Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-07-23

sATUI
supplies. The chief danger now.
is nom the hills in the rear, which
command the lower ranges Of for.
tiacations from the increased
power Of modern projectiles, but
though much Of the citadel might
be laid in ruins, it would seem i'm.
possible TO take It by regular as.
sault or by O coup de main. En-
renbreitstein Is mounted with 900
pieces Of artillery, and It's lines
cost e3,750,0O0. CoblenZ may be
considered under the same head.
It is situated on the confluence oil
the Moselle and Rhine, and its
Qualifications we're built by the To-
nous Vaubun, being improved al.
forwards by Montatembeck. It's
garrison is very large, and is
chiefly from the Eighth corps. In
time Of war Coblenz and Ehren.
breitstein will accommodate 100.
700 men. Coblenz was taken by
the French Directory in 1894, at.
ter a very fierce struggle. The
French built a stone bridge over
the Mosselle here, and fortified it
with 4 tete do pOnt bristling with
cannon.
|. COLOGNE
IS on the left bank of the Rhine
iorty-five miles above Coblenz. It.
Is built close upon the river, in the
form OF q crescent, and is connect
ed with the town Deutz on the
other side by a handsome double
bridge, erected in 1860. It is sur.
rounded by walls Of very ancient
date, which form q circuit Of sever.
al miles. Outside Of these, which
are not considered Of any strength,
are houses and gardens and a con.
siderable suburb. But there are
strong Notifications in the river in
front Of the bridges, and there is
an army corps, under Lieutenant
General Frankenberg, and this
nucleus of an army will probably
be increased very considerably,
for Cologne is a strategic point Of
Importance, since it commands the
approaches into the Hesse.C assel,
and Hanover. It will probably be
the station Of q corps d'armee.
THE FRENCH RHINE FORTIFICA-
TONS.
Prominent among the French
towns of the west bank of the
Rhine is Strasbourg, containing
$4,000 inhabitants, chiefly of Ger
man descent. The fortress has
been lately strengthened, and the
numerous Outworks and detached
forts, including the citadel, rem,
dered it a place Of great strength
A bridge here crosses the Rhine.
which is strongly fortified on the
French side. Though partially
upon the Rhine, the town lies
chiefly on the river Ill, which is
also bridged.
Further up the Ill are Colmar
and Schlettstadt, both strongly for
titled and securing important COM
munications. =
Men Breisach is on the Rhine .
canal, a mile west of the Rhine. {
It has strong towers, and Fort 4
Mortier, nearer that river, is also
a strong fertilization.
Metz on the river Moselle, Is the
most strategic point in the eastern I
part of France, and has q most pow q
erful fortress, which is yet uncOm. :,
The city contains 10000 Il
inhabitants, and q garrison Of 10000 i
men. A strong wall with bastions
surrounds 1t, and the Notifications
1t large are constructed with q due .
allowance for the force of modern =
projectiles. They stand on four c
commanding sites. The river n
Seille meets the Moselle at this :
and, in case of siege, the
water of both streams can be raised :,
to inundate the low
ground TO the south and southwest v
Of the town.
Montmedy, Verdun, and Long
Wy, on the Rhine, are all strongly s.
fortified and near to Metz, on the a
Aoselle, is Thionville, within
Iew miles Of the Prussian frontier. p
The river Is bridged ut this point, [
md tho Notifications are strong. =,
The MOselle furnishes the most Ii
iirect line Of operations between
aud Prussia, and q strug-
Jle will In every probability lake D
place for its several strongholds. Q
The W%eissenburg line lie q chain :,
light works running from the
oft bank Of the Rhine, fifteen miles "
long the LAuter, in the neighbOr-
lood Of Basle. The line was aban-
loned In 1857, but the works were
lot RACED.
The VOsges Mountains run par. q
llel with the Rhine, and form an
additional barrier for the French y
rontier. They average 1000 feet in d
light, and are twenty-five miles in
vide. All their practicable passes !,
re fortified. The most northern u
Il these is the fortress at Bitsch, al
which in 1893 and 1916 withstood
wo Prussian attempts. The cen.
raj passage of the Vosges Is by ii
way Of Laverne, and is held by the 70
OFT at PlazllbOurg, supported by ~
at a short distance. Y