The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1877-05-25
a TIE BEAUTIFUL GLuE DANUBE.
Tae Great Rivar which Fiews Through the
Scene Of the Eastern War.

Scene Of the Eastera War.
| The Danube, from its source to it's mouth,
in an air line, is 1,010 miles, but the stream
is so tortuous that its actual length is L.
$50 miles, and it traverses nearly 22o of lat
itude and 81 of longitude. The Danube
and it's tributaries drain an area of 800, 900
square miles. ..-.... ........a. .5
At Belgrade, the capital of servia, it re-
ceives the water of the Save, and then pur-
sues an easterly course, constituting the
boundary between Austria and Servia, until
it reaches the Transylvania or Eastern Car
pathians, at the extreme Western end of
Roumania.
It's course through this range is so miles,
and the pass offers great obstacle to navi-
cation. The river is narrowed to less than
half its breadth above, and in seven differ.
ent places there aressrapids and whirlpools,
of which those in the SO called Iron Gate,
below Old 0rsova, are the most violent. At
this point, opposite the small village of
Tiehevizha, the stream is narrowed from a
width of mile to about 1870 yards, and
with depth, as far as can be ascertained
from the violence of the current, of from
800 to 1000 fathoms. The mountains on
either side are very lofty, nearly 5000 feet
high, those on the Austrian side being 1000
feet higher than those on the opposite bank.
The mountains rise nearly sheer for about
5000 feet above the stream, and where not
perpendicular, rather overhang the water.
When the river is low, the sharp, craggy
points of subaqueous rocks begin to show
themselves above the stream, and between
these the passage is most narrow, winding
and shallow, and, in fact, can only be pass
by steamers especially built for the purpose
oflight draught of water, paddle wheels
and immense power, and even these steam
ers make use Of channel cut through the
ledge. AT the breaking up of the leo in
the spring of 1876, the floating ice became
jammed among the crags in the Iron Gate,
which caused the stream to back up until
vast tracts in Hungary were under water.
Such deluge was unprecedented, and it
suggested at the time the feasibility of pro-
ducing similar effect by artificial means,
as measure of war. The blowing up of
the precipice of Mount Scbireber, on the
Austrian side of the pass, would bring
down many millions of tons of rock aci oss
the Iron Gate, and long before the obstruc-
tions could be removed vast part of East
ern Europe would be turned into an inland
lake. rT EtCssl eft zAG .asa ~aa aGlE5
Having passed the Carpathians, the Dan
,be takes q southerly course, forming the
boundary between Roumania and SerYia
Tor short distance, and then becoming,
throughout the rest of it's course, the boun-
Diary between Roumania and the Turkish
province of Bulgaria. Below Widdin it
takes turn to the east, which it pursues
until it reaches q point only 80 miles from
the Black Sea. Then it takes a sudden
turn to the north, flowing in that direction
for 100 miles to the junction with the Sereth
near Galatz. Then it turns again to the
east, receiving the waters of the Pruth, |
which marks part of the Russian frontier. |
After flowing east about 40 miles, in the |
vicinity of Ismail and Tultcha, it is divided |
into several branches. These wind slug |
gishly through the low and dreary alluvial |
country known as the Delta of the Danube,
and empty the waters of the great rivers |
into the Black Sea by three principal chan
nels-the Kilia, ,Sulina and st. George-and |
four lesser ones. The most nortl erly Of
Sc 41,a hp,,pJapx1 af fhic 4
point between Bulgaria and Roumania, and
is only about 25 miles distant from the
Russian boundary line. ra.r .,,tesf- .s.-.s
The rapidity of Its current in its upper
course, its tortuous windings, the shallow
ness of the water in the portion which
flows through Hungary, and in the outlets
into the Black Sea, and the reefs, rapids
and whirlpools which mark its course at
many points, have rendered the navigation
of the Danube SO dificult that its CONNER
cial use has yet not been fully developed
The introduction of steam in 1880 inaugu-
rated new era in it's history. By the con-
vention of November 7, 1857, between the
States through which the river flows, yes
sells of all nations were allowed to ascend |
the Danube from its mouth to any, point
above, but navigation between the different
points was reserved to tie subjects of the
countries along it's banks. The Treaty of
March 13, 1871, authorized the levying of
a provisional tax on all commercial vessels
for paying for the removal Of the remain
ing obstructions at the Iron Gate, in case
that work should be undertaken. An Aus
trian company, which almost monopolizes
the through traffic of the river, has very
large feet of steamers and transports. Its
vessels make the voyage from Vienna to
Constantinople in seven days. This COM
pany employs $50 vessels on the lower
Danube, and these are now all laid up by
hostilities. e7 a.