Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-07-24
AND PRUSSIA
Probable Seems Of Naval Operations
=sThs Ports Liable to be
!, VI BlOckaded. Al
Olivier, Prime Minister of France,
and Won Bismarck, Prime sHoa
So RiHister of Prussia. oeg I
War of bis Wellington and Water
lOO---0piniOns Of the French
70 and English Press. o

\ iTIONs-THE PORIS LIABLE TO BE
BLOCKADED. ri D ,n
Prussia has an extensive eoast-iine
on the Baltic and North Sea, extend
ing from the Russian frontier to the
late Danish province of SchlesWig.
These ports, as a glance at the map
will show, are only accessible from
the Atlantic by sailing round the Da-
nish peninsula and passing through
the Sound or either the Great or Lit
tie Belt. A canal has been in con-
temptation, by which the voyage be-
tween the Atlantic and the Baltic
wonld be much reduced, but the
breaking out Of hostilities has pre-
vented any progress being made in
respect to it.
The principal German ports in the
Baltic are MemeI, Pillau, KOnigs-
berg, Dantzig, Colberg, Swinemunde,
Stettin, Wolgast, Stralsund, KieI, and
Flensburg. On the North Sea Prus-
STA has Altoona, Harburg, Geeste-
munde, Leer and Emden, while the
NOrth-German Consideration has also
many important Commercial seaports.
Baltic POrtS.-MeLaei is defended by
a citadel consisting of four bastions,
with randines and half-mOons, and
is divided into three quarters-the
Old, New, and Frederick's Towns,
with three suburbs. Its trade is very
extensive, and consists chiefly of TIM
Der, corn, fax hemp, potash, Iinseed,
and colonial produce. These are ex-
ported principally to the United
States and England.
Ship building is carried on at this
port, which owns 106 vessels, having
a total tonnage of 47,16i tons. Ships
to the number Of $500 (of 55O, 900 tons)
annually enter and leave the port,
and numerous steam packets main
tain communication with many OF
the other Baltic ports. The harbor is
large and safe, and has a depth of va
ter of from fourteen to seventeen feet.
1t is provided with extensive docks,
and has a good lighthouse.
Pillau is a small seaport at the en-
trance of the Frische Half, twenty-five
miles west from Konigsberg. 1t de-
rives a thriving trade on account of
vessels of large burden and unload
ing there, as the inlet to the Half has
not more than twelve feet of water.
Vessels of light draught usually pro-
coed to KOnigsberg. The number of
vessels arriving annually is about
seven hundred (Ofabout 100, 1000 tOns);
of these about one-third are British.
Konigsberg is on the Pregel, five
miles from its mouth, in the Frische
Half. 1t is in railroad communion
ton with Berlin, from which it is dis
tant 338 miles. This fortified city con-
sists of the town proper and four
suburbs. The former is divided into
three parts, the Altstadt or Old Town,
situated on the west; Lohenieht on
the east, and Kneiphof, situated on
an island formed by the Pregel, which
before entering the town from the
east, divides into two arms. There are
seven bridges between the island and
the opposite banks. The trade of the
port is principally the export OF grain,
anu in its ship-building yards a con-
siderable number of small vessels are
annually constructed. Much atten-
ton has been given to the fortifca-
tons. The general principle kepti in
view, according to the Prussian engi-
neers, is that the fortress may be COM
posed of detached parts, each having
its separate commander and garrison,
with separate and independent de-
tached works. Thus, the bastions are
detached from the curtains; redoubts
are in like manner detached; the
scarp is detached on all parts except
ing the faces and parts of the TANKS of
the bastiOns. On some of the fronts
the ditch is filed with water from
scarp to counterscarp, when there is a
masonry casemated eapOniers in the
center of the curtain (instead of the
flat earthen bastiOn), Ranking the
faces of the baStiOns with five guns.
Dantzig is a fortified city and "a
port of West Prussia, acquired by the
ACKNOWLEDGMENT of Poland. 1t is con-
nected by railroads both with Berlin
and Konigsberg. 1t is situated on the
left bank of the Vistula, 81 miles from
its outlet at Weichselmunde, and at
the junction of the Nathan and Ran
damne. Vessels drawing Is feet of
water can reach the city; others lie
in the NeufahrWaSser, at the mouth
of the river or in the roads, which
afford good anchorage for vessels of
any burden. 1t has a population of
50, 600, and is largely engaged in the
export of grain and the manufacture
of general products. 1t has IA ships,
having a total tonnage of as, 900 tons.
The city is of nearly circular form,
and is a fortress of the first class. At
the eastern outlet or mouth of the
Vistula is the small fort Neufahr,
finished in 1913 for the defense of this
pass. On the water front il consists
OF a circular casemated battery and
two short branches of solid rampant,
with gateway eaponiers connecting
with three fronts, inclosing the work on
theland sides, which have solid earthen
ramparts and parapets, with crenated
palisades and masonry capOnieres
thanking the wet bitches. The city is
surrounded by walls and bastiOns,
defended by a citadel and several out
works, and provided with the means
of laying a considerable part of the
country under water. Its fortifica-
tons were commenced as far back as
1881, and it was held and defended by
the French from 1907 to 1914.
Goldberg is a strongly fortified sea-
port in POmerania, twenty-five miles
west of Coslin, on the Persante, near
its mouth, in the Baltic. 1t sustained
a siege in 1906. The population num-
bers about 10, 1000. A moderate trade
is transacted at this port,
The OdOr is not unlikely to be the
scene of naval operations and to be
selected for, if possible, effective block
ade. SWinemunde, near the mouth
of this river, is the port where large
vessels bonnd for Stettin, thirty-six
miles inland, unload. The entrance
to the Odor is defended by two sea-
coast batteries, one on the right and
the other on the left bank. The latter
consists of a circular brick redoubt of
feet diameter, in the center of
a pantagonal earthen work The |
story of the redoubt is arranged
with lo0pholes for musketry, above
are two tiers of twenty guns
each, under bombrproof classmates,
which is a barbette battery Of
the same number of guns. The fort
on the right bank is a much larger and
more important work than the other.
1t is a brick casemated battery of
three faces, bearing on the channel,
two casemated tiers, and an
open embrasure battery over the case
ments, with brick parapets, the only
one seen exposed to a ships battery. |
This fort mounts sixty-three guns. Its
in a bend, and so directed that a vessel
has TO come bows on the lower front
until quite near it.
Should war vessels of light draft
pass these ports, and escape the tor
pedoes, which viii no doubt be used,
they would be confronted at the inn
Dortant city of Stettin by its formida-
Bile Publications. 1t mas been a forth
Esd city for a long period, and under
gone several sieges. 1t was occupied
BY the French from 1906 TO 1918.
About 20O0 ships enter and sail from
the Oder annually. The population
Of Stettin is about 65, 600, and its trade
Is principally in general produce. 1t
Is connected by rail with Berlin, from
IL Is savnntv-ninR miles distant