River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-12-23
MAH0MET'S MIGHT.
Graphic account of His siege OF Con
stantinOple i'm 1883.

The city was more than eleven miles
in circumference. On the side of the
sea it was defended by simple wall;
the other sides were covered by regu-
lar Notifications, towers and bastions.
The Turkish army was immense, mum
bering probably 100000 or 100000
men; the imagination of the Greek
historians extended this number to
800, 900, and even 100000. The regular
army was probably under 100000. The
Greeks had lost entirely the use of arms
and depended entirely upon their
mercenaries. The emperor would not
arm more than $4,000; his chief lieu
tenant was an Italian Giustiniani, who
had with him many Venetians and
Genoese. The legate, Isidore, did his
duty bravely as soldier. The city
had 104 guns, and among the number
was one gigantic for the time, which
could only fire six or seven times day
and had to be cooled each time after
it had been fired. The art of siege
was still in its infancy Mahomet used
all the old machines which were made
for approaches and assaults. He had
guns also. Arrows, molten lead, and
boiling oils were used against the as
sailants, as well as the famous Greek
fire, the secret of which was still pre-
served in the Greek Empire The in
the 9TH of April, 1853 The siege went
on methodicallv, and various assaults
were REFUSED by the Greeks. Mahomet
was surprised to find so much resist
ance The Turkish ships sue
ceeded in forcing the entrance
of the Golden Horn, and the
city from that moment began
to show all the terrible symptoms CT
discomfort and discord which are nc
ticed in all sieges of populous capitals
| While the soldiers were on the ramparts
the city was convulsed with theological
discussion. Even OH the eve of the
ruin of their cause, the fanatical Greeks
showed more adherence for the dog
mas and rights of the Latin church
| than for the enemies who were before
the gates. Constantinople was like Je-
rusalem when it was besieged by the
Romans The monks inhamed the
| multitude but did not turn their wrath
against the real enemy. 81 would pre-
fer a hundred times" said one, "to
see in Constantinoplc the turban of the
Turks rather than the tiara of the
Pope" The crowds rushed the shrines
where the miracle-working virgins were
kept, but did not rush to the ramparts.
All sorts of prophecies were made; the
Greeks became the pitiable victims of
what was called during the last siege OF
Paris "obsidional" madness.
Constantinople did not surrender be
cause it was starved; it was regularly
taken by storm. While the mob ac-
cused the emperor of treason Mahomet
kept firing his $50 guns against the
walls ard making a breach. He pro-
missed his followers the plumber of a
city, which was then, after Rome, the
richest in the world. The last attack
was preceded by solemn fasting and
by prayers. 1t began on the 2Sth oil
May in the middle of the day, to the
sound of la ilah illah Allah" The
resistance of the Greeks and Italians
who were fighting one against twenty,
was truly heroic. Constantine
was among his troops, and show
ed tt greatest bravery. Gius-
tiniani was MORALLY wounded. In the
evening, the Italians having lost their
chief, took to their ships and abandon
ed the unfortunate emperor. The bat
tie was begun again the next day; the
emperor fought like common soldier
''like a new Sampson" The fight was
hand to hand. Constantine fell in the
carnage, and the confusion was such
| that his loss was not noticed at first
His body was found afterwards in a
mass of corpses. The Turks were at
last within the city. They had been
promised three days Of plumber; they
sacked the magnificent capital unmer-
cifully. The pen of Victor Hugo could
hardly describe the scenes of horror OF
which Byzantium became the theater.
Blood ran in torrents in the streets.
An Italian witness says that "corpses
were floating on the Dardanelles
like spoiled melons on the canals of
Venice. Some historians speak of 49,
900, some of $4,000 victims The most
noble ladies were given up to a barbar-
Gus soldiery 90, 900 prisoners We're made
only ofthe richest class, in the hope of
ransom. Gold, silver, bronze, precious
! stones, ornaments, We're seized every
where. What could not be taken was
destroyed. The converts and churches
were especially marked for plumber
Saint Sophia became the scene of q
horrible orgy. Mahomet made his
entry among the corpses, and went on
horseback to Saint Sophia. This
church from that moment became a
mosque, and the crescent took the
place Of the cross. 1t is better to throw
a veil over the excuses of Mahomet
and of his lieutenants. The Turks
showed no mercy, no generosity; they
trampled upon their unhappy victims
like so many wild beasts.
Europe learned with horror the de-
tails of the fall of Constantinople.
There was call from many sides for a
new crusade. In the year 1880 the
crusade has not begun; and when
lately the Russians, encamped before
Constantinople, saw in the distance the
dome of Saint Sophia, they had the
singular courage to remain within their
lines and recross the Danube without
having avenged the Emperor Constan-
| tine.
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