New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-07-12

rendered this line between the Rhine and danube, far
ess important for military than when Wartenseben,
and Jourdan and Napoleon l. operated On it. The Main,
however is always likely TO play some little part in any
great struggle the Rhine It's lower course commun
cats directly between the fortress at Mayence and the
GREAT railroad center at Frankfort sixty miles frtner
mn II passes the fortified old town Of Wirzburg with IT'S
dTecton And from the head Of navigation at Bamberg
railroad follows the upper Main northward via Hoi 70
Atenburg and Leipzig and good carriage roads eau W
Schleitz, or to COburg and Rudolstadt
The Notifications Of MANNHEIM were destroyed during
the Conference of Rastad in 99 and have never been
rebuilt The Neckar, which is navigable as far as
Hebron and empes here into the Rhine the railroad
which crosses Rhine here and the various carriage
roads and bridges which lead to the city make Mannheim
Mace of considerable strategic Importance. The good
marching roads from here to Darmstadt northward,
through the Odenwald and 10 wrzburg eastward make
this favorable crossing point for turning the position
at Mayence very important road runs from Mannheim
almost direct to Metz, by way Of Turkheim Kasersau-
tern and saarbrck Another road, branching from THIS
one at Kaiserslauern and running northward passes
inst east of DOnnersberg and through TO Mayence Inc
road from Metz to arreguemines and Zweibrcken runs
thence through the Haardt Mountains to Landau and
Germersheim.
LANDAU occupies advantageous position In this Inn
portant highway just the edge Of the great plain
OF the middle Rhine, to be what 1t has been called In
French history Le Boulevard de PAlsace" Yet 1t Is
but an sarred fortress by the frequency OF
its siege and capture. During the Thirty Years War 1t
ban fortified it securely by building casemated wall
supported by earth bastons His work has since been
often tested and though Its power Of resistance was
attering to the engineer has nevertheless been I'M
20 'e beS ont against the imperial army days
at the end Of which time 1t capuated but was given up
spire Germany fegainod It II isis. r,I..
The broad fsre plains either side Of the Rhine
from HEIDELBERG to NEusrADT, and from the Black
Forest tho vosges Mountains are the special oate
ground OF the Rhine and have been the eater OF more
horrors than civilized countries often obliged to wit
ness The very names of lilly, Ttrenne, Melae, ana
Louis XIV are e1ecrated by the inhabitants Of the Old
Paatnate because associated with the memory OF Dn
ing cities and butchered families
Neither the Quech any other except the ILL., OF the
tributaries Of the Rhine between Basic and Mannheim Is
nayeabe for steamers Yet there two forts ON the
oueich-Iandau and GERNERsHEM. The latter Is al iu
confluence with the Rhine and the last German TORT
ress we shall find lying the river az we ascend dere
Is also well defended pontoonbridge, whch ls all she
more important for being the only one which Is forned
between Mayence and Kehl Germershelm IL nclosed
by very irregular work. which Is itself neosed in
semcirce OF small forts resting on the river above ana
below the town. The island Elsabethworth Is also ford-
fed strong bridgehead, on the rght Dank OK the
river supported by two large forts, WIN deep moets
filed with water the bridge quite as much as is
temporary character seems TO merit Inc iorthcatons
here were strengthened and enlarged In 1885, at cost OF
\, 900 600 forms This outlay Ia more than justified,
when we consider not only the Importance of secure
ross,ng I'm tins vicinity also the necessity OF guard
inc the easv communication with the interior opposite
this nont and the railroad junction at Bruchsal. L..
AT weissenburg the French frontier descends from the
mountains into the beautiful and fertile plain OF Asace
folowino the River Lauter the Rhine, which France
enjoys for her eastern boundary from the Lauerburg TO
Rasle The Weissenburg Line was built under the d.
recton of Marshal vlars during the war OF the Spanish
snccession and consisted OF chain OF light works
ming from the left bank of the Rhine along the Lauter
nearly IS miles eissenbnrg itself being surrounded
Nth wallis and towers-while above IL stood the majestic
Ty@hSssjansd "BurEcstupg" ThAs whole Ina was