The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-08-05

lntO tnes nuiue ABOUT ~ miles west Oh
Frankfort, to which it is connected by
a railway. A bridge some 5000 feet
long connects it with the fortified sub
urbs of Castle. 1t has now q very
large garrison, and is commanded by
Prince Waldenlar of Schleswig- Hol-
stein. ."
| RAsTADT
is on the right bank of the Rhine,
and is very strongly fortified. 1t is in
| the territory of Baden Baden, and
formerly held a garrison for the Ger
man Confederation, but since Sadowa
its garrison has been Prussian. 1t Is
situated some fourteen miles south OF
Carlsruhe, and some thirty from
Strasbourg, and will unquestiOnably be
. point of capital importance during
the coming struggle. Its Notifications
are on the Vauban system, and de-
clared to be the perfection of engin-
eering, but experienc has proved that
earthworks are stronger than stone
walls. There are three large forts on
the little river which runs past Rastadt,
which have many bastiOns, wet ditch
es, curtains, glacis and lunettes, but the
chief strength will probably be in the
fortified camp which the Prussians are
about to form there. Should it be nee
essary to withdraw its garrison, itcould
be easily replaced by BADEN soldiers,
the Grand Duke having shown the
most uninistakable sympathy for the
Prussian cause. ..-.-...-.',...
II . OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES ..sslt lv
is the fortress par ercellence of Prussia,
and is regarded as the Gibraltar of the
Rhine. 1t is on the right bank Of the
Rhine opposite to Coblentz. 1t is .cOn-
nected with this town by a bridge of
boats. Part of the Notifications lie at
| the foot of the hill, 46S feet in height,
and almost perpendicular; but since 1t
was taken by the French in 1876, and
again i'm 1899, its Notifications have
been trebIed and quadrupled IN strength,
and the entire hill has been turned into
a fortress. 1t has been thought unnec-
sary to scarp the steep sides, though it
Is on record that British tourist ac-
cOmpanied by q terrier made the ascent
to the intense astOnishmentO of a sentry.
The garrison amounts to IA, 900 men,
and has been hitherto under the COM
mand of Governor Prendzyski, who
belongs to the Eighth Army Corps,
commanded by Gen. Herwarth, whose
headquarters are in Coblentz, on the
opposite side Of the river. The troops
are furnished with water by an artesian
well, and the fortress contains a steam
cooking apparatus of unexampled mag
nitude. Provisions for three years are
continually kept iii store, and the great
est precautions are taken to prevent
knowledge of the Notifications falling
into the hands of strangers. Ehren-
breitsein has been beseiged many times
by the French, and was taken only ON
one occasion, in 1899, when the garri-
son was forced to surrender from lack
of supplies. The chief danger now is
| from the hills in the rear, which COM
from the increased power of modern
projectiles, but though much. of the
| citadel might be laid in ruins, it would
seem impossible to take it by regular
assault, or by coup de main. Ehren-
breitstein is mounted with 900 pieces of
artillery, and its lines cost 50, $50, 900.
Coblenz may be considered under the
same head. 1t is situated on the con-
fiuence of the Moselle and Rhine, and
its Notifications were built by the fa-
nous Yaubun, being improved after
ward by Montatembeck. Its garrison
is very large, and Is chiefly from the
Eighth corps. In time of war COblenz
and Ehrenbreitstein will accommodate
1000 men. Coblenz was taken by
the French Directory in 1854, after a
very fierce struggle. The French built
a stone bridge over the Mosselle here,
and fortified it with tete du pOnt
bristling with cannon.
| ..- COLOGNE
is on the left bank of the Rhine, forty
five miles above Coblenz. 1t is built
close upon the river, in the form of a
crescent, and is connected with the
town Deutz on the other side by a
handsome double bridge, erected in 49,
60. 1t is surrounded by walls of very
ancient date, which form a circuit Of
several miles. Outside of these, which
are not considered of any strength, are
houses and gardens and considerable
suburb. But there are strong fortifica-
tions 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
increased very considerably, for Col
ogne is strategic point of Importance,
since it commands the approaches into
Hesse-C -Cassel, and Hanover. 1t will
probably be the station of a corps d'ar-
NEE. r'n irpulT .c'. 6 80 i'1 g.
Besides these fOrtresses on the Rhine
and the fortified towns of the Baltic,
there are many others of secondary
importance. lf hr.-aI ..-.l Gcr'
The total POI ulation of France is
3S, 192, ,064, with an area of 210, 462
square miles. The population of Prus-
sia is %, ,905, ,092, of whom q ,314, 600
are Lutheran and 8, 131 900 Catholic,
the remainder being Jews and Greek
Churches. This is one of Prussia's
weak points. The area OF the North
German Confederation is 256, 407 square
miles. -.I .t.. f. .IpFr t
The French Rhine Fortincations.
Prominent among the French towns
on the west bank of the Rhine is Stras-
bOurg, containing 5000 inhabitants,
chiefly of German descent. The for
tress has been lately strengthened, and
the numerous outwOrks and detached
forts, including the citadel, render 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. -rt.
Further up the Ill are Colmar and
Schlettstadt, both strongly fortified and
securing important communications.
Men Breisach is on the Rhone canal,
mile west of the Rhine. 1t has
strong towers, and Fort Mortier, near
er that river, is also a strong fortifica-
ton. O.. 20 l1ia ir
Metz, on the river Moselle, is the
most strategic point in the eastern part
of France, and has q most powerful
fortress, which is yet uncompleted.
The city contains $4,000 inhabitants,
and garrison of 10, 900 men. A strong
wall with bastions surrounds it, and
the Notifications at large are construct
ed with q due allowance for the force
of modern projectiles. They stand ON
four commanding sites. The river Se-
lille meets the Moselle at this point,
and, i'm case of siege, the water of
both streams can be raised sufficiently
to inundate the low ground to the
south and Southwest Of the town.
Montmedy, Verdun, and Longwy,
OH the Rhine, are all strongly fortified;
and near to Metz, on the Moselle, is
Thionville, within q few miles of the
Prussian frontier. The river is bridged
at this point, and the Notifications are
strong. The Moselle furnishes the
most direct lines of operations between
France and Prussia, and a struggle