New-York tribune., 1870-08-25
WAR MISCELLANY.
METZ AND IT'S FORTIrICATIONs.

Metz, which occupies so prominent place In
the war; the center OF the permanent defense
OF France between the Meuse and the Rhine and s after
strasbog the strongest fortcation In France Its po
son of the best that eatstrOnghodcan occupy
at the junction OF fortress placed on river
where main communications cross not only fulfils the
condition of security, but commands both banks,
that attempts to pass 1t. II is also more difi.
cnlt to invest, on account OF the necessity OF
IT, Metz Is washed by the M0see the west the river
making bend and then trayersing the town, where
IL crossed by IS bridges The Seile enters the place on
the south, divergng into two branches, one or which
flows between the ramparts, while the other runs
important element in the defense OF the fortress by
closing the sluices OF the See the waters may be raised
tent There are nine gates to the town. and "a many
drawbridges The eneente was planned by VauDan, ana
continued by Marshal Beleisle The chief works IN a
vance OF the enceinte the Double Crown works OF
Mosee and St n I BY &C
his chef dguue Cormontagne resided at rtia. dniGa
cations in this part of France Improving upon aNnn VAN
bans system he carried the salient p1h' 90 ol consrncted
opposite the curtain. in front OF the
further out by this construction elton II OecSf aton pntiI1e
had got OF the two collateral ravs, % 1 these
count OF the fire which might be directed IRON t1s %
upon his approaches between them ana 80 o The
necessary for conducting siege was tioe ditch
aI1ed with water There is also considerable redoupt,
called lie Pate, SO contriysd maj aa,,ory HOSPITAL
converted into an lsIanu. llc n4in"S uT,o 40
is adapted to receive 1900 patients The osnsd aeI
fenses OF Metz, however. are noo cVinita ill.,
20 fhe fortress Metz has forts about 1t which make
IL great irtrenched camp. on the rumors OF var M % M
inero,s ard important works were eoInmeneeo Oh an
sides OF Metz When you have cleared the nuIaDeres -
gates portculisses and bridges you arrive at one W
fhree intrenched camps in process OF formatlon h
ST Quentin have each co guns, caseIlates nnu
proof barracks and bitches five yards deep ey icy es
the broad valley in which Metz stands Their guns
would play with tremendous eiect on any tun et
its feet, and beaten or demora1ized ,5rdHg arng
on one side BY the guns Of the town, ana ana
on the other by the forts These new 1orts are n3o
merely destined defend Metz, the town being magn,
Gently fortified as il Is. They intended TO protect
vast sncampmont IA at the present moment or to gye
shelter and breathing time to beaten army Inc In, III
peror Charles " beseged Metz for ten months lost 1000
men and then had TO abandon his enterprise. Whsn
Bucler passed Metz in 1914, he left only Prussan Oh
vision to watch it. The merely temporary loss o nleh @
10 France following npOn that OF StrasbOurgwh can
no longer be counted would be severe on account OF
tbe number OF necessares for the army which are pre-
pared or stored there. The population OF Metz, ap-
proachng 6OOO; its fine bridges public gardens qnays
and esplanade; its magnificent Gothic cathedral OF te
fourteenth century, its Church OF the knights Iemps,
ieined 10 its historical make TINS ancient clJ an
object OF justhabe pride to every frenchman'