The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-27
THE HELLESPONT.
The TURKISH NOTIFICATIONS OF
THE OARDANELLES.

sAhu LILO ODRnu6l Moro OF
frotection Than tho Forts-Not Difficult
70 Kun by the Lattor-Amusinr Export
ences of Naval Officers,
The strait Of tho Dardanelles is, as many
n'ow, narrow and tortuous waterway
VI uo great length leading In from tho
hor1h aegean to tho inland sea of Mar
mora But what many do not know Is
mat tho Turkish Notifications of tho OAR
aanelles-at least, those of any impor-
.ahce-are situated In q single locality In
.he vicinity of the squatty little Turkish
Town OF Chanak-Kalesi Cor tho Pottery
Castie) which lies on the Asiatio shore a
lew miles In from the mouth of the strait
ono OF these batteries-a low lying forth
ucation constructed Of mud, or rather olay
walls, faced here and there with stone-is
situated at Chanak-Kalesi itself. Another
s planted about two miles further north
east on tho Same shore, while Immediately
across the strait from Chanak- Kalesi other
pattlemonts have been reared on some
what higher ground. None Of these de-
lenses Is especially formidable. as mod
ern notifications go, although it must be
admitted that, inferior as they are In many
respects, they do mount some heavy krupp
guns OF modern construction and undoubt-
ca power while torpodoes, 1t is said, havo
lately been sunk in tho channel Every
now and then tho Turkish government
buys now gun and sets it up at tho Oar
danolles with sublime confidence that
thereby the integrity Of tho empire will be
efectually secured.
But tho Turks understand little about
tho handling of these great guns, although
the Osmanli soldiers are brave whom we'll
ofhcercd, and 1t Is probable that in the
event of aCtIal hoctilitioc tho fyunroro
would soon BIO driven from these defenses,
anu many of tho guns themselves be dis
mounted (by tho skillful fro at long
range OF n fleet lying just inside tho lower
strnlt) before the Osmnnli garrison could
discharge moro than few wild shots
with their intricate but poorly managed,
ballistic apparatus. What really adds
moro to tho strength of these doorway do
lenses OF Turkey, SO to speak, than any
qualities of the garrison in these forts Is
tho swiftncss OF tho currents and the tor
tuous character OF tho ship channel of the
Dardanelles. Yet 1t is not improbable
that once crippled by n Gro ut long range
nervy and resoluto captain Of modern
battleship could run tho gantlet OF the
upper batteries before tho bewildered gun
ners could adjust their artillery to tho
warship's varying range or succeed in no.
complishing moro than smashing of
some of the vessels upper works. Out OF
q fleet OF half dozen vessels cndeavoring
to force the passage of tho Dardanelles,
two would probably DO disabled or would
helplessly ground In maneuvering, while
tho balance would steam triumphantly
past Gallipoli, at the upper end Of tho
Dardanelles, and thereafter have absolute
ly free course directly to tho Golden Horn
and that part OF the pretty Bosporus
nCarlOokoJ hx,t ba xxyind
facades of tho Yildz palace. 1t is said
that in the old days of three deokers an
American frlgate, whose right of entrance
had been challenged by tho Turks hove to
opposite Chanak LAS the orientals familiar
ly and almost affectionately term the pal
ace), fired n salute and then under the
cover of tho smoke this roised-for thnt
was before the days OF 'smokeloss pow
der'-mnde boldly up the strait for tho
sea of Marmora before the Turks could re-
cover from the establishment or interpose
any forcible remonstrance.
Another American naval officer tells an
amusing story of an experience that befell
him when his ship was anchored off
Chanak awaiting the reception of "pra-
tique." After some delay a boat was OBJ
served putting off from shore in the direc-
ton of tho United States corvet. AS tho
boat came alongside dirty Turkish off,
Ger stood up in tho stern sheets, and,
pointing with his thumb In the general
direction of Constantlnoplo, exclaimed,
"Stamboula gitl' The officer Of the deck
did not understand the whole foroo of the
expression Ego to Constantinople) but
with tho quick wit of Yankee he in
stinctivcly OWNED the Significance of tho
git IAN imperative from the Turkish
verb gitmek), which seemed to possess q
certain resemblance to Yankee slang, and
Immediately gave orders to get tho anchor
aboard and bear away up the strait toward
STEAMBOAT as fast rs tho slow American
tub could travel.
Outgoing-that Is, westward bound
vessels stop their engines abreast of a Turk
ish guardship no bigger than q North river
tug, anchored about two miles above
Chanak- Kalesi, and there the permission
in documentary form which they had re-
ceived authorizing the navigation of the
Turkish waters by them they deliver up
before steaming past Chanak out among
the Crock islands OF the Egean. If
venturesomo or ignorant merchant stoam-
or on entering the strait presumes to pass
on beyond certain point, q shot is fired
across her bow, and the cost Of the powder
thus burned Is collected scrupulously
from the owners or agents Of the vessel on
her arrival at STEAMBOAT, as oriental logic
fails to comprehend why poor Turkey
should pay for any foreign disregard Of her
rules.-Army and Navy Journal.