The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1870-08-31
Wet. and It's FortlacatIon..

The following account of Metz is from a
letter of n of the correspondents of the
N. Y. Herald:
Metz is situated at the confluence of the
Moselle and the Seillie. 1t is 10 metres
above the level of the sea. On the right
the place is commanded by the batteries of
Gueuleu and st. Julien, on an altitude of
about $50 metres on the left, the more
distant heights of the Moselle are $50 me-
tres. Since 1866, in order to give more
air to the town, the st. Vincent front was
demolished and pushed forward on the
right bank of the Moselle. 1t would COW
er in case of siege, the bridge of boats
necessary for the service Of the garrison.
On the left bank, in advance of the st.
Vincent front, is the Fort Moselle, of which
the extremeties of the four bastions touch
the river. On the right bank, facing the
east, the t~own1was defended only by the
Fort de Belle-Croix, erected by Cormon-
talgne. On the south, between the Mo-
selle and the Seille, the place in case of
need, Is perfectly secured by an ingenious
system of inundations. With the excep-
hon Of the st. Vincent front, designed by
Vauban and Cormontaigne, no important
modification has been effected. The twelve
IN IAONCA AOAA l4C AOAl5 Oh 1901
for enlarging the Notifications of Metz,
bave been almost exclusively consecrated
to the creation of forts necessary to make
b place the great bulwark of the east of
France. The French engineers followed
the example given by Todleben at Sebas-
tapol, where the Russians raised small
earthworks on prominent points, which
became redoubtable fortresses, under the
hre OF which the Russians sustained them
selves during eleven months.
At Metz the heights of st. Quentin.
Plappeville, st. Julien and Gueuleu have
been crowned with forts, and at present it
would be easy for a garrison Of fifty thou
sand men to surround the entrenched
camp with a continuous eneieHte of earth
works similar to the cOuTtine which con-
uected Malakoff with the Redan.
The Fort de Gueuleu, at 4 distance of
twenty-slx hundred metres from Porte
Mazelle, Is composed of five fronts, and
contains classmates capable of receiving
two thousand men. The engineers have
strictly conformed to the tradition of bas-
tons; but to diminish as much as posi-
bic the inconvenience Of this system, which
which undoubtedly does not afford sufi
eient space for riAed cannon, the engineers
have constructed in each force an i'm
mense cavalier to furnish q second line OF
tre. These cdUdheTs serve as barracks
for part Of the garrison, and classmates
Will only be occupied in event of a siege.
The Fort de Gueuleu can receive more
than three thousand men, and place more
thar one hundred guns on the ramparts.
The Fort st. Julien is also situated on
the right bank of the Moselle, on the
Mont Chatillon, 2600 metres northeast of
Porte st. Barbe. 1t is about the same al
titude as the Fort st. Julien and has also
live fronts.
The Fort de P~lappeville, on the left
bank, IS 1900 metres from the Porte de
France, at an altitude of about 800 me-
tres, n has four fronts. 1t can contain
about the same garrison, and mount the
same number of guns as Fort st. Julien.
The Fort st. Quentin, on the heights of
the same name, Is at an altitude of about
$40 metres, and is distant $500 metres
from the great powder magazine. From
all points OF the town can be seen this
sort, suspended like a n eagles nest on the
crest OF st. Quentin, which may be o
sldered the key to the position. Its cap
ture would exercise q decided influence on
the inhabitants and on the intrenched
camp, but to take it would be dificult
0AAAO u ObACI 4OIlS, IL Is An IL
regular square-long sides of 800 metres.
mail ones of l60 only. General Frossard,
the clever President of the Committee on
Notifications, was happily inspired to
construct this fort well in view of the
town, of which it is considered the guard
ian angel. The above named forts are the
fonr strong points of the intrenched camp
OF Metz, and within a few DAYS, the corps
darmee concentrated there, could, in case
OF need, throw up a continuous line of
earthworks.
Among the other works of minol i'm
Portance are the following:
First-The Fort de Saint Priyat. be-
tween the Moselle and the Seille, to the
south of the town.
Second-The Redoubte des Bottles on
an eminence that commands the road and
the Valley of Flantieres. Its fire will
cross those of the forts of Gueuleu and
Saint Julien.
Third-The Saint Eloy to the south OF
the village of the same name, and to the
northwest of the town, on the right bank
of the Moselle. Its fire will cross those Of
Saint Julien and Plappeville. Metz is at
present n of the strongest places in the
world. 1t could be well defended with
$4,000 of the Gardes Mobiles within the
town, and 10000 regulars in the intrench-
ed camp.