New-York tribune., 1872-07-04

IL CZechs another Victory ~ BOhrmli ~
be Count HOhenwart Will be called to succeed tne
man whom he himself preceded Stranger til igs have
of these elections their iniIenoe on tho future Of
Austria cannot be oxaggerated.
IMPROVING THE COURSE OF TIE DANUBE
PROBLEM OF ENGINEERING sKILL-THH
PLANS PROPOSED AND ADOPTED FOR REGU-
LATNG THE NAVIGATION or THE RIVER
IMPROVEMENTS PROPOSED By THE CITY OF
VIENNA.
PROM REGULAR CORRESPONDENCE or THE TRIBUSal
VIENNA, May 7.-The general improvement
OF tho navigation Of the Danube Is matter in which
many European countries are directly Interested Indi
recy Of course almost every country benefits by such
improvements but neither directly Indirectly Is any
country so deeply interested IN the free navigation Of the
great ryer as the Austr0-fuGsaran Empire IL - not
surprising therefore that Austria has OF late years taken
the cad in promoting attempts and experiments having
for their object the Of Obsiac 10 free nava
ton OF the Danube At this moment the Austrian GOV
ernment urgently pressing the governments Of the dr.
erent countries through winch the Danube passes amer
leaving the Hungarian frontier, to complete an agree
ment with company which offers 70 mako the narro"
passage, known the Iron Gates. perfectly safe
and easy. This obstacle long considered
permanent unremOvable feature; tho task OF prao
tically improving the passage was supposed to 10
beyond the highest engineering SKIN. Bub ye"
or tH , ago. the Iron Gates visited by WeKnO"n
American engineer Mr.. McCalpin' the builder OF inc
Capitol at Albany and many other great specheh' Oi
architectural and civil engineering SKILL who declared
his ability make the celebrated and dangerous passage
perfectly safe and easy. His plans were submitted TO
the proper authorities, and a5 once approved; steps
were then taken 10 obtain the cooperation OF every
country directly interested In tho matter; commission
was formed for this purpose and this COMMISSION naneo
is months agO, has since been endeayoring n
Obtain from each country so interested the promise 20
furnish a certain proportion OF the required funds
Austria and Turkey have long since given In tler adhe
sion to the scheme and undertaken to find by far the
greater share of the estimated sum; but up to tho
present moment, believe that neither Seryia nor the
other Danubian Principaltes have sisnined theT WIZ
ingness to bear a share Of the expense.
Ten months ago Mr McCapin arrived IN Vienna under
the belief that In few weeks the necessary arrange
ments would be completed but even after this lapse OF
tme is impossible to say how long it may be before
tho preimnaries settled. The works in question
are of the Importance their necessity cannot be
exaggerated Any one who has jOurneyed down the
Danube to Constantnope must know the inconvenience
caused to passengers by the necessity OF changing from
large to a small and back again TO large steamer;
and in the case OF heavy goods, the transhipmen OF
which IS not easily effected that of passengers IL s
not matter Of convenience only but OF expense and
speed With the Iron Gates removed, or rather win th'
passage cleared and wdened, largo steamers mlghl
travel from Vienna to the mouths OF the river Ihs
would give an extraordinary impetus to the traffic on ths
Danube from which Austria would derive the chiet ben
efforts which this Government has made
Meanwhile Vienna itself has undertaken some I'm
prOvements Of gigantic character In the navigation oi
the Danube opposite the CITY, from which L expects
reap more than corresponding advantage This is .
matter which concerns Vienna only; the general nay-
cation o. the river will not be improved by the altera
tions which carried here, for the channel imme
datey above below and opposite the city was always
sufficiently deep and navgabe; but TO Vienna the gaiu
will be ncaIcuabe. Tie object OF the works In ques-
fnv 4 -NQ aF fro
TO IS miles, the Danube instead of being confined TO one
bed is split up several channels the main channel
changes year to year. and the general features Oh
the river are continually altering; one year the main
stream may only half mile frOmithe city the next IL
may be two miles of; the main object then Is TO
form a single channel, nearly straight, instead
of winding like tho old one, and sufficiently
deep and broad to contain the united streams OF the
There also other reasons for carrying out Tho
undertaking; for instance when the main stream
changes bed the bridges over it are rendered partly
OF totally useless aud must be either entirely removed
or greatly prolonged and three lines OF railroad cross
the Danube Immediately on leaving Vienna, TINS Il
matter Of considerable Importance. Again. In times OF
heavy SHOWS in the mountain regions above Vienna, or
after heavy Autumnal rains when the several channels
of the river are insufficient TO carry off the swollen
waters inundations ensue which cause heavy damage.
This is especially the when the Danube is frozen
over and the waters held back by a firm dam OF
broken ice Every year the inhabitants OF the lower
quarter Of the city IN mortal Cfeau OF DchS s"eps
away or Of their houses being oyerhowed by the oon
fined waters Of the Danube.
Last Winter there was no inundaton but the ty was
put to great expense preparations to meet the emer
gency If 1t came; patrols were stationed Tor 20 miles
on the mountains which overlook the Danube ABOVE
Vienna order to signal the approach OF the Hood OK
large quantities Of broken ice boats, lfesayng appara
s and watermen kept in constant readiness for
six weeks; provisions were collected aud arrangements
made to shelter the thousands Of people who might be
flooded out of their houses in mdwnter. The Winter
before last there was terrible inundation OF all tho
eastern suburbs the only OF locomoton In the
streets was by boats and RATS the water lay from three
to seven feet deep largo portion OF Vienna; IN
fact all that part of the city lying east Of the canal
| over 60 lives were lost by drowning, and many
| more by cold and starvation. The Prater was
turned into great lake and large blocks of regular
icebergs which oated into it and stranded there,
were not altogether melted the 1st OF June. Much
disease was caused in the Spring by the eXhalatons
from the damp ground in fact an inundation is very
serious affair Vienna, and serious that state OF
the river last Winter the linundaon of 1852 caused
infinitely more damage TO life and property. Then,
again. the distance the river from the city in
convenience and expense the shippers Of goods and
Messengers by steamer. The land Immediately facing
Vienna between it and the river and also the Other
side of the main channel Is rendered useless for building
or agricultural purposes, by the many minor streams
with which up, aud by the erratic course OF the
main stream.
Having stated the reasons for Undertaking the regua.
tion OF the Danube must mention what u IS proposed
10 do and what advantages 10 is expected VIII accrue
from the alterations In the first place, as have said
| the Danube will be diverted into one bedi that bed.
which s to be Of the uniform breadth at ordinary water
mark OF eco feet 10 be protected by two dams each
90 feet high the dam nearest 70 Vienna railroad
lines tramways, and shaded carriage road are u he
| I,uitt uhp he q