The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-09-10
Black Seas Shores the Scene of Many
 Sanguinary Conflicts


 The Black Sea, that land-locked ocean for which Russia has long sought an outlet to the Aegean, has since ancient times played great part in history. For thousands of years the tide of war has swept by it's shores, and there have been fought battles which rank among the most sanguinary ever recorded Now Great Britain, France and Italy are aiding their ally, Russia, in the at tempt to force the gateway to tn e Black Sea, which lies through the Dardane1les, the Sea of AMarmora and the Bosphorus. Only three-score years ago Turkey, Great, Britain and France were banded together as all lies, with Russia as their common foe, and the battles fought on the shores of the Black Sea stand-or did stand until the present war-as syn onyms, for ferceness in warfare.
 It was just 60 years ago today. on Sept g, 1855, that the British, French and Turkish allies entered SebastopoI after a siege winch had lasted nearly II months and which was characterized by many needs of desperate vaIor. In the war which mean Peninsula, on the northern shore of the Black Sea, the valor dis played by both sides at Inkernan and BaIak1ava-the scene of the immortal s.Charge of the Light Brigade e,'-7-was repeated at sSebastopo1 the Redan and Malakof. The assailants were successful on Sept 8, but were forced to retire, and in the night the Rus sians, after destroying the remnants of their fleet and a large part of the town, crossed to the northern forts. The triumphant allies entered Sebas- topoI on Sept. g, 1855, and this mark ed the beginning of the end of the war. x
 By tn treaty ending the Crimean war the Black Sea was opened to the commerce of all nations. but in 1871 the neutralization of the sea, was abr rogated by the powers, and Russia was hemmed in by the strong forti- hcations built by the Turks. At the close of the Crimean war Russia was debarred from foftifying her Black Sea ports or maintaining a navy on the sea, but she later cast off this restriction, and for 30 years the Car has had a considerable navy on his southern sea.
 The Sebastopo1 of today is an zirn- portant and prosperous city, well for tihed. but it is far ec1ipsed in conn mercial importance by Odessa, which has a population of nearly $50, ,000- Odessa is the great shipping port for Russian grain, but since the begin ming of the war it's great artificial harbor has been the abode of idle
 
 stored in the Odessa warehouses, which are built on the narrow belt of lowland between the bluffs and the shore, the city itself occupying a succession of cliffs which rise to a height of 200 feet.
 The Black Sea-cal1ed the Pontus Euxinus by the ancients-derives it's modern name from the color of it's water, which are bIue-b black. The bottom is covered with sulphur-im- pregnated black mud. In it's greater part the sea is very deep, ranging from $500 to $500 feet. The surface watev contains little salt
 It is a cosnop politan population which dwe1ls along the shores of the Black Sea The southern shore, stretching from Constantinople to Caucasia, is bold and high, and the Turk is supreme along it's entire length. The eastern and northern shores belong to Russia, while Rou- mania and Bulgaria front on the western shore. Every stage of hu- manity. from savagery to civilization, may be seen in a tour of the Black Sea.