The Portland daily press., 1879-03-18

Szegedin, city which in 1870 had popala-
tion of more than 10000 souls. is 10 sou bern
Hungary at the junction OF the river Maros
with the river Thesis. The Thess and the
Danube flow through the great plain of Gen.
tral and southern Hungary in courses parallel
as to their general direction, about sixty miles
apart. The Danube turns eastward near the
border of Sclavonia, but the Thei.s continues
its general southern direction until their juno
tion, The Thesis is sluggish and very crooked
river, navigsble for steamers for 500 miles,
The great allUvial plain through which It
courses, and especially the portion south Of its
tributary, the Maros is the wonderfully fertile
wheat growing region upon which the other
counties of Europe depend so confidently for
supplies.
Szegedin is the chief city of the country of
Csougrad. 1t is built on a marsh on both sides
Of the Theiss, the part On the east side being
called New Szedgin. 1t rs the Industrial COM
mercial centre for populous and productive
re2iou. The Polsnka or central town is the
Oldest part. Here is very old fortress, built
By the Turks and around it are the residences
of the principal merchants. Above this fort 1,
the upper town, below IL the lower town.
Across the Thesis connecting at this place Is n
bridge Of boats. For two things Szeeedn is
particularly noted. The best boats and a jatipg
mills built in Hungary are made here, aud
there are also large manufactures of soap,
Woollens, leather and tobacco are also manu-
factured here, and the trade in Tokay wines.
timber and the goods of Vienna and Bohemia
is extensive. As IL other Hungarian cities the
industries are not carried on in large mills. but
rather in the homes Of the people. A vast
market place, Magyar theatre ana numerous
churches, converts, hospitals and schools of an
excellent quality, are features of the place or
were before the terrible devastation of last
week, which, unless the reports are much ex-
aggerated, has nearly destroyed the place.
The destruction of buildings repe.ted seems
remarkable, but 1t is probable they were most
~ OF filmsy character, perhaps built of dried
muu Tor tho most part, and certaiUly founded
upon the insecure mud OF the m srsb, easily
washed out by the strong current The Tbeiss,
like the Mississippi, flows along SO sluggishly
that 1t deposits its sediment, thus constantly
raising the bed of the stream so that the sur
rounding low lands have to be protected by
dlkes or levees; and 1t appears that the river
has now done precisely what the swollen Mis-
sissIppi occasionally does, making q creyasse
in the embellishments which confined il and
oveItowing vast district of low lands. The
first break appears to have been above Szsee-
din, and that whole region was speedily iuun-
dated, the country baing overfiowed, it is re-
ported. TO the extent Of 200 square miles. The
river whose rising threatens New Szsgedin is
probably the Maros. Csongrad, Which is also
threatened with destruction is a considerable
town, although not so Important as formally,
at the couhuence of the Thess ami the Koros,
about thirts-s,x miles north of ySzegedin.
Szentes is few miles south of Csongrad.
Vasarhely Is still farther down the river, ell
being market towns of importance and with
populations Of from 5000 to $4,000.