New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-07-23

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commercial and monetary reports, and everything
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q well for instruction and amusement as informa
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THE CAMPAIGN ON THE RHINE.
French and German Ferfresses.
As the Rhine frontier will doubtless be
the scene of important operations during the
coming war the following description OF the
fortified points will be read with interest:
FRENCH NOTIFICATIONS.
Of the French towns on the west bank of
It has IS 900 inhabitants, chiefly of German
descent. The fortress has been lately
strengthened, and the numerous OutwOrks
and detached forts, including the citadel,
render it place of great strength. A bridge
here crosses the Rhine, which is strongly
fortified on the French side. Though par.
tally upon the Rhine, the town lies chiefly
upon the river III, which is also bridged.
Further up the hill are Colmar and
securing important communications.
Neu Breisach is on the Rh0ne canal, a
mile west of the Rhine. 1t has strong
towers, and Fort MOrtier, nearest that
river, is strong fertilization.
Metz, on the river MOsell, is the most i'm
pOrtant strategic point in the eastern part
of France, and has most powerful fortress,
which is yet uncompleted. The city con-
tains $4,000 inhabitants and garrison Of
DDS xrvs<1 Off nnc
surrounds it, and the Notifications mt large
are constructed with due allowance for
the force Of modern projectiles. They
stand on four commanding sites. The river
Seille meets the Moselle at this point, and,
in case of siege, the water of both streams
can be raised sufficiently to inundate the
low ground to the south and southwest of
the town.
Montmedy. Verdun and Longwy, on the
Rhine are all strongly fortified and near to
Metz, ON the MOselle, is TliOnville, within a
few miles of the Prussian frontier. The
river il bridged at this point, and the fOrti-
fications are strong. The MOselle furnishes
the most direct line Of operations between
France and Prussia, and a struggle will in
every probability take place for its several
stronghOlds.
works running from the left bank of the
Rhine fifteen miles along the Lautur, in the
neighborhOOd of Basic. The line was aban-
dOned in 1867, but the works were not
razed.
The Vosges Mountains run parallel with
the Rhine and form an additional
barrier for the French frontier. They
average 1900 feet in height, and are twenty
five miles wide. All their practicable passes
are fortified. The most northern Of these is
the fortress of Bitsch, which in 1893 and
1915, withstpOd two Prussian attempts The
central passage Of the VOsges is by way of
Saverne, and is held by the fort ct Pfalz-
burg, supported by Strasburg at short
distance. Between Saverne and BelfOrt
there are but two practicable passes, that
by way Of st. Die and that Of RemiremOnt.
These are well guarded by the f0rtresses on
the neighboring plains and by Belfort. The
latter is in the center of the opening, be-
tween the Jura and V0sges mountains, and
being in the direct line between Basic and
Paris, is an important junction for land
communications. 1t has been much
strengthened Of late.
GERMAN NOTIFICATIONS.
Of the fortresses ON the Rhine and its
vicinity, the most important are Mayence,
Rastadt, Ehrenbreitstein and Cologne.
Mayence was formerly city of the Ger
man Confederation, the old ZOllverein, and
was garrisoned by Austrian and Prussian
troops. Its peculiarly dangerous position
being on the left bank Of the Rhine, and
Notifications being of the strongest charac-
ter. 1t was originally garrisoned by eight
thousand men, but after the decisive de-
feat of Austria in the late contest it was
agreed, by the treaty Of the Prague that its
Notifications should be dismantled and its
garrison withdrawn. This stipulation was
insisted on by Austria, but the Prussians
;aI Ho
Mayence is at this moment one of the strong
est cities in the world. The four lines Of
works are greatly strengthened by Outworks
and detached forts, and by Fort Weisenau,
which is on the upper bank of the Main,
The city of Mayence is opposite to the
mouth Of this river, which here falls into the
Rhine about twenty miles west of Frank
fort, to which it is connected by railway
A bridge some sixteen hundred feet long
connects it with the fortified suburb of Cas-
tel. 1t has now q very large garrison, and
is commanded by Prince Waldemar, OF
Schleswig- HOlstein.
Rastadt is on the right bank of the Rhine
and is very strongly fortified. 1t is in the
territory of Baden-Baden, and formerly
held garrison for the German Confedera
ton, but since SadOwa it's garrison has beer
Prussian. 1t is situated fourteen miles
south of Carlsruhe, and some thirty from
Strasburg, and will undoubtedly be a point
Of capital Importance during the coming
struggle. Its Notifications are on the
Vauban system, and declared to be the per
lection of engineering, but experience has
proved that earthwOrks are stronger thar
stone walls. There are three large forts on
the little river which runs past Rastadt
which have many bastions, wet bitches
curtains, glacis and lunettes, but the CHIEF
strength will probably be in the fortified
camp which the Prussians are about to form
there. Should it be necessary to withdraw
it's garrison, it could easily be replaced by
Baden soldiers, the Grand Duke havins
shown the most unmistakable sympathy fo
the Prussian caHse.
Ehrenbreitstein is the fortress par ercel
lence Of Prussia, and is regarded as the Glib
raIter of the Rhine. 1t is on the right banl
of the Rhine, opposite to Coblentz. 1t i,
connected with this town by bridge O
boats. Part of the Notifications lie at til,
foot of the hill, four hundred and sixty
eight feet in height, and almost perpendicu
lar, but since it was taken by the French il
1896 and again in 1899, its Notifications hav,
been trebled and quadrupled in strength
and the entire hill has been turned into
fortress. 1t has been thought unnecessar,
to scarP the steep. steps, though it is OF