Vicksburg weekly herald., 1870-08-06
GREAT PRUSsIAN NAVAL SRA,

EH1Ws
Duplication 0G OhsRbanRg-
HOvg the German Coase may Do
Affected by the WaF-The HIssss
~ sf an old Military ssRsng-
held.
The telegraph brings the infor.
nation that the mouth Of the We
ser ? has been closed by suken
hulks to prevent the entrance Of
the vessels Of the French navy.
There is no doubt that this news
Is correct, but no one should won.
der If the same measures for the
better defense Of the German coast
were also applied to the mouth Of
the river Elbe.
1nasmuCh as tits generally con.
ceded that she is not 6 match on
the ocean for France, whose navy
exceeds the Prussian about four.
fold, the latter power has but little
left save to close her commercial
harbors voluntarily, by sunken
bulls, torpedoes, etc., and thus
keep the intruder out. This she
can do the more effectively be.
cause the coast all along there Is
low, marshy, and difficult of ap-
proach--very much like that Of
Holland, and exceedingly danger
ous IN foul weather; so that there
is but little danger from q landing,
except in a sheltered spot like the
mouth of q river, What the Prus-
slams are going to do in the Iahde
Busen for the defense of their fu.
ture great naval station, Iahde, re-
mains to be seen. This spot was
originally and as early as 1911,
selected by Napoleon l, for o na.
val station, he being then in pos.
session and controlling the whole
Of that part Of Germany's coast,
and he had it not only surveyed
for that purpose, but had already
erected some Notifications when
his downfall put an end to the
scheme.
Prussia, anxious to create q no.
Wy, and without q suitable spot Of
her own, bought this same Iahde
in 1854, on the strength Of the old
French surveys 1.-THE only ones
then in existence, for the sum Of
100000 thalers, from the DuChy
of Oldenburg to which it then be-
longed. After thorough and ex.
hausting surveys, Prussia finally,
about four years later lin 1858, J
commenced to build and and for
tify a marine harbor on the largest
scale, and has ever since, and in
spite of the greatest difficulties,
pushed her work forward, so that
1t is now very near completion.
The basins are large and capa,
BILE Of floating feet Of the largest
iron -Clads. The fortications arc
extensive, and the barracks already
built and building will Comforta
bly, accommodate q respectable
army. Two Of the greatest draw
backs Of this establishment ar
want of good water, and the cir
Cumstance that the ebb tide fall
fully twelve feet, thus preventing
the largest size men.of-war from
entering the harbor OF all excep
OF high tide. The channel is alsC
; difficult, but that, in time of war
and as an additional means of do
fense, Is rather desirable than 9th
: erwIse France will make her fee
= blockading. the mouth Of the We
ser and that Of the Elbe near BY
strong enough not only to effeC
this purpose but also to keep IL
check any number Of war vessell
the Prussians may have availabl,
: in the neighboring bay of Iahde II
raise the blockade.
There arc three points Of great
! er Importance TO Prussia, TO be de
Tended along the Atlantic coast
The mouth Of the Weser, with th
opulent city Of Bremen and it
seaport called Bremerhaven, whicI
is situate about half way betweel
Bremen City and the mouth ofth
u river, and connected with the cit
by railroad. West of the mout
J. Of the Elbe is situated the wealth
a city of Hamburg, the former quee
Z Of the Hansa, and up to this day
( the home Of Germany's proudes
= . merchant princes, who are tn
. owners of great fleets of vessels
q and not far distant the bay {
!. Iahde, with its naval station, ,whic
d is destined by Prussia to becom
o her principal marine harbor-i
70 fact, o second Cherbourg.
n And Prussia, if she wants
J; give relief to her Atlantic coas
;, must send her navy from the BaI
y q tic. Therefore, unless q decide
~ movement of Prussia's navy frOI
!. her Baltic porti is heard from,
a naval engagement on a large seal
0. is not to be expected, 1t is
Is course probable that France wi
'r attempt to take possession of Ii
y harbor of Iahde, but the defeni
of Prussia will then be simply b
- - means of her forts, for the watel
% of the basin, or bay, arc far ia
70 shallow and the channel too na
1t row to admit the maneuvering
10 war vessels.