Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 4.djvu/112

82 THE SINKING OF TIIK SHIPS, CHAP, and he riglitly enough judged tluit, as h-)ng as ' there should be the prospect of an irruption of the Allied fleets into the roadstead, it would be impossible to withdraw to the shore the whole energy of the crews. The Naval Library, as e saw, was the place where officers used to gather. Thither Korniloff came at six o'clock in the evening. ]Ie was in a state of deep sadness. It had been arranged that, when the measure of sinking the ships should bo irrevocably determined nj)on, the national flag should be hoisted as a signal to all that the sacri- fice was to be accomplished. The dooming flag was run up. Korniloff went on board one of the ships, aud when afterwards he returnc'd to his house, he found awaiting him there some naval officers, men zealously devoted to the service. They had come to entreat that he would avert the blow which was aimed, as they said, at their calling ; and they probably sought to make him know, that if he should undertake to resist the destroying orders, he might not be without sup- port. They urged their ])rayer. Korniloff an- swered, ' We must submit to necessity.' In his address to the seamen, Koriiiloti' ex- plained a part of the grounds for resorting to the measure, but omitted all mention of the intended withdrawal of the army, and even spoke of the land forces as having come back to Sebastopol in order to defend it to extremity. He then said: ' It is no doubt painful to destroy our own Avork ! ' We have used many efforts to put these doomed