Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-03-14
HOW BAKERS SAVED EUROPE.
Why Vienna Rolls Are Always Made u
the Form of a Crescent.

shaped like crescents? The story
forms one of the great Ifs" Of his
tory. Solyman, the magnificent, sui
tan of Turkey, planned to overrun
Europe even as he and his moslem
predecessors had seized the countries
of the orient. With a mighty army he
captured the fortified Island OF
Rhodes, invaded Hungary, annihila-.
ting the Magyar forces at Mohacs Tin
1920 and Staying the Hungarian
king.
SO successful was the first expedi-
ton that he planned a second and
more for-reaching raid in 1929. Nov
ing onward almost unchecked, and
carrying all before him, he captured
Buda and advanced against the city
Of Vienna.
All Europe stood aghast. Nothing
had been able to stem the wave OF
Moslem conquest. Men remembered
how one eastern land after another
had been seized by the Mohammedan
hordes and forced to adopt Moham-
mechanism as their religion. People
trembled for the fate Of Christendom.
1t seemed for a moment almost possi-
BILE that the whole eastern section OF
the European continent might fali
victim to the Turks and become part
of the Moslem possessions.
To hope for clemency from Soly-
n
the merciless. Conquering one
Christian army and stronghold after
another, the sultan's all powerful
army threatened to carry destruction
and Mohammedanism throughout the
continent 1t was one Of Fate's big
moments.
On moved the Turks. Vienna( then
capital of the German empire) STOOD
in their path, seemingly frail OBJ
s,acle between such a 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 Salm they gallantly
proposed to defend their city against
the foe, and to fight to the last gasp
for their imperilled homes. The
Turks drew near, destroying Vienna's
suburbs, and encamped close to the
town itself.
1t was on September 27, 1929, that
the enormous Turkish host laid siege
to Vienna, Solyman conducting the
affairs in person. Before risking use
less loss of life in general assault
the sultan tried to make an entrance
into the city by means Of tunnels. His
soldiers were set to work with pick
and spade to dig a secret underground
way into Vienna by which body OF
men might later pour into the place
and thus catch the defenders be
tween two fires"
The cleverness of the Turkish en-
gineers and the countless workers at
their command made the task swift
one. Here it was that an If inter-
vened to save the threatened capital
and perhaps Europe as we'll.
Some Vienna bakers were at work
one night $50 runs the story In a
cellar making bread for the garrison.
During a pause in their conversation
one Of the bakers happened to hear
the muffied sound Of digging. 1t SEEM
ed to come from a spot not far De-
yond one of the cellar walls
Guessing at once that the enemy
were tunneling a way into the city,
the bakers rushed out and gave the
alarm. The garrison, aroused. was
able to battle Solyman's plan.
The sultan, failing at strategy, next
tried force. He hurled his army
against the city In one fierce assault
after another. The Viennese fought
like heroes. Each attack was repuls-
ed with terrific loss to the Turks.
For four entire days the Moslems
assailed the city fresh detachments
ever taking the places Of those who
reeled back defeated. During the
four days, almost without a moment
for food or sleep. the defenders fought
off the charging horde. 1t seemed
well nigh impossible that so furious
an onset by SO vast an army could be
repelled by a comparatively small
garrison. But the defenders were
fighting for home and religion.
On the fifth day Of the assault (Oc-
tober 14) Solyman gave up the at
tempt to crush Vienna. He with
drew sullenly from the scene of his
defeat. leaving $4,000 dead Turks on
the field. The price of conquest was
for once too high for him.
vienna was saved. Anu nol oHiy
Vienna, but Europe. Vienna had been
Europe's barrier against the Turks
farther advance. And the barrier
held firm. The northern limit Of Eu-
ropes Turkish raids was reached.
Once more, in later years, Vienna was
besieged by the Moslems and she again
beat them off. The high tide Of such
invasion had come and receded. Eu-
rope at large was now forever secure
from this long dreaded foe.
In the moment of victory accord
ing to the account, the bakers had
given the alarm were not forgotten.
To commemorate the event, they and
their descendants henceforth nodded
their rolls into the shape Of a crescent
(the sacred emblem Of Turkey. The
custom prevails to this day.
Few Americans who are used to
seeing crescent-shaped Vienna rolls,
have any idea how such rolls first
came to be thus twisted, nor what
great deed the crescent form COM
memOrates-New York Evening
World.