Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1893-11-11
tFor the Observes.
LUXEMBOURG, Oct. rs, 1893,

tI,oi tuc OoSSssCF. !
LUXEMBOURG, Oct. Is, 1893.
To tie Editor cfthe Grunge Coanty'
Obserrer-
DEAR SIR: | have read with in
teres, The OBSERVERS letters from
my good friend Major Hal. Jones
whose feet point toward my feet.
By this | mean that he and | are on
opposite sides OF the earth and, ac-
cording to school boy notions, n
OF must be standing On his head. |
assure you that l am on my fee, and,
if the Major is in the same position,
the small boy in the geography class
should accept this as satisfactory
proof that the earth is round and
,ha; there is no danger Of falling off
on the other side.
The Major writes you Of the grand
new w%est-,he land OF promise. Let
me tell you about the grand old east
the land of memories. My con.
sular distric, consists OF an ihde
pendent country 30 small that l
doubt ii one boy 10 q hundred would
mention it in naming the iudepend-
ent countries of Europe.
The grand Duchy OF Luxembourg
is a neutral state like Belgium,
which lies between Germany and
FRANCE In size it is, l suppose Tot
veryjmnch larger than Orange coun-
,y, lis area being 1000 square miles.
l, is much more thickIy settled,
though, the population being 220,
900. The capital, which is also
named Luxembourg, has IS 900 in
habi,ants and it is from this little
city that | now write.
Though small Luxembourg was
once one of the most important mil
ilary centres of Europe. In strength
it vas until 1867, when the tortlfca-
tons were demoIisped, next to
Gibraltar the strongest fortress ir
Europe.
l will try TO give you an idea Of
what the town looks like. Nature
and art here combined to create az
impregnable stronghold. On three
sides Of the town the river Alzette
(about as large as the Eno) by age:
OF work has worn the soil away II
such a way as to expose the nake6
perpendicular rock, the precipices il
many places being $50 feet high
On the fourth side the land slant,
! away rapidly from the town SO tina
an approaching enemy would hav'
q had to charge up bill. Strong as i
was this was the weakest side Of tn
town and here were a moat and tn
most formidable Notifications. No
imagine the perpendicular Gill
strengthened at every weak point b
colossal masonry aud capped wit
forts and batteries, with pretty, over
! hanging, stone watch towers at ever
projecting angle of the works, and
:, chaos of slated and titled roofs an
y towers and spires in the back groun
:, and you will see Luxembourg 4
it was and, with exception of th
batteries. still is. Even the valley
y were formerly crossed by s,ron
walls, whose ruins are still to l.
T seen. and the opposite bill sides an
~ hill tops are covered with RUNE
- masonry and towers. Every 70
and out post was connected with tn
other Notifications by covered s,or
passages and by subterranean tut
, DeIs.
> All the nations of Europe hay
recognized the natural strength
the place and have added to it's 70
tihcations. The work of tortifcatio
e was begun by the Romans and, sine
then, the town has been held b
J. Franks, Bnrgundians, Spaniards, Z,
glish men, Dutch men, French me,
u Austrians and Germans. Each n;
ton has added stones to the forth
cations and words to the curiot
Language of this little country.
Through the covered, over-groun
passage-ways troops could be move
unseen from one part of the work
to another.
: But the most remarkable part ,
the Notifications were the sub,err;
mean works. TIE whole might
rock on which the town is perche
is honey combed with passage way
connecting subterranean rooms an
dungeons as we'll as different par
= Of the works. In some of the,
= stair cases, bewn from the soll
: rock. lead down into the bowels
the earth to passages which, in turl
lead under the river to forts an
towers across the valley or to S,
cret entrances far out in the couatr'
One huge rock, known as th
book, contains rooms and passag.
which were begun by the Roman
and which, when Necessary, cou!
: conceal 5000 men. In the otht
>nb!erranean works an entire arm
could take refuge, SO that a victor
Gus enemy entering the town woul