The record-union., 1899-04-03
THE SIEGE OF TYRE.
A1exander's Only Sea-Fight and It's
M0mentous Results.

Professor Wheeler's popular Life of
Alexander the Great comes before the
public at time when special interest
is felt in the art of war In the April
number of the Century he gives
vivid description of the taking Of Tyre
and the destruction of Phenico-Pe
power in the Mediterranean.
The one hours battle in the harbor
which resulted in the destruction of thu
besieged city's fleet, was the last dying
struggle of the Phenico-Persian power
in the Mediterranean, and it was Alex
ander's only starlight. He made on
land his conquest of the sea- With
nothing longer to fear from the Tyrian
fleet, the besiegers now more boldly
than ever pushed their attack upon the
walls The engine on the end of the
mole still made poor Roadway against
the massive walls which there confront
ed them: the walls at the northeastern
! corner proved equally invulnerable
against the transport-e concen-
trated there; but a weak spot was
found one day. in the southern wall
hard by the Egyptian harbor'' a rar
row breach was opened, and an attack
was made by storming party, only,
however, to be sharply repulsed The
breach had not been wide enough: the
attack had been made on too small a
scale. The Tyrians hurried to cover
the breach from within, but the vul-
nerable spot had been found. and Alex
ander awaited only the opportunity of
fair weather and a quiet sea to renew
the onslaught and this time to sup
port it by general attack at every
available point in the circuit of the
wall
| On the third day the opportunity
came. The main attack was directed
against the southern wall. Here the
engines soon tore and raked wide,
yawning gap. The moment their work
was complete two great ships crowded
with armed men pushed their way in to
displaee the engine transports. In
one was Alexander himself and the
! light guards called the hypaspists,
whom Admetus commanded; in the
other We're picked men from the pfla-
lanx. Long bridges like gangplanks
We're thrown across from the decks to
the debris of the ruined wall. In an
instant they swarmed with hurryinS
men. Admetus was the first to reach
the wall, and, transfixed with a spear,
the first to die. Sharp and bitter was
the struggle From a handful the in
| trudsfs grew to scores and hundreds
They fought to avenge their slain Cap
tain, and the presence of their King
inspired them. The TyrianS fought for
the last hope, Of their homes. Never
before had foeman set his foot on the
island soil of Tyre. Step by STEP the
besiegers won their way. Some scram
bled up the ruin and gained the bat
Elements of the wall at the right; 9TH
ers followed, and with them Alexander.
at the head, pushed on along the ram
part platform toward the north till
reaching the palace, which communi-
Gated with the wall, they found a way
down by its stairways into the Leart
of the city.
Meanwhile the city had been attacked
on every side. Vessels equipped with
artillery and filed with bowmen and
singers had sailed up to close range
under the walls, and poured their fire
in upon the defenders of the walls, dis
tracing their attention and dividing the
defense. simultaneously also the en-
trance of both harbors had been forced
by the fleets, and the Tyrian ships scat
tered, scuttled, driven ashore. From. the
northern harbor, where the defense was
weaker, the approaches to the city had
been captured. and here force of sol
diery entered to join those now pour
ing out through the palace doors into
the narrow alleys of the town. The
Tyrians who had now forsaken the
wall. rallied for their last stand before
the shrine of Agenor, and here the bat
tie resolved itself into massacre