Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1897-07-03

like forts than dwelling places, says
the New York Herald. The discovery
lust made in this ancient city of Lal-
drecies is a very interesting one. II
has led to the unearthing of dungeons
and strongholds dating back TO the
ninth. eleventh and twelfth centuries,
and as the history of the people who
lived in the days of tournaments ana
chivalry has a fascination and attrac-
ton for the majority of the people. a
brief description of the present discoS-
cry will doubtless be read with pleas
ure by many. Since the passage OF the
bill depriying Landrecies OF its long
enjoyed privileges of a fortified town
public opinion has been very u ex-
cited. for it is appreciated that the
Notifications of the greater part OF the
Chevalier du Vile and the Marechal du
Vauban will disappear entirely, as
we'll as the Porte de France which
is original in itself and that there will
unfortunately not remain in this old
city, so often besieged. burned and de-
stroyed, a single trace. a single mon
ument. which will recall its origin and
the many interesting phases OF its his
tory. This wholesale demolition Is a
great mistake. During the process of
dismantling one of the bastions the
very important ruins of a dungeon
built in the twelfth century by Mich
olas. called lie Bean. were uncovered.
Nicholas lie Beau was "Seigneur
d'Ayesnes a la Lisere de la Foret de
Normal" on the borders OF the Sam
bre. And il was TO the construction
Of this very castle fortress that Ian
drecies principally owes its origin and
is mentioned at all in history prior
to this date it is only casually, for it
was not until this castle was built
that the inhabitants of the "terre de
Landrecies'' settled around it, thus
forming the city of the same name.
Jean Froissart tells us in his "Chron-
icles' 1340I that after the tragical
death of Sire de Poselle, governor of
the city. the Sire de Floyon was for
a long time guardian of the city and
chastel of Landrecies.'" Several let
tiers mentioned the Importance OF Ian
drecies at that period. Among them
may be mentioned, first, hat in which
| Jean de Blois gives certain powers to
/ Allard de B%arbancon. This dungeon
!, is built entirely of sandstone and Is
nineteen meters long and fourteen and
= one-half wide. Its walls in many
places are more than three meters IN
thickness. 1t forms a large rectangu
/ lar room, 120 meters square into which
access was gained by a small doc
cut in n angle of the room
This door Is hidden and pro
tected by two strong pilasters. The!
are one meter and seventy centimeter.
n high and about one meter and ten cen
timeters thick. The dungeon is in
t. state of perfect preservation, with tt
{ grooves. it's portcullis. its drawbridg'
-e and other means then in use for bar
lie Reading the castle against attack. TIL
D. vault of the dungeon. of which on
,e part is in a very good condition, Is al
r so built of sandstone and consists o
lg a single arch about eighty centimeter
as thick at its keystone. The upper par
Us of this vault forms a platform. whic,
70 must have been the floor of a very hig
= room, for this dungeon, which to-da
ne is reduced to about FIVE meters i
ne height, in consequence of having bee
10 leyeled for some certain purpose. mus
y certainly have been much higher
Judging by the thickness of the wall
and the nniInfor-fn ST.
VI which are still seen on its circumfe,
20 ence Besides, a little below the yaul
there seems to have been In the thicl
ness of the wall a secret corridor star
ing from n of the angles of the build
ing, and which must have been use
as a means of communication betwee
- the upper and the vault. an
also traces of an exterior staircas
which has since been destroyed. /
"a 1913 Francois l., when he fortified Il
nd town Of Landrecies, utilized this soil
y, fortress as a foundation for one OF h
"a bastions, and 1t was given the nan
lin Of the "Bastion du Chateau" 1t W;
ar. doubtless at this time that the dul
ro. geon was mutilated and put in IL
ID. condition In which 1t has Just be-
IN discovered. In fact, Messire Martin 1
ost Bellay, Seigneur de Langey, the lie
tenant Of the king, tells us in h
Memoirs d543), after speaking
his the construction at Landrecies
be "trois gros coulleverts," that for Il
an, fourth 'coullevert' we found an 0
zen turreted Chateau which was filed
nd with earth and upon which we buI
1as our bastion." All this points to Il
fact that the discoveries still to
nat made in the neighborhood will pro
ith most interesting. A little distan
away stands a tower In sandstor
which is very, very old, and It's wa.
ate are pierced at regular intervals wi
ls narrow. long Sits, evidently intend
ID for the use Of the archers. The fou