Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 286, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 December 1914 — BOILING WATER AS WEAPON [ARTICLE]

BOILING WATER AS WEAPON

Parallel for Aot of Heroic. Woman Pound In Slago of Naaur by the Tartars. The heroic acts of the Belgian women who defended their homes against the German invaders, resorting to boiling water when their ammunition gave out, has a historical parallel which wIU no doubt be of interest at the present time, says the Outlook. In this case the defenders were Cossack women and the scene of the encounter a small town not far from the Sea of Azov. In 1774, during the first Turkish war, the town of Naaur waa being besieged by 9,000 Tartars —a large army In those days. All the men of the town had left for the war, which was proceeding "at some distance, and the town remained undefended save for a. handful of soldiers. It had, however, the advantage of being surrounded by a wall, and was well supplied with ammunition. The enemy imagined that they would only have to overcoma a very few soldiers and the town would be theirs. Instead, to their amazement, they had to face an army 6t women, young and ‘old, arrayed in their best red sarafans, fully armed and eager to fight. And these women not only defended the walls of their town, but they sallied out and fought valiantly in hand-to-hand skirmishes. They also tended enormous fires and heated pitch and boiling water to pour on the heads of the ene mles when they approached the walls of the town. The story goes that not only did they pour water and pitch on the foe, but the broth that was cooking for dinner went the same "Pay. That was the first experience the Cossdck women had jof “active service.” Later it became a tradition and a custom that in battles the women should take their share of actual fighting. And during the continual raids and battles which occurred they became expert soldiers, standing side by side with old warriors and often helping with less usual weapons, such as scythes and pitchforks. The Cossack woman of today has retained, her traditions, and she Is not only Independent and generally efficient, but she is also often an excellent Bhot. ani) la quite capable of defending her village if necessary as fiercely as her ancestress. •;