The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-02-14

Marmora. on whose eastern end the
city Of ConEtantlnople was built. says
the Baltimore sun. The HeIlosDont
finally became known o. the straits Of
the Dardanelles. the key to the Turk
ish capital. Mahomet H.. soon after
the seizure Of confiantlnople. In 1888.
had these forts erected. Not being
kept In good order they were unable
10 prevent the passage Of Russian tn
l77O and an English squadron Gin
iS0D. Since 1867 several additional
batteries have been raised and several
new forts built az the entrance from
the Aegean Sea. AZ far back a. 1909.
the Ottoman porte was negotiating
with Great Britain for a treaty pro-
hiblilng admission OF any but Turkish
warshlps 10 the Dardanelles. TO which
proposition the great powers agreed In
1914. and which fact wns confirmed In
the peace Of Paris IN 1856. a. well a.
In the peace OF Berlin In 1878.
The Dardanelles form a long. tor
tuous and narrow passage. swept BY a
strong current Tho average width OF
the straits Il only two miles. while Al
the narrowesi point the channel 10 only
about 1000 yards broad. on either
side the ground Ia the most favorable
for forts and the most unfayorable for
ships that may attempt 10 force a
passage. but the latter would find ~
dificuli to reach the forts a. al with
their guns. Indeed. modern warlhips
Of any type are peculiarly susceptible
10 a plunging or downward Are. agains,
which the thin armoT Of their decks
cannot protect them satisfactorily. In
1878 Admiral Horribly OF the British
fcei. when he led bis squadron up the
narrows. found tina, scarcely a gun In
his feet could be trained upon the
Turkish batteries on the clila. He
had. OF course. no occasion 10 Gre a
shot. the Turks. then In alliance with
England. not opDosing hls passage.
Herr n. Won Biebersteln. a German
olccr, IN describing the Dardaneiics
fcris. states that Al the very entrance
TO the straits the width a abou. two
and a quarter miles. There are forts
SCdll-Bahr Kaigssl. with sixty guns
and ten mor;ars. and Kun Kaiessi.
with thlrty-slx guns and twelve NOR
tars. To these must be added two
strong earthworks. eaca mounting ak
teen guns. which gives a total Of i0C
heavy guns. In war every kind Of
mine and torpedo would supplement
the terrific crosl-hre OF thssc batteries.
Then some miles farther up. Al the
narr0West point. where the current q
swlftesi. where the way Is rendered
hard Of passage BY shoals and whore
the cliffs on either side rise high. Il a
second tremendous group Of works.
mounting between them no fewer than
go guns and foriy-s.ght mortars. dls-
tributed In nineteen forts OF earth
works. many Of which are strongly
constructed. In accordance with the
progress Of military art The guns are.
many OF them. Of large ealiber. even
IN 1873 there was a aiiy-ion Krupp.
Here. again. the defense would have
the assistance Of mine-aelds and all
manner Of torpedoes. and can enhlade
the passage with gunhre. The ships
must come into action slngie-moving
In line ahcad-the only possible order.
and can then only direct a feeble Gre
upon their assallanis. They cannot
move At an an. BY the tedious ana
wcariaome process Of creeping" or
sweeping" they have cleared the fair
way Of mines. Any damage 10 steering
gear or propcllers IN the strong cur
rent might prove fatal
No feet could enter the sea Of Mar
mora without very heavy loss. both IN
men and material. The Turks. nrht-
Ing behind earthvorks are By no
means contemplate enemles. AZ they
proved to Sir John Duckwor,h In 1907.
The ships would have TO undergo one
battering IRON the frs, series Of ports,
after clearing away TIE mlnea They
would then have 10 undergo a worse
battering AZ the narrowA
supposins an went well and no ships
were lost IN the mine felds or disabled
BY the Turkish torpedo craft. which
are probably In = very sorry state. the
feet might enter the sea Of Marmora.
having sustained a gcod deal q dam
ace and fired much precious ammuni-
tlon away. Behind Il are s,n the
Turkish forts, which 4 must rcpass on
lis return. Il Il cut on from an COM
munlcatlon IN hostile waters. unable
TO procure coal. Against Cons,antino-
pie Il can DO less than no'hlng. Sir
John nuckworth threat ned a bonn
hordmcnt In 1907. when Russia sided
with England. but found that human
iiy. political considerations and. last.
but not least. The very uselessness Of
such 3 measure forbade a. Il had 70
retreat. Tor he had no army 10 overaWe
the lultan's land f0roca on hls way
dJwn most Of his ships were roughly
handled and ne los, iwen,y-nlne killed
and i3S wounded In the narrows.
on the whole. the passage Of the
Dardanelles IL only possible to strong
~ armorcd ships. and that perhaps by
nigh, alone, The dispatch Of an army
corps up the straits Ia impossible IN
IN the forts have been reduced and
Turkey dlsposes OF Il, al the lowest
estimate. 100000 armed men, who. n
the sultan should Be attacked. viii.
whatever his sins. defend him with
Ottoman obslinacy an the last
The Read % wealth.