Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-09-14
Chicago Record-Herald.)

the siege Oh SeDdSlOpol, oliI u 'hiN
most notable military events OF mod
ern times. Then, as now, the Rus
SLAMS were the besieged Then. as
now with Port Arthur, the struggle
vas witnessed by all the world, and
was a living and exciting panorama
displaying awful scenes of carnage
ard death. The siege was the acme,
the dramatic close of the Crimeal
war. Russia was locked up in the
great stronghold as she is now bot
tied I'D in Port Arthur. France, Eng
land. Sardiria-Count CayOur's baby
ration-and. the Turk we're then at
war with the northern bear.
Sebastopol is situated on the Cri-
mean peninsula Of the Black Sea: and
the great halbor and land defenses
which had existed at the time Of the
war, had been planned and construct
eG by an English engineer, Col. Upton,
and his sons. aad were completed in
1884
The invading army landed on the
Crimea. Sept / 4, 1854, and while the
war was ra2ing. including the battles
of Inkerman and Balaklaya, the Rus
slams continued TO strengthen the de-
fenses Of Sebastopol. Six thousand
men were almost daily engaged on
them, while the actual garrison was
about 80, 900 men. The number OF
guns mounted at the final assault is
said to have been 500, but several
times that number We're rendered un-
srviceable during the siege.
The actual investment of the fort
ress began on Oct.-17. 1874 when the
army that won the battle of the AL
ma on the preceding 10th of Septem-
her, occupied the plateau between Sc
bastopol and Balaklava and the first
shots were fire dinto the forts. AS at
Port Arthur, there was a vigorous re-
sponse; and day and night. for eleven
months. sanguinary encounters took
place, the losses on both sides being
enormous. The Arctic rigors of the
climate also had a terrible effect on
the besiegers. It was current report
that Gar Nicholas I said at the time
that Gems. January and February
meaning the fierce winter weather.
were his best allies.
The besiegers soon discovered that
Schastopol was an entirely Different
place from what they expected, an1
that they had to deal with brave. ac-
tive and pcrsevering enemies, com
nanded by skillful fighters.
As the siege progressed the work in
the trenches became very trying t.
the foes Of Russia. From the first the
British army was deficient in numbers
and severe labor the climate and the
unusual exposure speedily exhausted
them. The French, too, were over
taxed, while the very guns became
shaky from continuous use. Condi-
tions III the forts were likewise dis
heartening. The Russians had re-
iiiCNCl tNti NQIiibiSlIblG ii ON tIEii
shelters and buildings, so that, with
the exception of flesh and blood, the
allies had nothing to fire against but
stone walls and mounds Ct earth. Th
Russians in the sorties. fought with
the desperation Of savages, and ii was
charged against them that they fre-
" ntn J1I
the Japanese are said to be doing in
the present war, the cars soldiers
We're especially instructed to pick off
the officers of the allies, and in
short time Gems. Cathcart and Strang-
ways and Sir George Browne had been
slain. The MIME rifle performed Won
ders in the siege.
The sufferings of the invaders in
creased as the sorties, assaults, bonn
bardments and shelling continued.
while the Russians continued to in
crease their defenses, taking advan-
taee of every temporary hull in the
firing. On Jan. there were $500
bastopol due to exposure and to hard |
work il bad weather without ade-
quate protection. Within four months
after the siege began 5000 sick and
wounded had been sent from the camp
O. the allies to be returned to their !
native countries
Deadly night skirmishes continued, /
the Russians, and especially the Cos
sacks, proving to be an enemy worthy |
o, valiant exertions From the Mus |
eoVite rifle pits came shots at short I
Intervals that played havoc among /
the besiegers. These pits were simply
excavations in the ground about 600 !
yards from the works of the allies.
They were faced with sandbags. loop i
hOled for rifles and banked with earth l.