.ifrs \vij.» held liie reins of jiuwtr in Fraiicc: lor liie l.iio Aomiiai was successively (jnicriior of .'he M.'iKjit--^:!^ Isics. and iht-u vi itil t'ii.- F.eiirh «'si;ihh».!:iiit;uis in Oci-auia ; r.iariiiiite IV it c! oi'T'iii'Dti : (iovrnior di' M ;i: lil. i(j U<' ; :ill(l tjiiirriini {jh->:i-V:] i»!' lhe French \N c-t l:i.:i( j Ist !.S;3'2. by fni'med one »»f i!;t» Council of tlii- A'i;i!if-ii!y, wijit-b hi* fj;n!ied to take the coi»i!!l;i>sd nfa stjii ;■. i ;<«ti of t'vo'msutn. Jh lSi'l. i'ft iii't'-.tni!; in i!<>mtt)itnii to Aihiiiiiii I i ume; is; ist ti:(; Bhick S'.^a, and iht: F'3ugi;^h ;;!'ii)!i tnivc ms.cl- lhi:n kiKi'.vn eii'.'uj;l> of liiiii i.; ;i|ipr<ci-i!c tiie loss taiTartnl by ti.eir Ai!i(-^.