All — cavahy as well as infantry, and the General and liis Stall' — wore the long unilbrni great-coat of a sort of brown and grey mixture, and seemed to have no other insignia of rank than the different colours and lace of the shoulder-strap. There was also a difference of fineness in the cloth of their coats from that of the soldiers, but this at a very short distance was not apparent. The Stalf wore white kid gloves, and I noticed some of them with smart patent leather boots — elegancies rarely seen in our part of the Crimea. To return to yesterday's explosions: — The White Buildings blown up were formeidy barracks, and form the north and west sides of a square, whose third side is merely a wall.
Within this square (to which the fourth side is wanting) were buildings of minor importance — among them one surmounted by a clocktower. The intention was, as I understand, to blow up the buildings, but to leave the outer walls standing, so as to mask the operations of any workmen or fatigue parties that might afterwards be employed inside. The buildings being very extensive, a large number of mines were prepared, but it appears that the snow-water filtered in and damped some of the charges. I have not heard the cause of the delay in the first explosion, but the interval between the two ai'ose from accidents having happened to the fuses. Parts of the inner wall of the building still remain. Some of the buildings in the centre of the square have been overthrown; among others, the clock-tower, which yesterday morning was a conspicuous object, was levelled with the dust by one of the second series of explosions.
As far as the explosions took place, I believe their result to have been satisfactory; but there is by no means that clean sweep and total downfall of the whole of the buildings which was anticipated, and which we now learn was, for the reason above assigned, never intended. Mr. Deane's experiment with the brig failed; the reason why has yet to be ascertained. It is said that Mr. Deane attributes his occasional failures to the state of the wires, which have been patched and joined, and are no longer to be implicitly relied upon. He appears to be indefatigable in his endeavours to overcome difficulties and perfect his apparatus. It is with the sincerest regret that I record the death of a most amiable j'oung man and gallant officer — Major George Ranken, of the Royal Engineers, who was killed in the zealous discharge of his duty at the explosion of the White Buildings VOL.
II. E E on Thursday evening last. The accident occurred at the southwestern corner of the edifice, and has been related to me as follows: — A mine having failed to explode, and some minutes having elapsed. Major Kanken sent his men to a distance and himself entered the place to renew the train, scattering loose powder over it. From the position in which his corpse was found it is supposed that he had completed his perilous task, and was about getting through a window when the explosion took place and the building fell in. His arm was broken, and there were injuries to the skull and spine which must have occasioned instant death. Army Works Corps men dug for his body until midnight on Thursday; they were then relieved by Sappers.
The body was not extricated until past eight o'clock on Friday morning. The unfortianate officer was buried yesterday, with military honours, at the Engineers' Cemetery, Left Attack. He was followed to the grave by General Ej^re, commanding the Third Division; by Colonel Lloyd, commanding the Eoyal Engineers; and b}" a large number of officers of his own corps and of other arms. Major Ranken, as you will doubtless remember, commanded the ladder party in the attack on the Redan. He was a most promising officer, a great favourite with his comrades, and his loss is deplored by all who knew him. It was hard to have escaped the murderous fire of the 8th of October only to die, less than five months later, crushed beneath a shattered wall.
If peace be now definitively made, Major Ranken will perhaps have the melancholy distinction of being the last Englishman killed in the Crimea. The last Frenchman killed here, up to this date, fell in a duel. Two French officers, who have gone through the whole war unwounded, quarrelled the other day, and fought Avith sabres; one was killed, and the other was so badly hurt that he is not expected to live. The White Buildings destroj'cd on Thursday were very extensive. One side of the square was 1200 feet long, the other GOO. Altogether about 1900 feet of wall were blowrt down. Six bomb-proof powder magazines behind the clock tower were destroyed. I am assured tliere were no less than 374 mines, the charges varying in quantity from 2|lb. to 3001b. of powder.