Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-01-07
BITS OF WAR HISTORY.

The Siege and fall OF Port Arthur re-
call number Of similar contests, IN
which human lives have been sacrl-
feed A complete history Of battles
for the possession Of fortified places,
though only part OF record OF wars,
would show human nature from a
most repulsive point OF view
From legendary times we have the
story OF the Siege OF Troy under
Asamemnon. 10 rescue Helen, whom
Paris had carried away from Sparta.
The war lasted for ten years, and the
city fell only through the well known
stratagem. the Greeks gaining entrance
In a wooden horse constructed for the
purpose, The beslegers Withdrew,
feigning 10 have raised the siege, and
Trojans hauled the gigantic structure
with some OF the enemies IN II. into the
city. and 40 Troy was taken
The capture OF Babylon by Cyrus
falls within historic times. That city
the wonder OF the world. IL said to
have fallen, at time when her In
hnbltants were reyeling in pleasures,
in the conviction Of the impossibility
OF penetrating their defenses Cyrus, II
Is said, turned the water OF the river
into canal west OF the city, and by
this means II was rendered so shallow
that his soldiers could wade into the
city.
The siege of Jerusalem by the Ro.
mans IL one Of the events that turned
the currents Of history into entirely
new channels The defenders made
most stubborn resistance In the hope
OF miraculous Interference, but Titus
called 10 his aid the most dreadful Of
enemies, famine, lie encompassed the
city with a wall and no food was per-
mitted to reach the cltyThe distress was
such that, according to the historians,
women fed on their own children, The
Siege lasted three years and half. and,
in all probability over q million persons
perIshed. while nearly hundred thou.
sand we're led away captves
Some OF the more noted sieges OF
modern times may be briefly referred
to, for the sake Of comparison, In 1179
the combined French and Spanish
forces endeavored to wrest Gibraltar
from the British, The Investment con-
tInued for about 20 months Week after
week 5000 shells and solid shot were
hurled at It every day by combined
fleet Of gun and mortar boats and foat-
ing batteries that had cost $500 900 TO
construct The defenders were COM
manded by Lord Heathfield, and the as
saians had TO Withdraw.
Sevastopol in 1854 held out against
land, and Turkey for nearly eleven
months The siege was begun IN the
month OF October June rs, 1885, an at
tempt was made to take Sevastopol by
storm. but the assallants were repulsed
with heavy loss Finally, Sept, 8, the
French took the Malakoff and the Eng
fish stormed the Redan. and the city
was entered by the allies Then It was
found that the town was in ruins.
The siege OF Paris IN 1871 lasted near
ly six months or from Sept. TO
March / During January, 1871, 10000
shells were rained on Paris, and Of these
500 fell In the city proper. During sim
gle day the Prusslans hurled $4,000 pro-
jectlles at Paris, at cost OF 100000.
During the continuance OF the siege
40 900 persons succumbed TO disease and
hunger. while the loss caused by fires
amounted to millions OF francs
Plevna Is one of the names that Is
readily remembered from the Russo
Turkish war IN 1871, For three months
that stronghold was defended against
the Russian army under Skobeleff, al
though It's defenders were hopelessly
outnumbered, and Dec. 10, 1877, after
the last food had been eaten, the Turks
tried TO cut their way through the
Russian legions, osman Pasha COM
his gallant remnant In person
Three lines OF trenches were pierced
but the odds were too great. Surround
ed by almost countless hordes of the
enemy his men mown down by bullets
and shells, the brave leader at last
yielded and allowed the white flag 70
nutter from the root OF the hut near
which he was lylng, wounded and in
agony,
In the Civll war the siege OF Rich
mond was notable one. Lee held out
for a year, but was finally compelled
to evacuate the city his lines OF sup
ply having been cut on.
The siege of Port Arthur commenced
on Feb, s, last year, and was continued
untN the end OF the year The last
weeks OF hghting was almost inhuman.
The losses on either side have not
been published officially, Late in Sep
TENDER a statement published IN To-
ko, stated that 1900 men had been
killed and $4,000 wounded around Port
Arthur up to that date, Since then the
nercest battles have taken place and
the number Of dead and wounded must
have been doubled.
General Miles II quoted as having
said that, In his estimation, THE de-
Tense made by the Russians was the
most sublime In history There Ia moth
ing since the siege of Troy to which It
can be compared, No garrison before
ever was subjected to such tremendous
ly destructive FIRE night and day.