The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1904-05-27
NOTED SIEGES
Investment of Port Arthur
Recalls Events of Past.
Towns Heed for Months. Sc
baStopol Stood for Nearly
a Year.

promises to be one Of the most nots-
BILE occurrences ofthe kind In modern
military history. If reports are true
that the Russian garrison Is provis-
toned year the place will not be
easily taken, for its defenses are we'll
nigh impregnable to assault, says the
Chicago Chronicle.
In shortness and decisiveness 1t
will be difficult to beat the record OF
Alexandria, every gun of which was
effectually silenced within ten hours by
the British fleet under Admiral Sey-
mour. But these few hours witnessed
such a destructive deluge for shot
and shell as might we'll have laid a
big city In ruins. No fewer than
1000 projectiles were hurled against
the forts of Alexander, many of them
monsters OF LOO pounds weight,
fred from 7I-ton guns. Singularly
enough, this murderous hail of iron
did little damage to the Notifications,
the majority of the shells burying
themselves harmlessly In the para
pets OF sand which had been raised to
protect the batteries.
But so terrible was the havoc and
slaughter wrought among the adher-
ents of Arab Pasha by the flying
fragments ofthe shells which exploded
that the forts were quickly evacuated
while some OF the shells started fire
which destroyed almost the whole of
the town.
HELD FOR MANY MONTHS.
Sebastopol, with Its grim, massive
forts, was quickly evacuated, while
some defended by 700 guns, many OF
them of heavy caliber, held out
against the com bined armies of France
and England for 327 days. When,
however, the place was evacuted it was
found that the town was In ruins, and
to complete the work OF obstruction
such docks and forts as still remained
standing were below up by the en-
gineers OF the allied forces.
1t took 1928 days for the Germans
to bring Paris TO her knees a genera
ton ago. During January, 1871, no
fewer tnan 10, 900 shells were rained
into the doomed town every day, and
of these 400 fell into the city proper.
During a single day, January 3, the
Prussians hurled rs 900 projectiles at
a coast of $500, 900. The havoc they
wrought was fearful, and the result.
ant fires threatened to destroy whole
districts. During the siege no fewer
than 10, 600 of the inhabitants sue.
cumbsd to disease and hunger.
For ninety-iour days Pleva de6ed
the pick of the Russian army, al
though its defenders were hopelessly
outpumbered and on December 10,
1877, after the last grain of rye had
been eaten, the indomitable Turks
sailed forth aud tried to hew their
way thought the Russian legions
Osman Pasha commanded his gallant
remnant in person; three lines OF
trenches were pierced, but the odds
aginst them were too great.
A GALLANT DEFENSE.
Surrounded by almost countless
hordes OF the enemy, his men mown
down by sweepings torrents of bullets
and shells, the brave leader at last
yielded to fate and allow the white
flag to f1utter from the root of the hunt
near which he was lying mutilated
and In agony.
Khartoum withstood the mahdi and
his boasts for 34I days under the
brave direction Of Gordon, and in
Kars Gen. Williams, with S, 900 men
with provisions for three months and
ammunition for three days, kept
an invading army of $4,000 at
bay, from June to November. "Gen.
Williams" wrote Mouravieff, the
Russian General to his gallant foe,
"you have made yourself name in
history and posterlty will stand amsz-
ed at the endurance, the courage and
the discipline which this siege has call
ed forth In the remains of any army.
Let US arrange capitulation which
will satisfy the demands OF war with
out disgracing humanity.
Gibraltar, as all the world knows,
stood impregnable against all the as
saults OF Spain and France for S74
days, although week after week 6. 900
shell were hurled at 1t every day, and
in spite of the combined attack OF for.