The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-09-07
9Tho Frsnoo-Pr,asisaian : I, war.

The EEAaUERsD CIr1Fs T HE Bu1wARK
OF THE ;NoRTH-A VIRGIN CRY. In etz ia
acity Of 5000 inhabitants, on the Mo-
selle-which divides at this point into
three streams-the city being built for
the most part on two Of the islands thus
formed. Metz is fortress of the first
rank. The Notifications were developed
and improved by Vauban. In 1915
models we're taken of all the French
fortresses which have been ever since
preserved in the military archives of
Berlin. Since that time. however, great
changes have been made in the works.
The principal points are the citadel on
the South. the, great fort of Belle Croix
on the East, and the fort of the Moselle
on the West, near the river. An en-
trenched camp completes this part of the
defences. Between this camp and the
citadel are found various small forts and
redoubts-for example, the Eedoubt of
the Pate, the Fort Isors, and others.
Ihe outer works from tho North to the
South and from the East to the West
have IN direct line medium length of
one-third of league, and the Grcum-
ference of the fortified works mhy be
estimated ut league and q half to1 two
leagues. The heights on the left side of
the valley (Mount ST. Quentin is 1,aO7S
teet) exceed the otherby 800 feet. A Alea&u
and half West of Metz, behind MoInt
81. Quentin, are two advanced FORKS,
which bear tho two significant name$,
possibly CT bad augury, of Moscow ann
Leipsic. The Eastern railroad fro al
Paris enters the fortress on the South
side and issues from it OH the othcrf side
Tor Saarbrucken, while branch 1]ine
from Thionville-L e-Luxemburg enters the
city by great permanent bridge over the
Moselle to the South ur .,.o 3city;
this point is within gun-shot of the
Notifications. The important raj iNroad
from Metz to Chalons, which pS,sses
through st. Menehould and VerdunI, had
not been completed at the outbreak of
the war. The city has many beautiful
residences, among them a Gothic }cathc-
dral, with tower 345 feet highJ The
arsenal of the engineers and they general
arsenal contain enormous war; material.
The water supply regularly Furnished to
the city from the river is Wnfailing. It
has always been the boastt of Metz that
she has never been under foreign domi-
I1 1si the ena evsa aw as no
permitted to enter her gates; on this ac-
count her distinctive application was
Metz 10 Pacelle6 the maiden city, whose
charms and glory had never been rihed
by the rude TOUCH of the foreigner.
The BU1w4RK OF THE EAsr.-Stras-
burg, the c4pital of A!sace, contains
about S9,00O} inhabitants, besides the
garrison. 1t lis situated on the little
river Ill, which flows almost parallel
with the RhiIte for some distance before
it falls into the larger river. The strip
OF land between the III and the Rhine is
about q miFe and half wide. The city
abounds ins the rarest antiquities of mid.
dle.aged architecture, and its great CO.
thedral is bne Of the glories of Europe
and neveF-ending wonder to the lover
GUS other' treasures of art and taste in
the city. an monuments and memorials, in
rare old buildings and in collections of
art and literature. The destruction of
these by fhe bombardment would be an
irreparable le loss to tue whole world, and
yet it is to be feared that in the raynges
OF wars stern necessities there can be no
Discrimination The fortifcations are
extensive aind powerful, and the slow
progress OF the siege and the need of q
bombardment are q testimony either to
their strength or the comparative weak.
ness Of the Attacking force. The for
tifcations consist of wet ditch and a
Fashioned encAente, strengthened at all
assallaple pOlnHS by extra OutWOrks. The
North and South points are the most i'm
portant, but yet the weakest portions of
the lines. The citadel is a large and i'm
posing work with five smaller bastions,
which over-top tho wall parnpet OF the
city ramparts. These Notifications are
of the old style, and the railroad passes
under their guns. Ehe Franco-German
Railroad. by the way OF Kehl, into Ba-
den and Wirtemburg,! led over very
fine bridge-bnt the tete Ie pont on the
German side was blown up at the outset
of the war, with the intention of pre-
venting the passage of the French army.
The city is plentifulIy supplied with am
munition. Whether it is as well found
in men is uncertain; but the temper of
the inhabitants is heroic, and Urich
Oassaign, the commandant, is reported
to have sternly repelled all proposals for
surrender. Alsace is one of the most
prosperous and enterprising manufac-
turing provinces of France. The great
city of Mulhause, the French Manches-
ter, is in Alsace.
The French army abounds in miracu-
lous stories. At Worth, some Turcos