Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-06-09

People ought TO be better acqHaint-
cd with geography. In these days of
wonders, when the whole world. as it,
weres can be visited and talked with
daily, when nations are brought so
near together, when the great broth.
erhood of man is being so universally
recognized, we ought to know more of
each other as social and civilized be-
ings, and certainly the masses should
be educated in physical and political
geography. When there arises any
great national or political commotion
in any nation, our notice is called
| a ticularly to that portion of the
earth and We are desireous to know
more about it. And when we begin
10 investigate, we learn our ignorance.
The war in the East, has developed a
vast amount of ignorance that exists
in regard to the great nations engag-
cd; and more especially in regard to
the geography of those countries. A
party was discussing about the Dan
ube; and they concluded "thaU it was
as big as the Connecticut" A few
words about this river may assist us
in reading about the vast operations
that are and will take place on this
peculiar, but mighty river. The Dan
ube takes its Use in Germany. and
flows through Austria, and Europeon
Turkey and TWO or three Turkish
provinces and empties into the
BLACK Sea through seven mouths OF
various sizes, in about the forty-firth
parallel of North Latitude, being
about the same as ours. 1t is about
1880 miles long. Vienna, the capitol
of Austria is situated on this river,
and it is Ravigahle to this point for
large sized boats. There is an i'm
mense amount Of business done on
this river between Vienna and Con-
!stantinople, although 1t is quite long
voyage, the latter place being about
four degrees south of the mouth oil
the river. The river breaks through
the Carpathian mountains near the
Austrian boundary, and ia its passage
through the mountains resembles the
Colorado; for it runs some eighty
miles IN marrow channel, with high
mountainous country on either side.
and through this distance, it is full oil
.whirlpools and rapids making naviga.
ton very difficult. 1t is near the
lower end of this long cannon that
the Iron Gate is situated. The stream
narrows to width OF $50 yds. ant
the mountain ridge through which the
river has cut its way, has an elevation
of a mile above the surface of the
river, and a wall three thousand fee
high bands the river upon either side
and here the water is supposed to bt
nearly mile deep, the current is Sc
rapid, that no measurment can bt
made. Steamers have to he built ex
pressly for passing through these mar
rows. In the spring of 1876 We reaC
of a terrible food, and destruction O
life ami prov erty on the Danube. Thu
was occasioned by the sudden break
ing up of the river above the Iron Cat,
and the packing Of an immens
amountof ice into this narrow gorge
and flooding the country back, crea
ting LAKE of large proportions, til
the ice gave way and then the accu
mulated water made sudden and swift
destruction below. 1t is a good wa,
in order to read the war news intelli
gently to have good map of the coun
try hang in a convenient place, and il
this stick black headed pins for! tn
Turks, and white ones for the Rus
slams, and they can lie moved to sho,
the position of the armios