New-York tribune., 1919-03-22

time. But what Antwerp suffered then
was mild compared to the horrors of
the Spanish Fury in 1876, when that
latter day Nero. the Duke of Alva, and
his Council or Blood began reign of
terror which savagery scarcely could
surpass. Tying wealthy citizens to
horses tails, he would drag them miles
to trial
"Antwerp suffered grevously from
this debauch of hangings, quarterings,
beheadings and butcheries In three
children were slain, burned or
drowned; hundreds Of the fine marble
homes destroyed, and the equivalent of
millions of dollars worth of property
wrecked.
1T was seven years later that the
doughty citizens of Antwerp made
short shrift of the Duke of Aniou's
plotting against Flemish liberty. When
the Duke and his men overcame the
Flemish guard Of a drawbridge, and
5000 of the Dukes troops rushed in to
take the city workmen fought furiously
with their tools, bakers cracked soldier
pates with their oven shovels, and
citizens grabbed arquebuses and
chewed coins into shape to load them.
''Not so successful was their re-
slstance of the resourceful and patient
Prince of Parma, whose prolonged
siege included the reduction of the
Scheldt to half its width at one point
by two great piers. Guns were mounted
on the fortified end of each pier, then
the ends were connected by sort of
pontoon bridge. about a third of a
mile long. Finally a canal was cut in
order to get munitions and supplies
from Ghent.
antwerp citizens waited in vain for
floods and winter weather, ice and
storms to demolish this barrier. Mean
while they worked out counter en-
gineering project of equal ingenuity
One night, suddenly turned brighter
than day, the waters of the Scheldt
seemed to catch fire as if a vast river
of oil had been ignited. Parma and his
army discerned three masses of flame
bearing down on their mid-river forts
and bridge
One of the floating fire ships struck
the bridge. The massive timbers crum-
pied like paper. Cannon. men and ma
cnilnery were mingled in air. MANY
oi1lcers and 500 soldiers either were
death "eo ~
Even this mighty effort did not dis
lodge the patient Prince of Parma.
49, t'N'iS' al lti fourteen months.
the gallant city surrendered.
>. antwerp sustained other blows than
llghting. Heaviest of all was that when
the treaty of Minister, in 164s. closed
the Scheldt to navigation.
one other siege of Antwerp was AS
interesting in its circumstances. if not
IN incident, as that of the Prince of
farma. Antwerp in 1882 as in 1914.
had the usual unfortunate experience
OF the innocent bystander.
with all the formalities that might
mark a friendly boxing boat. an army
from France, which was not at war with
Holland, politely set about dislodging
from Antwerp's citadel Dutch garri-
son of 5000 men commanded by Cen
eral Chassc. Two years earlier, in
London. the powers, including Prussia,
recognized Belgium's freedom, and
signed what one of them, Prussia.
later was to term "a scrap of paper
guaranteeing Belgium's neutrality.
"These are but high lights in the
cventful history of Antwerp which
might, without irrevercnce, be called
the city of sorrows She had seen
almost as many tragedies, played in as
many keys, as there are bells in her
majestic cathedral tower"