Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-10-21
For the Spectator.
VIENNA.
FROM NOTES ABROAD.

FROM NOTES ABROAD.
Possibly I am displaying weak point and
exhibiting no small amount Of presumption iu
writing an article upon this city. and to my
mind just now, it is very doubtful question il
| will be able or succeed at all In making il
either interesting. edifying or amusing. You
all have heard so much in connection with the
great Exhibition about this grand capital city
of Austria, that it was only after considerable
hesitation that concluded to contribute my
mite in my plain simple way, thinking that
might say something that abler pens had failed
to indite. and other letter-writers had over
looked and left to some scribbler as myself
This Paris of Austria capital town and
residency of the Austrian Empires situated
in a wide valley, surrounded by charming hills,
on the southern arm of the Danube, the Danube
canal iDonau canal, which receives in the east
ern part Of the town the Wien Fluss (river. J
The town has nine districts, known as the Stadt
Leopoldstadt, Lands'rasse, Wieden: Margare-
then Mariahilf, Neubau. Josefstadt and Al
sergruad The Leopoldstadt is separated from
the other eight districts by the Danube canal
and lies with the Prater and the places Brgitte-
nau and Zwschenbruck on one island, which
is formed of the Doaau canal, under one Dan
ube arm called Kaiser Wasser. The city lies
in very central position, well located, and sur
rounded by beautiful suburbs On the north
side is the Leopoldstadt; on the eastern, the
Landstrasse; in the southern direction, the dis
tricts, Wieden, Margarethen and Mariahilf,
and on the west, II e Neubau, Josefstadt and
the Asergrund. The small Vienna river. called
the Wier, separates the district Mariahilf from
those of Margaretben and Wieden, and takes
its course towards the Landstrasse. where it
discharges into the Danube canal. The districts
communicate by the means of fifteen bridges
over the Vein, and by eight over the Danube
canal. The last census taken, and tolerably
correct computation of the population, shows
the total number Of the inhabitants of Vienna
to be 90l,3 $50. This of course includes all the
suburbs as they stand in direct communication
with the city, and belong to the police circuits.
The Vienna of to-day is very different from
what it vas only score or so of years back,
aud it is continually improving in the style OF
its buildings, its broader streets, and all the
numerous accessories of capital city. The
part wh ch is now termed the town, and is real
ly the heart or centre of the city, was formerly
kept within bound Of Notifications, trenches
and wide gacis, but since 1858 these limits
were removed. and by that means has put an
end to the essential want for the enlargement
of the town, and On the gained place are already
raised numerous magni6cent buildings and fine
pleasure grounds. Those parts which are al
most covered with buildings, and in the centre
of the town to the Franz Josefs Quai and en-
circled by wide girdle called the Ringstrasse,
have become the chief and ornamental streets
of Vienna. While it will seriously tax your
English tongue, and demand a special twist
that you may not attain In the pronouncng line,
will mention the principal places in their or
der, viz the Schottpnring, Franzersriug, Burg
ring, Orpernring, Kartnerring, Kolowratring.
Parking Stubenring, with their palaces are
splendid and there are others projected and
some in process of erection, aad according to the
adopted plan for the town enlargement, there
will be new, wide street, called Gurtelstrasse,
(partly already begun, laid out beyond the bar
riers and comprising the suburbs. Ut an IN
valuable Importance to the town will be the
grand work of the Danube regulation. which is
carried on by the community of Vienna, by
means Of which is obviated the danger OF any
further disastrous inundations OF the town, =
My old landlord. who possessed small stock OF
Eoglish, was always glad of an opportunity to
give it an airing upon any and the slightest
pretext, apart from common clvlity, and OF
evenings, after returning from the Grand Ex-
hibition, I could be seen sitting in the beer
room % of the Hotel, with my large glass Of that
cool, fresh, foaming, delightful beverage known
by that vulgar name of Lager and in front
of me sat my Ioquacious host-smoking, drink
ing, asking questions, and with commendable
pride, telling me of all the Improvements of the
city. both in progress and contemplation, and
while was not anterUieluing him, his voluntary
information was quite acce ptable; SO that, while
enjoying NY beer, improved the time by keep
ing memorandums of the reliable information
gained from the clever old Austrian; and. ia
all my ramblings. / do not remember very
many hours that were passed more pleasantly
than those June evenings 10 the Imperial city
of Wien, at the Hotel Zar Konigin Von Eng
land, II, 1aborstrasse, 33
Under the general name Of Vienna-the vi
emma proper-there are really two cities, the old
town and the new city, and 1t Is the new por.
tion with all it's improvements and additions tc
the old part, that is now making the city one
among the first European capitals, both in size
and elegance.
Vienna appears first in history during the sec
ond century In the fifth century it became
the possession of the Rutgers, who called il
Faviana. and whence may be the latter name
of Vienna, (Wien.) 1t was alternately in the
mower of various nations, until the year 791
when Charles thess Great expelled the Averi
and restored the regency of the German Frank
ish emnire and formed the lower Austria int
7 Margraviates. In the year 984, the Baben
bergs were installed as Margraves, and IN ll5;
the Marerave Henry Ii, Jasomirgott, trans
ferred the residency of the kaeDberg into towr
Vienna, where he built castle Am Hot 1856
Upper and lower Austria became duchy
and.in 1900 the duke Leopold the glorious, erect
ed new residency on the spot OF the presen
court castle, the Burg The Emperor Fred
erick II nominated Vienna an Imperial town
Itremained. however, in the hands of the duke
until l246, when the house of the Babenge
extinguished with the duke Frederick the war
like. Vienna fell in possession Of Ottakar o
Bohemia and was taken back in in 1915 b, Ru :?
dof Of Hapsburg, who in 1878 invested nj
Son with Austria Since this period, it has re
NAMED the seat of the Hapsburg house.
Vienna has been twice fruitlessly besieged b
the Turks, under Soiman the / 'front.' from the ,25d 26t
and under the Grandvisier Kara Mustafa fror
The the l4:h Of July until the 18th of September
1888 when it was delivered by the combine
armies of the Poles and Germans under job
The snhnrhs have been fortified with the sti