New-York tribune., 1905-01-08
SOME FAMOUS SIEGES.
EUents IN History acith Which FaIl
of Port Arthur Is Com parable.

The fall OF Port Arthur. after siege lasting abou.
eleven months, naturally recalls the famous sieges
of world history. They all contrast strikingly with
this the first great siege of the twentieth century.
since modern weapons. modern appliances and all
the latest inventions of defence and offence have
been here employed for the first time The seges OF
the nineteenth century naturally furnish interesting
points OF comparison. and the famous wars
have all been marked by important investments.
The sieges Of Spanish cities in the Peninsuar War
the most striking of the Napoeonc era. Sara
gossa, Bada joz and Burgos all desperate and
bloody. and 1t is recorded that the French Badaoz
ate even their shoes before they finally succumb bed
Sevastopol. in the Crimean War was the first great
siege in which the Russians participated and Tod
leben. who defended that city against the British
French. Turkish and Sandman troops by his de-
fence became the most famous military engineer OF
his time and his will be linked with that Of
Stoessel in future histories of Investments
Sevastopol held out for SS4 days. Its defender
were not captured, but withdrew from the CITY
after destroying all the warships in the harbor At
the close of the siege the allies had coo men In
the field and the Russians 115o00. The capture cost
the allies $1,000 and the defenders l14OOO men, On
both sides the loss a result OF disease greatly
exceeds that from wounds. The siege of PIevna in
the TUrko-Russian War, shows the Russians on
the offensive, and the prodiga sacrifice of life by
them suggests comparison with the Japanese ex-
penditure of blood before Port Arthur In O single
day in this siege the Russians lost 500 officers and
men. The siege lasted Ia days, and the total Rus
sian loss was 10000. against $1,000 for the Turks
The defence made by Osnlan Pacha here certainly
rivalled that OF Todleben at SevastopoI and 1t is
interesting circumstance that the defender OF
SevastopOl chared with Skobelen the honor of re-
ducng Plevna.
The American Civil War was marked by two
desperate sieges-those OF Vicksburg and Richmond
II single assault at Vicksburg Grant lost over
1000 men. The rebel stronghold held out for Pa
days. and surrendered. not a result of assault
but OF starvation. Consequently the losses on both
sides were comparatively small; that of the rebels
WAS 1900. while the Union soldiers lost 90N The
siege OF Richmond was a much more prolonged and
desperate struggle. 1t lasted 349 davs-fron, the
time the Union army appeared south of the Anna
mattox, before Petersburg. until the capttro Of
Five Forks for ID the evacuation The Union ar1ov
never fell below 1900 men, while that OF the rohas
never rose much above 6o.Oo0 The Union LOSSES ar
sregated $1,000, the Confederate 60OOo While the
city was evacuated the rebel army failed 10
and surrendered few days after the evacuation
The Franco-Prussian War was marked hv tr,
memorable investments that OF Metz and thai 40
Paris. the latter the greatest siege In the n,ers
detail of the size and Importance of the place he
by the Northern hordes. The siege OF Metz was
exceedingly brief, but at the fall OF the city the
French surrendered marshals. 20 generals 3oo
officers and $4,000 men. 600 field pieces and 500 for
tress guns This was the greatest surrender ~
modern history. For his conduct In the defence OF
the city the French commander Marshal paz.,,a