The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-08-04
CoMMUN1oArED.
How Hotel in Philadelphia got It's Name.

During the crusades q religious asso-
citation was formed in Palestine, called the
Hospitallers of st. John the Baptist, who
administered to the wants of the sick pill
grims to the Holy Land. Subsequently, as
the necessity arose, this association be-
came military order, as well as a benevo-
lent one, for the purpose Of protecting the
pilgrims from the assaults of the Inidel.
They were then called Knights Hospital
lers of St. John, and with the fraternity of
the Knights Templar, became the support
ers of the throne of Jerusalem, and the de-
tenders of the Holy Sepulchre.
After the fall of Jerusalem the Knights
of st. John remained short time in Cy-
press. They then conquered the island of
Rhodes from the Turks. Here they be-
came very rich and prosperous. They held
manors and large religious establishments
throughout Christendom. The order was
exceedingly popular with the chivalry of
continental Europe, and the islands of
Great Britain. But in the course of time,
the Turks succeeded in driving them from
Rhodes. Charles V. then ceded to them
island of Malta, which was a miserable,
rocky, barren place at that time, but in a
few years the knights made it blossom as
the rose Here they increased in power
and influence wonderfully and to Chris
tian nations they were the pride of the
Mediterranean. Solyman H., Sultan of
Turkey, determined upon their overthrow.
After many months preparation he en-
barked 10000 men, composed of the flower
of the Ottoman army, destined for the
siege of Malta.
The Grand Master Of the Knights at that
time was Jean Perisot de la Valette, than
whom q Drawer man never lived. He was
sixty-eight years old, but still vigorous and
active. On the northeastern part of the
island narrow, rocky promontory stretch
es out into the Mediterranean, dividing its
waters into two small CULTS. That on the
west was called the Maria Muriette-on
the east, now known as the harbor of Va
letta, was then called Great Port. The
extreme point of the promontory was
crowned by the Castle of st. Elmo. In this
little castle occurred one of the most ter
rible and tragic events in history. 1t bore
the brunt of the Turkish siege for than a
month, and out of fifteen hundred men who
assisted in defense, but twelve or fifteen
escaped with their lives. 1t was on the
18th of May, 1865, when the Turks made
their appearance in the eastward, standing
diract1u for Malta Tho foot ,yae oop,rosad
of 13O royal galleys, and 80 of lesser size,
besides transports with cannon and mill
tary stores. The $4,000 men on the fleet
were under the command OF General Must
apha and Admiral Pooli. After landing
they began the attack upon the Castle of
st Elmo. Nine hundred men for its de-
fence wore as many as it would hold at one
time. By the list of June the Turks had
gotten possession of the counterscarp and
ravelin-outer words of the fort. The
Turks had lost heavily but their losses
were more than made up by the arrival
of reinforcements under Dragut, the Pasha
of Tripoli.
The besieged in the fort received rein
forcements, as the men were needed from
the main body of the Knights forces,
which were in another part Of the island.
The Pasha had a great naval and engineer
ing reputation, and he quickly showed his
superior ability for he at once completely.
invested the fort, and thus shut off the
communication of its inmates from other
portions Of the islands defenders. There
was rained upon the little fort showers Of
iron and marble balls of from So to 113
pounds weight each, while at the same time
day after day, the fiery and impetuous
Turks were attacking it from the land side
AT last, after losing nearly all their men,
and the remainder wounded and exhausted
with the harrassing and long continued
siege, they could offer but feeble resis-
tance, they were over-powered, and the dis
mantled and demolished fort of st. Elmo
fell into the hands of the ruthless and san
culinary Turks. But the island, after the
arrival of the Viceroy of Sicily with rein
forcements to the Knights, was quit by the
Turks and the remains of the castle Of St..
Elmo again fell: into the hands of the brave
Knights Hospitallers of st. John.
1t is from the name of this castle that
Col. Feger, of schuykill County, conceived
the idea of naming his hotel in Philadel-
phia. The name is euphonious and as the
original order of the Knights was organized
for the purpose of providing sustenance to
the weary pilgrims to the Holy Land, it is
an especially appropriate title, that of st.
Elmo Hotel, as a hostlery to the pilgrims