The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-11-23
THEATRE OF. WAR.

THEATRE OEsMAR,
The journal ,Iey Debals gives an intenstng
drscrip,i.rs Of iAr pa. bable Ihcaier Of the inn
pending war, aud the fortrrssrs which defend
The Turkish bank Of the Danube. The line Of
yhas liver from u, sova to the Black sea has a
length IL mere than 300 leagues. Eighteen
init.t, posts defend the passage Of the river
IN the right, " Turkish blnk. They are Or-o-
va, Betsl- Palanka, FoTcntine, Widdin. Arzai,
l.om, br,ni- Palanka, isallova, N,kopoli, SIS
tow, tuis-huk, Turtudai, Silis ria, Ras- ova,
IIirchova, Matschinn, lsa,cbi, and T"uI,cha. -
The mast important Of these are Wid'Iin, Rus
chuk, listria, Matscliinn, l<atchi, and Toulcha,
moi being great farrpssrs, but because they
observe The mouth VI the Danube. The Turks
have no forresscs the lctl bank. Formerly,
when the Russians have crossed the Danube,
they have encountered none hut tie natural OBJ
STACKS Of the passage-,he Tuik never h,vins
been able To oppose them on its banks; but al
the present moment, powerful army is prepa-
ed 10 dispute with them the passage. In Time
fwar, the Russians keep ON the Danube flp-
lila Of cunboats and small vessels, constructed
expressly for the purpose, carrying guns 81 grea,
calbre. The Turks have also ioulIlas oi arInt d
barqncs, which have their stations in the ports
Of the river under The guns Of their fortresses,
which are ctnployedto provision them, and To-
OF The river between Wallacha and Bulgaria,
divides iis,lf naturally into three rcginas-ti,r
UpI cr Danube from Orsova to WiGdin; the
Middle Danube from Widdin 10 Rutschuk and
Sstria; aud the Lower Danube from the latter
town 10 the sea. AT Orsova, the channel Ollie
Danube widcns considerably. Here the fore
trcss Of Orsova rises from an island. II is a
rectanglc, Hankcd by four bastons, Ia Vau
ban, constructed in the seventtentll century.
Five leagues below, opposite the WalIacliaa
town Of rcicrne,z, are the ruins Of Trajan's
bridge. The river here attains the width Of a
quarter Of league. Lower down afe rapids,
which, without into rceping navigation, render
it difficult. The first important fortress which
we meet is Waddin, with population of2l5'00
Ii has been the form OF semicircle, with the
Danube for the diameter. 1t is an irregular and
prolonged pcn.agon, with an enciente hankrd
with radans, and counter Aankcd by five bas-
tions of tolerably good construction. 1t has new
er been occupied by Tie Russians, who have
MOI been accustomed to employ great military
fbrces on the Upper Danube. Nkopoh, com
hercial town, was ruined and entirely destroy
I'd by the Russians in 1911 Ii has now from
10000 t, 2,O0O inliabilants. II is "a point IL
passage which it behooves the Turks well to
guard. Thus the eneiente Of N,koPoli has been
reins ated, and Omcr Pacha at this moment is
constructing new works there.
The right bank Of The Danub. is for The most
part higher than the left, which gives the Turks
a certain advantage; buta there are Z intervals
where the valley enlarges snd where the pas.
sage is not rendered difficult by the confgura-
ton Of the soil. AT all these intervals fortress
es have been raised, most of which are Of me-
diocre construction, but are sufficient to oppose
a first resistance, and to serve as point d aP
pun, to a body OF troops to obstruct the pas
sage. or to manHuvre on the rear of the enemy,
should the passage be accomplished BY a snpe
rior force. 1t 10 ona point Of this character
that in descending the Danube we ind the
town OF Sistow, with population OF 1900 IN
habitants, aud an cnclemte Hanked with tow
ers This town was destroyed by the Russians
in 1911, but has been rebuilt and the foriifica-
tians carefully reconstructed on more modern
plan, and augmented with several outw orks.-
tits one OF the strongest places on the line of
the Danube. Giourjewo, which once covered
j. on the LETT bank, has been lost to Turkey as
fertilization, there is an island in front Of it
where some new works have beer raised. Tar-s
iukai, having opposite toit the Wallacl,;as vii I
lagc Of Olteni.xl, is point Of passage which
the Russians have several times seized, and be-
fore which they have at this moment namc.-
Gus cantonment. The town, which has 1000
inhabitants, is closed with an escscstc like all
the small towns Of Turkey. l's military i'm
portance is cons dcrable, fos the ground presents
no obstacle 10 the establishment of bridges Of
boats, and the town occupies the head of route
which leads into the interior Of Bulgaria by
Rasgrad. Omer Pacha has carefully fortified
Turlukai with the aid Of European engineers,
who are now tolerably numerous in the Turkish
army. Silistria is one Of the best Notifications
on the Danube. Notwithstanding imperE ctions
which no longer exist, the Russians had great
difficulty in obtaining possession Of it in 1899.
General Diebitsch, although master of Varna,
dared not undertake the march to Adriano
pie before having taken Silistra; a circumstance
which strongly demonstrates the utility to Tur-
key Of the iortresses on the line of the Danube;
they have always held the Russians in check
for twelve or fourteen months. We may re-
mark, en- passGmt, that fortresses have never
hindered an army from crossing river. The
Rhine has been crossed whenever it has been
found necessary, notwithstanding that it was
defended by fortresses stronger than those Of the
river Danube. In each Of their wars on the latter
the Russians have been able to cross easily; but
with warlikc people like the Turks, all Of
whom are accustomed to bear arms, il is dan
gerous 10 penetrate far into the country having
fortified towns in tn, rear. 1t was on this &C :
count that the Russians in 1928 were obliged
to lay siege to three places before they could
carry their operations further into the coun
try.
But 10 return 10 the Lower Danube; its breadth
augments and its rapidity diminishes, but il
preserves a speed Of league an hour. Some
leagues from Sillistria the river makes great
bend towards the North as far AS Galatz, where
it resumes its easerly direction. until it discharg-
rs again into the Black Sen. Leaving Silistria,
the first town which we meet is the town Of
Rossova, where the passage Of the river is inn
practical on account Of the marshes on the left
bank, which are fed by the waters Of the Berts-
cha II is twelve leagues from Rossova TO the
port of Kustendje, fortified town. Further
on we find the small fortress of Hirsova, under
The guns of which, in time Of peace, there is a
bridge Of boats. From this point TO the mouths
Of the Danube vast low and marshy plain ex-
tends, having in it numerous lakes. The CON-
munication between the towns aud villages is
kept up by means Of some very bad roads. but
the country IL fertile.
The forts Of Matchinn, lsatchi and Toultcha,
near The mouth Of the Danube, are rather posts
Of observation than fortified places. They
serve to keep watch over the opposite bank, to
protect the Turkish Aotilles-and, in case OF
need, TO ERE on the Russian vessels.
Many persons appear 10 expect every morn
ing news of the passage of the Danube 6y the
Russians or the Turks, but the whole Of the
Danubian country. is imprac,cable during the
winter, and must be during the present autumn
II the season is a. wet there as il has been in
Central Europe The alluvial soil is easily
broken up by the rains. The roads and routes,
not being well kept up, are, in bad weather,
nothing but mud. All transports of commerce
by land, which in the dry season are very ac-
tive between Varna and Rutschuck, abs ,lu,ely
cease. Then, an army can no more vancouver
in the couatry, through the impossibilty Of car.
rying with it its artillery and necessary baggage
The irregular cavalry Of the Turks and The
Cossacks Of the Russians are the only troops
which can then keep the field. In the proceed.