The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-10-28
PHILADELPHIA FRIDAY OCTOBER 2e 1870


choir are preserved many ancient and interest
ing relics of by-gone age. among them the
stone throne of the early bishops and Charlie
magne's mass-books. Some of the other
churches of the town are very ancient, dating
from the twelfth and thirteen centuries. Before
the war the city had also important manufacto-
ries of coarse woolen cloths, muslins, thread,
machinery, and musical instruments, and
active trade, the town being a general entrepot
for colonial and foreign merchandise.
The Fortifcntions of the City.
The fortified wall of Metz on which they have
not ceased working since French domination
began, and which the celebrated Cormo ntaigne
almost entirely altered little more than
hundred years ago, is so important on account
of its strength and extent that an army of at
least 100, 600 men, with an extraordinary amount
of war material, is necessary to undertake its
siege, theory which the events of the war have
amply demons trated.
There only remain of the Notifications of the
sixteenth century the intrenchments of Guise,
the Serpenoise tower, the gate of the Germans,
and the tower DEnfer. The gate of the Ger
mans seems to have been preserved to give an
idea of all those which formerly existed and
which have been demolished as useless since the
adoption of the new system of Notifications.
They were but strong castles with four towers
surmounted with batteries, and having each
castellan. There are noticeable on the
walls of the tower D'Enfer traces of Spanish
cannon balls, and there is shown therein
the dungeon where, during six months,
the monks were shut up who plotted to
deliver the place to the imperial troops. The
approaches to the town are defended by two
forts, six lunettes, and one earth-work. These
two forts were built by Cormontaigne, that of
Belle-Croix with the lunette of Cheneau-pre-
sents a development of galleries of mines of
about 10000 metres-crowns on the east the
heights from which one can leap into the city.
The other, called Fort Moselle, or the "Double
Crown" is situated towards the north. Built in
1877, the redoubt called the "Redoubt of Pate"
occupies the position of the ancient Naumachie,
and forms, when they raise the waters of the
Seille, an island, which one approaches by
subterranean gallery.
All these Notifications are of such formidable
character that the city has justly been regarded
as the most formidable fortress in France, if not
on the Continent, and its escutcheons mention
as its strongest claim to renown that it has
never been taken since it has been surrounded
by wall-a boast that can no longer be made.
1t was that it might not debase itself that this
proud city refused passage to the armies of
the Holy Alliance when they evacuated the
IL
selle on bridge, which it constructed under the
ramparts, in order to spare itself the shame and
grief of such a spectacle as would be afforded
by the passage of foreign armies through the
walls.
Tho Approaches to Metz
are through nine gates. These are as follows
The gate Des Allemauds; the gate MaZelle the
gate Saint Thiebault, the approaches of which,
| like those of the two preceding, are covered by
small well.cultivated gardens the Serpenoise
| gate, opened for use in 1852 and which esta-
| blished direct communication between the city
and the railroad station; the gate of France; the
gate of Thionville; the Chambiere gate, oppo-
| site the island of Chambiere, where there is a
battery of artillery, the central school of mill
tary pyrotechnics, the parade-ground of the
garrison, the gate of the city, the abattoir, the
cemetery of the first two wards; and the Jewish
cemetery: the Saulcy gate, opposite an island
occupied by the powder magazine, lunette,
| and some wool yards; finally, the Saint Barbe
gate, at the end of the principal street of the
Jewish quarter, and which serves as the means
of communication between the arsenal and the
fcrt of BelleCroix.
At the entrance to the gate Des Allemands, on
the tower to the left is the following gothic in
scription:-
Henri. De Rancoval.
Tut de Get outrage n,dltre principal l445.
The History of the City
is romantic and interesting. Under the Romans
it rose to considerable Importance, being ira
yersed by six grand military roads. Under the
descendants of Clovis it became the capital oi
the kingdom of Austrasia passing to the EN-
peror of Germany on the decline of the House
of Charlemagne. 1t was then strongly fortified
with walls ianked by round and square towers
as barrier against France, and allowed to pos
sess an almost republican freedom. In 1862
however, the city ceased to be free, and placed
itself under the protection of France.
Charles V, the Emperor of Germany, uader-
took to resent this step and restore its old de
pendence upon Germany. The siege which
ensued, from its duration and obstinacy, has be
come one of the most memorable in history
The defense was managed by the celebrated
Duke de Guise, surnamed lie Bdldfre, from
wound which he bore on his face. When The
German Emperor had succeeded in making
breach in the walls and naturally supposed tha
his way into the town was clear, he found, Il
his modification and dismay, that Guise hat
erected Immediately in the rear of the breach
fortifcation even stronger than the original, tn,
one known ever since as the Retrenchment d.
Guise.
We present here, from an old and rare history
the following sketch of the city at the time o
this remarkable siege:-
Charles V, unable to resist the Protestants mad
peace with them, assembled all his forces agains
France, and laid siege to- Metz with 100, 900 men
When his army reached the place the Generals pro
posed TO begin by a summons. mo, said the Empe
ror 'that is step will not take. Francis, Duke o
Guse did not shut himself up with the hoWer of tn
nobility for the purpose of capitulation We can onl
succeed in our project by force OF courage activity