He then stood looking on at the destruction of Fort Nicholas. The intention was that all the mines should explode simultaneously, and that they did not do so is attributable, as I am informed, to some fault in the fuse — Beckford's fuse, known among the French as le cordon Anglais. The eifect, however, was very fine, and nothing could be more complete than the destruction. Fort Alexander is shortly to be blown up, and it is said the French will also destroy some of the principal buildings. The English General Orders of yesterday announce the completion of our share of the destruction of the docks. Major Nicholson and Lieutenants (^raham and Gordon, who were immediately in charge of these arduous works, and who took up their residence in the Karabelnaia while they proceeded, have returned to camp.
There are still some small explosions going on in the vicinity of the docks, and there is talk of blowing up the revetment on the west side of the entrance, and perhaps also the barracks. At present they are blowing up houses, chiefly, as I believe, for the sake of experiment. Mr. Deane, best known here as the " infernal diver," is not satisfied with the results obtained with his voltaic wires, which have failed in several instances, and he is desirous to experimentalize in order to discover where the fault lies. The operations against the docks may be said to have commenced at the end of November, for, although a beginning was made at an earlier period, the works were quickly suspended, and resumed only at the above date.
The French did their work in four explosions; the English had six, besides minor ones of small extent. You are perhaps already aware that a number of the original plans, sectional and others, used by the constructor of the docks, were found in Sehastopol, and have been of great use to the engineers in tlicir work of demolition. These plans, now soiled and torn, are very neatly drawn and coloured. Fehniary 11. The sole incident that has occurred here since my letter of the 9th is the destruction of Fort Alexander, which was blown up, in three explosions, at 1 o'clock this afternoon. The destruction was very complete, but the place does not look such a perfect level as the site of Fort Nicholas, and the sea face has been intentionally left standing.
The explosions were the loudest we have heard this year, especially the first of the three. The day was dry, but not bright, and the absence of sun detracted from the striking nature of the spectacle, which was, however, sufficiently imposing, but not equal to that of Fort Nicholas's downfall. Notwithstanding the distance, the explosions sounded very loud up in camp, and persons who were well in the rear of Cathcart's-hill assure me that they felt the ground tremble, and that the huts they were in seemed to rock. The Russians, who had been firing a little from the Inkermann Batteries just before the fort blew up, were pei-fectly silent for some time after the explosion, apparently thinking it more dignified calmly to contemplate the destruction of their fortresses than to exhibit impotent wrath and unprofitably to expend their ammunition.
At a later period of the day they fii'ed more than usual from the north side. In the Karabelnaia our engineers continue to amuse themselves, and small explosions are not unfrequent. This afternoon the White Buildings, as they are generally called, adjoining the dockyard, were partly on fire. February 25. The bayonets of forty-six British battalions bristled yesterday upon Telegraph-hill, an elevated ridge of the plateau, overlooking the valley of the Tchernaya. 25,000 infantry were there assembled for inspection and review by the Commander-in-Chief. The morning was so cold, that some who impatiently awaited the spectacle feared it would be again postponed, but the earth and air were dry, and after church service the divisions were seen marching from their camps in the direction of the paradeground, where numerous spectators soon began to assemble.
A better piece of ground could hardly be selected for either a training gallop or the review of an army. The soil was firm without hardness, and afforded pleasant and elastic footing to the gathermg legions and to the horses of curious and interested 40G DESTRUCTION OF THE DOCKS, gazers. As the troops inai'ched up, the pioneers busied themselves with filling the small circulaitrenches where tents had formerly stood; and, when the review was over, the whole surface had been trodden by hoof and foot as level as a bowlinggreen. The wind blow keenly from the north, and it was sharp worlv for faces, feet, and fingers upon Telegraph-liill that day. The pedestrians had perhaps the best of it, for they could keep up the circulation by exercise, while halffrozen horsemen were clattering their boots against the stirrup irons in vain attempts to restore sensation to their benumbed feet.