Blown To Atoms

The New York Ilerald correspondent with the Russian headquarters at 'loejestï, in Eonmania, telographs the ollowing interesting (iccoiint of nn atack on the Turkish iron-clad flcet in the )anube Riid the dcstruction of one of the urge monitors by torpedo boats. The letóils of the action are taken f rom the official report made by the gallnnt leader of the attnck, Lient. Denbasoff, to the .iussian headquarters : At midniglit on the 25th of May four ilussian gutiboats left Ibrail nnder the coramand of Lieut. Denbasoff with the object of attácking and, if possible, destroying the fleet of Turkish iron-clads which lay further up the Danube in the direction of Matchin. Tliis expedition was organized with great secrecy, and only the liigher officers at headquarters inew of its destinatiou, though it had oeen expected for some time that an ef'ort would be made to render the stay of ïhe Turkish monitors in tlie Danube as uucomfortable as possible. About two liours' steaming brought the Russian junboats to Matchin, where three Turkish iron-clads lay anehored in the stream, and without delay the signal to attack was giveii. Lieut. Denbasoft' made an admirable dinposition of his guuboats, and in the conduet of the action displayed great courage and sound judgment. Tnking the lead in the advance, he ran his own gunboat, tlie Czaiovitch, in between the Turkish iron-ciads without paying any heed to the heavy fire which tlie monitors opened on ttie approaching gunboata Select ing the largest of the monitors, Inent. Denbasoff ran his boat fdongside and succeeded in exploding a torpedo uuder her sitie, causing a Iuul leak but not damaging her sufficiontly to disable her. This partial failure was, liowever, soon ï'emedied by the gunboat Xenia, which liad closely followed the Czarovitch, and, appioaebing the Tnrkish monitor, succeeded in exploding uuder her a second torpedo. The effect of this second explosión was terrific ; the monitor began rapidly to settlo down, and before ten minutes liad elapsed she sunk, the Turkish cannoneers on the doomed monitor contiuuing with heroic bravery to fire untiltheir vessel disappeared beneath the waves of the river. Not a seul of tliose on board was saved. The reinaining monitors openodaheavybut ill-directed fire on the attacking gunboats, which, having accomphshed thoir object, withdrew out of range without Biiffering any damage. This brilliant action did not occupy more than twenty minutes from the moment of giving the signal to attack to the withdrawal of the Russian gunboate. During the action the Turks kept up a constant fire on the assnilants, but the aim of the aitillerists was so bad that not a single Russian was struck. The effect of this torpedo attack is likely to prove very demoralizing to the Turkish üeet in the Danube. It definitely settles the question of the value of the Turkish fleet in preventing the passage of the Danube, and will probably induce the Turkish iron-clads to remove from the too dangerous ncighborhood of the Russian guuboats. Torpedoes are ovidently goiug to prove üieir superiority over armor plates and heavy guns in this war.