The news and herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1876-1881, 1876-11-09
Misrellaneous.
ENIGSTEIN.

About thirty miles from Dresden,
where the Elbe flows between the
Saxon hills and the Bohemian valleys,
where the valley is scarce mile
wide, and is hard pressed for room
to accommodate tile winding stream,
the railway and the splendid ina.
cadamized road which, with tho river,
for centuries has formed tho only
avenue of communication botweon
fertile Saxony and its Bohemian
neighbors, nature, III some volcanic
throe, has heavel up three immense
sandstone rocks, blocking up the
marrow valley still more, mud frown-
ing down upon it like giant conquer
ors of n subject land.
Tho highest of these rocks is
known rs Lilienstcin, is about two
thirds of mile from tho river, aud
though overlooking all tho others,
yet the impossibility of obtaining a
sufficient water supply, has prevent
ed it's being fortified Pfnfferstein,
the lowest of the threo, is also use
less for military purposes, for the
same reason. But the gods Of war
must have planted Koenigstein Just
where it stands, on the waters edge,
whore it scowls grimly down on
cit n side from m attitude of nine
hundred and twenty one feet of sheer
precipice, locking up railroad, river
and highway with the bronze and
iron keys of its guns, and saying to
the invader from either side, "Thus
far shalt thou go, and no further"
It makes it's debit in history, as n
fort, in the thirteenth century, being
thcn in the possession of the kings
of Bohemia, from whom it passed,
by cession, to the 'margravcs of
Meissen, the predecessors of tho
present rulers of Saxony. Still it
could not stand siege from lack
OF water, until after folty years of
labor, the splendid woll (us great
wonder as the fort itself) was dug
and blasted through tho solid rock
to depth of six hundred and sixty
feet, where it struck water. Then
its owners know they had a "surc
rock Of defence" and for years they
lpbored, howing, blasting and fash
loning the great rock into bastions,
curtains, batteries, bitches, scarps
and demi-lunes, excavating tunnels
and casemates, and finally fashion ng
the work into tremendous bas-
tinnad fort with wallis two hundret]
feet high, and n circuit of milo and
a half around, enclosing seve al
acres away up almost in the clouds,
with barracks and prisons, restau-
rants and magazines, lookout towers
and royal lodgings, and a great grove
OF trees, three hundred years old.
wherein deep shade and solemn Sc
reign. And it is now the
proud Gibraltar of Central Germany.
When distant rumors of war fright
en- tho denizons of tho palace Mt
Dresden, away go tho priceless
treasures of thef,mous green vaults,
with queens and pr:ncesses more
precious still, to it's impregnable
guard.
After 1866, when tho German EN-
pire was reconstructed, this fortress
was, for short time, garrisoned by
Prussian soldiers, but lntterly it has
been garrisoned by Saxon arms.
Two hundred artillery, engineers
md infantry, with rs many more
civilians nna women, and provisions
and munitions of war for six years
make up the total of tho dwellers on
this lofty rock.
A carriage road zigzags up n por-
lion of the rock, at al angle of forty
i've degrees, with breathing places
every one hundl ed yards, which
allow the horses to rest. From the
point whore this road ceases, the
visitor, whether friendly or other
wise, must climb up winding walks,
lndcr arches and across bitches,
everywhere exposed to half dozen
and thanking fires, until at
ast he crosses n drawbridgo and
)asses under spiked orlcallis,
which will vivi lily recall tho tales
If medieval rom lnce
just within ID tho guard-houso,
where, for the sum of one dollar, an
intelligent guide Can bo procured,
Who will show everything. Only
mo must not smoke, IN on no
!ccount speak to tho prisoners.
The fist object Of interest is,
naturally, the famous well, whose
remendous depth is made apprec.a
lie by the simple device Of holdin : a
mirror obliquely to tho sun, thus
hrowing q ray of light on the little
,leaming speck of water far, fur
'elow. This well is pumped by
team, and yields niuety barrels a
lay.
Coming out of tho woll-houso.
'lacards in various tongues greet
he eye, cautioning visitors not to
peak to the prisoners. One would
upposc there was some strange
in tho conversation of
he prisoners to require such repeat
4 cautions.
From the ranparts. whose circuit
akes about two hours, magnificent
anoramas delight the eye on evcry