The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-06-12
Vienna Bakers Saved Europe
From the Grip d lae Hos .lils.
CAUSE or S0LYMAN'S DEFEAT.
A Momentous Incident In History That
Carries With 1t an Explanation Of
Why Vienna Rolls Are Nodded In the
Form of Crescent.

even as he and his Mosem predeces
sors had seized the countries of tht
orient, With d mighty army he cap
tured THE fortified island of Rhodes
and invaded Hungary. annihiating the
Magyar forces at Mohacs lin 1896 aud
Staying the Hungarian king,
So successful was the FIRST expedition
that he planned second aud more far
reaching raid in 1919 Moving on,
ward almost unchecked aud carrying
all before him. be captured Buda and
advanced against the city ~ Vienna.
All Europe stood aghast Nothing
had h~en able TO stem the wave VI
Mos conquest Men remembered
how oAe eastern land after another
had been seized By the Mohammedan
hordes and forced TO adopt NOLAN
meduuiSm rs their religion, People
treinbleti for the fate Of Christendom
II seemed for a moment almost pcs
Sible that the whole eastern section of
the European continent might fall vic
tim TO the Turk and become part of
the Moslem possessions
To hope for cemency from Solyman
was to rely upon the mercy OF the
mercileSs, Couquering one Christian
army and stronghold after another. the
sultan's all powerful army threatened
to carry destruction aud Mohammed
anism throughout the continent. 1t
was one of fate's big movements.
On moved the Turks. Vienna tthen
capital of the German empire, stood
In their path. a seemingly frail obsta
Gle between such host and the rest
Of Europe. Should Vienna fall before
the Moslem onset the progress Of the
sultan's army would be made far easier
and other lesser cities would lose heart.
The inhabitants of Vienna were AT
that time more renowned for culture
and thrift than for warfare. Yet un
der Nicholas Won Saim they CALAMITY
proposed to defend their city against
the foe and to fight to the last gasp for
their imperiled homes. The Tusk,;
drew near. destroying vienua's ub-
nrbs, and encamped close to the town
itself
1t was on Sept. 81, 1929. that the
enormous Turkish host laid siege to
Vienna. Solyman conducting the affuir
In person. Before risking useless loss
Of life In general assault the sultan
tried to make an entrance into the cit
by means OF tunnels. His soldiers
were set to work with PICK ana spade
to dig secret underground way into
Vienna by which body of men might |
later pour into the place ana thus !!
catch the defenders between two |
fires"
The cleverness of the Turkish engi |
neers and the countless workers at |
their command made the task u swift |
one. Here 1t was that an ''if' inter |
vened to save the threatened capital |
and perhaps Europe as well
Some Vienna bakers were at work |
one night-so the story runs--in Gel,
lar. making bread for the garrison
During pause in their conversation |
one of the bakers happened 10 hear the |
muit1ed sound OF digging. Ii seemed |
10 come from spot not far beyond |
one OF the cellar walls. Guessing at
once that the enemy was tuuneling
way into the city. the bakers rushed
out and gave the alarm The garri
ION. aroused. was able TO battle Soly- !,
mans plan
The sultan. failing at strategy. next
.ried force He hurled bis army
against the city in one fierce assault
litter another The Viennese fought
ike heroes, Each attack was repulSed
With terrific loss TO the Turks. For
our entire days the Mosiems assailei
he city. fresh detachments ever tax
ng the places Of those who reeied back
defeated. On the fifth day OF the as
anlt. Oct. IA. Solyman gave up the
ttempt to crush Vienna He with
rev sulienly from the scene of bis de.
eat, leaving 5000 dead Turks on the
eld. The price OF conquest was for
nee too high for him.
Vienna was saved. and not only Vi
ma, but Europe Vienna had been
turope's barrier against the Turks
arther advance, and the barrier held
rm. The northern limit of Europe's
turkish raids was reached
Once more, In later years. Vienna
vas besieged by the M0slems. and she
gain beat them off The high tide
t such invasion had come and reced
O, Europe ut large was now forever
ecure from this long dreaded foe.
In the moment Of victory. according
. the account, the bakers who had
!ven the alarm were not forgotten.
% commemorate the event they and
heir descendants thenceforth nodded
heir rolls into the shape or a crescent
he sacred emblem Of Turkey, The
ustom prevails to this day
Few Americans who are used to see-
~ crescent shaped Vienna rolls have
ny Idea how such rolls first came TO
g thus twisted nor what great deed
le crescent form commentaries Chi.
ago inter Ocean.
The most sublime psalm that can be
card on this earth IN the liHping Of a
trln N Gnut from fha linz, ne chftdhnoa