The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-08-17
SOME HISTORICAL S|EGES.
Alexandra Silenced in Ten
Hours, Short Record.
AWFUL BOMBARDMENTS
Gibraltar, Although Week After Week
5000 Shells Day Were Hurled
at II, Withstood Allied Fleets Of
Spain and France for Eight Hun
dred and seventy.four Days.

III ouul utClSlNtDeSS Will
be difficult to beat the record Of Alex
andria, every gun Of which was effec-
tually silenced within ten hours by
our fleet under Admiral Seymour, says
London Tit-Bits. But these few hours
witnessed such destructive deluge
OF shot and shell as might well have
laid a big city in ruins. No fewer
than 10000 projectiles were hurled
against the forts of Alexandria, many
OF them monsters Of 100 pounds
weight, fred from S1.ton guns. Sim
gularly enough, this murderous hail
of iron did little damage to the forti-
fications. the majority of the shells
burying themselves harmlessly in the
parapets 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 OF the shells which explod-
ed that the forts were quickly evacu-
ated while some Of the shells started
fire which destroyed almost the
whole OF the town.
Sabastopol, with its grim, massive
forts were quickly evacuated, while
some defended by 700 guns, many OF
them Of heavy callbre, held out against
the combined armies OF France and
England for 327 days. When, however,
the place was evacuated, 1t was found
that the town was in ruins: and to
LOFT hn 90 a oct rDh
docks and forts as still remained
standing were blown up by the engi-
neers of the allied forces.
1t took 132 days for the Germans
to bring Paris to her knees a gener-
alton ago. During January, 1871, no
fewer than 10000 shells were rained
on to the doomed town every day, and
Of these 500 fell into the city proper.
During a single day, January 8, the
Prussians hurled $4,000 projectiles at
Paris at cost OF 100000. The havoc
they wrought was fearful, and the
resultant fires threatened to destroy
whole districts. During the siege no
fewer than 10000 of the inhabitants
succumbed to disease and hunger
For ninety-four days Plevna defied
the pick of the Russian army, although
its defenders were hopeessly outnum-
bered, and on December 10, 1877, after
the last grain Of rye had been eaten,
the indomitable Turks sailed forth
and tried to hew their way through
the Russian legons. Osman Pasha
commanded his gallant remnant in
person; three lines of trenches were
pierced, but the odds against them
were too great. Surrounded by al.
most countless hordes of the enemy,
his men mown down by sweeping tor.
rents Of bullets and shells, the brave
leader at last yielded to fate and al.
lowed the white flag to futter from
the roof Of the hut near which he
was lying mutilated and in agony.
Khartoum withstood the Nahdi and
his hosts for 341 days, under the brave
direction OF Gordon; and in Kars, Gen.
Williams. with $4,000 men, with pro-
visions for three months and ammu.
milton for three days, kept an invest.
ing 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 posterity will
stand amazed at the endurance, the
courage and the discipline which this
siege has called forth in the remains
Of an army. Let us arrange a capi.
tulation which will satisfy the de.
mands OF war without disgracing hu.
manity."
Gibraltar, as all the world knows,
stood impregnable against all the as.
saults Of Spain and France for S74
days, although week after week 5000
shells were hurled at 1t every day.
and, in spite of the combined attack
of forty-siX sail of the line, a count
less fleet Of gun and mortar boats,
and floating batteries which had cost
C 100000 to construct.
Richmond, Virginia, was defended
by Gen. Lee through year of terrible
fighting, until the seizure of his lines
Of supply compelled him to evacuate
it on April 2, 1865; Lucknow held out
lol tISHty -SlA udySi WHel zen. ltaVe-
lock came to its relief; and Strasburg,
with all its strength, defended by
garrison of 1900 men, had to sur
render to the Germans after a siege
of forty-eight days. Among other not |
able sieges Mafeking survived seven |
months, Kimberley 1913 days, Lady
smith 11S, Potchefstroom ninety-four |
Metz seventy-two, Gaeta seventy |
seven, and Chitral Fort forty-six days. |
A much closer parallel to the siege
of Port Arthur can be found in the |
bombardment Of Santiago during the |
recent war between America and |
Spain, The United States warships |
Texas, Indiana and Brooklyn opened |
fire on the towns at a range of six
miles, and for three hours poured |
shells into it with such deadly effect
that, although the gunners could not
even see their target, fifty-seven
buildings were Wracked and set IN