The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-07-19
The Defences Of France and Prussia.
The French Rhine FortifiCations.

The DeGences Of France and Prussia.
The French Rhine FortifiCations.
Prominent among the French towns on
the west bank Of the Rhine Is Strasbourg,
containing 5000 inhabitants, chiefly Of
German descent. The fortress has been
lately strengthened, and the numerous
outworks and, detached forts, including
the citadel, render It q place Of great
strength. A bridge here crosses the Rhine,
which is strongly fortified on tho French
side. Though partially upon the Rhine,
the town lies chiefly upon the river III,
which Is also bridged.
Further up the III are Colmar and
SchlcttStadt, both strongly fortified and
securing important communications.
Non Brclsach Is on the Rhone Canal, a
mile west 81 the Rhine. Z" It has strong
towers, and Fort Mortier, nearer that
river, is also q strong tOrihcation. (.
Metz, on the river Moselle, is the most
strategic point In the eastern part Of
France, and has most powerful fortress,
which is yet uncomplcted. The city con.
tains 10000 Inhabitants, and garrison OF
10,OO0 mGfi: LA strong wall with bastiOnS
surrounds 1t, and the Qualifications at large
arc constructed with d due allowance iOH
the force Of modern pr0)ectiles. They
stand on four commanding sites. The
river Seille meeta tue MOselle Ut this point,
and, in cNse Of siege, the water OF both
streams Gun be raised sufficiently to inun:.
date the low ground to the south and
southwest Of the town.
MOnlmetly, VerdGn, and Longwy, on
the Rhine, IRE all strongly fortified and
near to Metz, on the MOselle is Thionvillc
withiptE1few miles Of ,the, Prussian ,lron,
tlEH ] gh9 glveEfs braged at tliS point,
and the fortiticati0ns Nre strong. The
AIOselIe furnishes the most direct line Of
operations between FrAncel and Prussia,
anda struggle will in every probability
taHS hlAee i6fits Aevs&aE stbonghol oldsssi N I
"f1fe WcissGhburg the MA chdfn Or
light works running from the left bank Of
tic Rhine fifteen miles along the Eiutcr,
in tue neighborh0od. of Basle. The line
was Abandoned 1867, but the works
were not rlzed. u. s..-,,,.,,
The Vosges Mountains run parallel
with the Rhine, and form an additional
barrier for Tho French frontier They
average 1000 feet high and are tWpnty-
five miles wide. All their practicable
passes are fortified. The most northern
Of these Is the fortress Of Bitscll, which in
1908 and 1915 witIlstOod two PruSsian
attempts. Tbs GeRtEAlI 99t passage { Of t9s 14G
Vosges Is by way Of Scvcrnc, and Is held
by the tort NJ PGtlzbourg supported by
StrasbOurg at short distance. Between
Laverne and Bellort there arc but two
practicable passes, that by the way Of, st.
Die and that OF Remictnoht. These are
well guarded blythe tortresses on the
neighboring plains and by Beltort . The
latter il the centre ofthe opening, between
the Jura and XoSges mountains, and being
in the direct line between Basle and Par
isf is an important junction for land COM
munications. It has been much strength
ened Of late. e e gu" '''
4 N. T1Ia' FoRTREssEs OF PRUSSIA.
Prussia conscious e iot the Jealousy 9 with
which France has viewed her progress,
and anticipating a warShas'for some time
paid the greatest attention to the fortifca-
tons of the cities on tho Rhine, and on
the &lueSeA She has onthc latter the
fortified gp6Iis Aofa Tilhslhshafeni Kiel,
Dantzic. sundeyitt and Alsen. The I,ly last
named Is perhaps next to Ehrenbrlestcin,
the strongest position whieiY Prussia has,
The forts and batteries of HGrup Haaf,
at Alsen,, d arc rt' 'PIrodigious. These works
comprfBel jthtce star.shaped forts, with
double, tiers Of guns, and fine coast bat
teIls 4mmhadingS ths passage; bf Ithc
Little belt. IAll these are faced With
chilled iron, from the Krupp Iron Works
Of Essen, and armed with the heaviest
ordnance, They. command the Straits,
apd alsoir e4hal pE Alsensqt9d A!sg
and is communication with the port,
and with, the fortified camp Of Sender
berg Oh tho same island, Doppel, the
scene Of the conhiGEwlth the Danes in
1854, iselose toHSo1def efbeFg and bqtllare
galfisoIl led By the Ninth Oprps d. 4rWee.
6Ie4ih iR gafhsdned by GOops front the
Second Corps, and Is governed by Lieut.
rDsntsic Is 81 gar.r.isoonncd from tic First
Corps, and+is commanded by Gen. Won
prGTrkHp 'ntG q. s'!riiA lHiyp ~ 'l 10
y. .sralsund and swinemunde are 10th
small cities, Of more historical than real
iTiOOftanthY q :GAea-l VI 4 a. 'nts+'H ~
"a Kiei, which ID Oh tic mainland of the
province Of ScGleswig, Is most strongly
fortified, Is heavily garTisoned with troops
non the Ninth Corps and IS commanded
by Gen. Won RlatS, aniartillery officer soI
great skill and experience. t,6p 'ryHr
Memel has only 8 small garrison. \"
Konigsberg Ii, a very, important city,
and has large garrison. z 1t Is under the
comnland Of Gen; Von Herwartl. ,cr q the
OF the iortresses on the Rhine and its
vicinity the most important arc MayenCe,
.RalPetadts RIfAlFeHBFFealt3sE IflF t4pa Col9gRe'
esaS was StorBRStty aatity2 Ii Fths Germa2i Cdn-
federation; ithas sold z0llVeTih, andi Was
garrisonCd by Austrian and Prussian
Iroopsa NSI'eGiliarly dapg9t6Gs position,
being on the lett part Of thQ, Rhine and
Lgrealy y!G6vGtedI by y4he G46dGB led to It's
se,ef Ssss893 a RS8E dnas By
5000 men, but after the decisive defeat
tof !Atstfia In the la6a 'c66tGst, n WAS
! SgreedibE the treaty pG Rg9Sne$ tAst its
i0rtifcations' should bo dismantle1 and
1iB garrison %tthdfawno TliigStpdfa6on
was insisted on by.AusFia, but the, Prtls-
SLAMS have never carried E6aB Ehetcondl-
tions, and Mayeneetis al this mopent one
offhe Sfong6Sk cities ID 4hs void! The
fpurliueb OF work. I9ro tgpeatl stlCngth:
cncd bY o1tworks and detaelied forts and