Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1859-05-25

Sandman army had taken up its position,
TO await the succor of their French allies,
and the attack by the Austrans. We
now propose to point out the principal
lines OF communication between Austria
proper and her possessions In Italy, aud
the fortrossos which constitute her milis
tary strength there.
Until Napolean Ill. succeeded in cons
trolling the Cabinet NJ Turin, the iniu,
cncc of Austria prevailed there, and from
1915 to quite recent date all the strate-
gical works of Sardinia were directed
against the contingency Of French in,
yasion of Italy. The Alpine routes be,N
tween Switzerland and Sardinia were not
only not improved, but purposely ncglec-
ed,-no repairs were undertaken, so that
portions Of some of them had become i'm.
practicable, while on the Piedmont side
of the Alps, the forts of Fcnestrelles, vi
nadio, EXille3 and others, were erected TO
guard and protect the dedles of the Mont
Gents and Mont Gencvrc routes and the
coast-ine. These forts were intended to
prevent n surprise or impede any invasion
10y the French, and to enable the Sardin-
ans to intercept their march, and cut mp
their corps as they disgorged from the de
files. But under the present circumstan-
ces Of the French and Sandman alliance,
they have, Of course, no stratagetical i'm
portance, They are significant only in so
far as they show the traditional efforts of
Austria to transfer the scene Of conflict
with France as far as possible from her
own Italian territories. In pursuance of
this same policy she has assumed the Of
fensiye, crossed the Ticino, and though
this movement must he regarded under
the present altered relations as merely
preliminary to the real campaign, it is
nevertheless possible and probable that
grand battle will be fought on Sandman
soil which, if lost by the Austrians, would
be the signal of their retreat to the plains
of Lombardy, where the decisive encoun-
rer must take place.
In Lombardy and the province of We
nice, the position of the Austrians is very
stong. In the rear it is covered by the
Alps of Tyrol, an ancient Austrian prov
ince, while in the South it is protected by
the river Pc, which is broad and difficult
for armies to pass. In the heart of these
territories is grand quadrangle of for
tresses, comprising Verona, Tcschiera on
the Lac di Garda, Mantua, Venice, etc,
with the iortresses of Milan and Pavia
forming, as it were, mighty advanced
works upon the extreme western wing of
this position, while South of the Po, Boz
logna guards the approaches to that river.
Bologna is connected by railroad with
Verona and the central group of fortresses. |
Any flank marches which the French may
from Spczzia, one of their
ports of dcbarkation or from the South !
generally, it is probably in the plan Of the
Austrians TO intercept from Bologna
These flank marches which would lead
through the passes and defles of the APP
pennies would not he without their great !
lisks ard danger.
The advance Of the allied French and
upon the central plains of Lom-
hardy from the west, is interrupted by
numerous rivers, such as the Ticiuo, the
AIDA, the Oglio and others, coming down !
from the Alps ard cowing in a southern !
direction into the Po, all Of which are
deep and broad enough to rendera passage
under resistance liable to perpleXities and
losses. Then, finally, there is the river
Addige, which also coming from the Alps
protects Verona and thestrong places east
of Verona, and winding in a semi-circle
around them, flows few miles north of
the embouchures OF the Pc, into the Adri- /.
attic. Austria calculating npon the inteIfe- /.
renee of England, collected many steamers
and crafts upon the rivers, which in that
case would have afforded excellent means ,
for provisioning the army, but as there is .
no immediate prospect Of the British OPP
posing any French operations in the Ad. /
riatic, these lines of communication, and .
the water communication between Trieste
and the mouth of the Po, must be regard. !
ed as lost to Austria. But there is an i'm
portant railroad from Vienna over Venice |
into Lombardy The line runs over the
one of the prominent points of
the Western Alps, Graetz, Mahrburg. Lay
bach, Trieste to Venice, and thence to .
Verona. THIS line, however, winding, as
it does, round the coast of the Adriatic, .
is liable to be destroyed by the French. |
who will, no doubt, lombard Venice and .
Ancona, to establish a position on the
northern coast Of the Adriatic. There is,
however, railroad branching off from
this line at Mahrburg. leading over Klage-
furt and Botzen to Verona which is not
exposed to such contingencies. But Aus
tria has, besides this, another line of COM
munication with the seat of war, which
she controls beyond all donger of inter-
ception. 1t is the old route from Vienna,
over Linz, Salzburg, lnsprucll, Botzen,
and Trente, through the mountain passes,
and deep gorges of the Tyrol, to Verona.
This is the historical route which the
German Kaysers travelled in olden times
with their armies, whenever their pres
encc was required in troublesome Italy. 4
Should the road over Venice be inter
cepted, the provisioning and reinforcing
of the army in Lombardy would have to
take place by the Tyrol route; which
route is covered with iron-tracll most of
the way, or is perhaps, by this time, com.
pleted rs a continuous railroad u
The fact that the French command
With their powerful navy the Adriatic, in
vests them with such enormous advanta,
,es for the offensive in Lombardy, that
strong as the position of Austria is, the
seems justified that unless
treat Britain interfere in her behalf, or