Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1833-01-31
ANTMERR.


seventeen leagues from the sea, eight from
brussels, nine from Client, twenty-seven
rom Amsterdam, and seventy-one from
Farls. The more immediate object of in
terest, the citadel, is separated from the
town ny an esplanade, which varies from
eight to two hundred yards in breadth
The town dates its origin from the fourth
century, but the citadel by the Duke of AL
ga, IN 1868, for the purpose Of keeping the
turbulent Inhabitants Of Antwerp in awe.
ITS design is due to two celebrated engin-
Eeers, Preciotti and Corbealini; and il has
since served as model for the construc-
ton of other fortresses in various states of
Europe. / need not say that it is a place
ofgreat strength. II is defended external
ly by several bulwarks, two triangular bat
teries being situated to the landward, on
| the side opposite to the town, and three
other more considerable Notifications be-
ling placed on the promontory called the
Tete de Flandre, on the other side of the
river. To strengthen hilnselfon that side.
Gen. Chase has within these few days,
caused the dykes Of the Polder TO be cut,
and has thus inundated the whole district
from Burcht above Antwerp. 10 the Pope
de Tabec, below it. The French, it is
said, are to begin by taking Fort Burcht
Lacosta,) and the Zroyurecht redoubt
| (Vlantect Hoofel } on the left Bank Of the
! Scheldt, by storm, as until the batteries are
silenced, their operations against the cita-
del itself would be constantly liable to be
enfladed. When they have taken the
principal fort on the left bank, which bears
the general name Of the Tete de Flandres,
it will be stormed after which the citadel
itself may be made with comparative safety.
The principal outworks on the right
| bank are the Lunette de Red, which is
close to the river, and the Lunette St.
Laurel, which serves to protect the only
landward entrance into the citadel. Bee
tween the entrance and the Lunctte st.
Laurent passes the highway from Boon to
Antwerp, which terminates at the Porte
des Belgians, and this entrance is in its
4 turn defended by Fort Monticello, which
although close to the Lunette ST. Laurent,
is already in possession of the Belgians.-
The interior of the citadel is a regular pen-
tagon, surrounded by nine bastions ofiune-
quail dimensions. These bastions are ter
raced, mined and countermincd, and are
defended by bitches Of great depth and
Wilderness. In the interior ofthe pentagon
there arc a number of buildings for the
accommodation Of the garrison. A par1
of them are bomb-proof; and into this par'
the whole of the troops have within these
few days retired. Their movements car
easily be seen from the tower ofthe cathe'
4 dral. 4.4Oo men are, lshslicSe,3a all that i
necessary for the service Of the guns Of tn
citadel and its dependencies and to thi
number believe that the garrison has late
j ly been reduced, for the purpose Of at once
/ diminishing the casualties Of the siege ant
economising the store Of provisions. TIL.
1 citadel possesses also fifteen wells, pl0c.
d'0rmes, and Protestant Church, from
which the surrounding country can be seen
! The population of the town of Antwerp
exceeds, or ! should rather say a few days
ago exceeded $4,000 souls. In the day,
Of its glory, in the 10th century, it's said
to have contained 200. 900 inhabitants, and
it was then probably the greatest commcr-
cial city in the world. When the waters
Of the Scheldt are at the lawest, the depth
of the river up to Antwerp is never less
than 20 feet, so that vessels Of very great
/ burden can at all times approach the town
The maximum depth Is above 40 feet.
II was one of the gigantic schemes Of
1 Napoleon, after he had annexed the Belgi.
an provinces to the French Union, to con-
vert Antwerp into great naval empori.
um for warlike as well as commercial pur.
poses. The better to impress the belize
on the public mind, that this magnifcen,
design proceeded direct from himself, he
made public progress TO Antwerp in the
summer Of lSO4, and soon afterwards caus-
ed the first stone of navy yard, of which
there is no longer yesfige remaining, to be
(laid with great solemniiy by AMalenet, the
maritime project, Of what was then the de-
partment of Antwerp. In the yard there
was 10 have been space for laying dowr
nineteen ships Of the line !: the buildings
of the old abbey Of ST. Michaels. having
been destined for the administrative de-
par.ment. On the port, however, in point
Of fact very large sums were appended
the wet dock alone having costupwards o.
Ithirteen millions Of francs. The fortified.
lions created for their defence, formed one
i of the chief objects Of attack ID the Brit
lish expedition to the Scheldt Ia 1910.
Opposite to the Tete d'Flanders, the
Scheldt is about 700 yards across. Al this
point it was proposed. in the time Of Ma
lpoIeoD, to throw bridge across, but SORT
IL z. III sst.oe has 1890. h..x... -