The Irish standard., 1904-09-03


waged with equal desperate bravery,
sebastopol, until lately Russia's
chief fortified port in the Black Sea
and situated in the Crimea at the OK.
tremity Of peninsula, very much as
Is Fort Arthur, endured siege of $40
days or about eleven months. It was
made the chief point Of attack by the
allied forces in 1854. In the course of
the siege France employed 10000
men, Britain $1,000, Sardinia 5000.
the Turkish troops not being actually
engaged. The British and French
meets made one of the most powerful
plockading squadrons ever assembled.
but the Russians blocked the harbor at
an early period, and in bombardment
under the fire Of the Russian land fort
guns the attacking ships suffered 90
severely that they played but a sec.
ondary part in the reduction of the
city, as Admiral Togo has at Port
Arthur, though the fleets cooperation
was essential to the success of the
siege. The garrison consisted of 30.
ooo men, always in communication
with external forces which could SUD-
ply food and ammunition.
The regular siege began October 9.
1854, and the capture on evacuation bv
the Russians took place on September
8, 1866.
The French and English mounted
about seven hundred guns in batteries
during the various attacks, and up-
ward Of one million six hundred thous-
ana shots were fired. The mine nm.
proaches, which were in many cases
cut through the rock by means of gun.
POWDER had an extent of fully fifty
miles. Nearly million of sandbaps
were used. The progress of the be.
slesers was met by new defensive
WORKS, constructed with constant in
gcnulty by Todlcbcn, who lived to
take charge of the Russian blockadine
intrenchments ut Plevna. An unsuc-
cessful assault was made on a new re.
doubt in February, and the first as
sault on the Malakhoff and Redon
Forts, made on June IS, was similarly
repulsed. The Russians, however, at
the battle of Tchernaya, in August.
Jailed to break the Gordon Of the allies.
ana the final assault on the two great
torts OF the Malakhoff and the Redan
was made September s. At daybreak
the French stormed the Ma]akhoff lbs.
ing 1861 men.
The British rushed the trenches Of
and penetrated into the Redan, but
could not maintain the position. A
new attempt was to be made the fol.
lowing morning, but in the night the
Russians evacuated the fortress, pass
ing over bridge of boats to the north
side. They blew up Fort Alexander
and the Grand Magazine, with all their
stores, sunk their line Of battle ships
remaining in the harbor and set the
city on fire.
The condition Of Sebastopol when
entered by the besiegers was pitiable
IN the extreme. The Russians had
withstood the final bombardment Of
thirty days with extreme fortitude.
Between September S and 8 they lost
4 superior officers, Al subalterns and
3,9l7 soldiers, without reckoning the
artillerymen who perished at the guns.
Prince Gortschakoff under the circum-
stances decided no longer to expose
his troops to useless butchery. The
hospitals were described as present.
ing one of the most horrible, heart
rend1ng and revolving pictures of the
horrors of war ever seen. OF sebasto-
pol, like Moscow, nothing was left to
the enemy but burning ruins.
The Russian total loss was estimated
at $4,000 men and the French at A..
SUI, the aggregate loss of the allies
being 10000, so that the siege cost a
loss in killed and wounded of nearly
10000.
The longest siege Of sea fortress
in modern times was that of Gibral-s
tar, which was successfully defend0d i,