The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-10-29
Metz.

Metz, the principal town of the Department of
the Moselle, in France, and famous at this juno
ture because of the : trapping of Marshal
Bazaine's army within its walls by the Prussian
forces under Prince Frederick Charles, is a hand
some and strongly fortified city of So 900 inhab-
itants. 1t is situated on the River Moselle, and
is important as a manufacturing centre. Like all
the towns of that part of France, the streets are
narrow and the houses lofty. Along the streets
lining the river are fine open quays, and the
Moselle in its course through the town, together
with its different branches, is crossed by no less
than Is bridges. Many handsome public gardens
adorn the city, and the city has been much re-
sorted to by tourists. The principal architectural
feature of Metz is its fine old Gothic cathedral.
1t was commenced in 1882, and was finished in
1919. The edifce is surmOunted by an elegant
spire of open work, 1873 feet high. Within the
choir are preserved many ancient and interesting
relics of a by-gone age, among them the stone
throne of the early bishops of Charlemagne's mass
books. Some Of the other churches of the town
are very ancient, dating from the twelfth and
thirteenth centuries. AS a military post Metz is
very important. One of the largest arsenals in
France is here, together with a cannon foundry.
In this foundry lies at present an interesting
memento of past wars with Germany in the
shape of a long cannon, called VOget GTig,
taken by the French in 1899 from the formidable
and lofty fortress of Ehrenbreitstein on the
Rhine. There are also in the city an immense
military hospital capable of holding 800 pa
tients, and the great school for the education of
officers of the engineers and artillery in France.
In the time of the Romans, Metz was a place of
some importance as a fortified barrier against the
trans Rhenish barbarous tribes. 1t vas the
Roman domination as Divodurum and Metis.
But there are now but few traces of Roman ar
chitecture in the town. Metz was for a long
time capital of the kingdom of Australia. Under
the Emperor Ohio it became a free imperial city.
1t was occupied by the French commander, the
GNoet,Llo, IL NTO.kDn0ronor h, = ~ otorx- in 1ESO
in the name of Henry II. King of France. 1t
was at that time a strong fortress with a popula-
ton of sc, 200. The Emperor, Charles Y.
incensed at the act of the Constable, assembled
an army of 100 900 men for the purpose of re-
taking it. The city was defended by the Duke de
Guise-who afterwards wrested Calans from the
English-and after a siege of ten months, in
which the Emperor sustained a loss OF 80 1000
men, it was abandoned to the possession of the
French, and it has since been a city of France.
They have a handsome synagogue. Metz is the
native place of the famous Gen. Kellerman, one
of the Generals of the first Napoleon.
Metz is considered-as indeed it has proven
itself to boone of the strongest ~fortresses in
France. 1t forms the centre of the French de-
fences on the side of Germany between the
Meuse and the Rhine. The Notifications, like
those of Strasbourg and other fortified French
towns, were planned by the great Vauban, and
were continued by Marshal de Belleisle. The
most important works consist of three forts,
called respectively Fort Belle-Croix, Fort Moselle
and Fort La Double Couroune. The two first are
chefs d'euUre of military construction, and were
begun in 1871 the last is surrounded by a triple
ditch filled with water. In addition to these de-
fences, there is to the southwest of the town a
redoubt of considerable strength called e Pate,
so contrived and arranged that at will it may be
converted into an island by closing the sluices of
the River Seille, a small stream that enters into
the Moselle near Metz, whose waters may be
raised "a feet, so as TO form a lake more than six
miles in extent.