Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-05-06
SOVEREIGN OF THE EAST.
Its Situation, Fortifieation
and cosmopoIitan Population.

VIadivostok, Its Situation, Fortifieation
and Cosmopolitan Population.
The extraordinary dash which char
acterizes the Japanese forces may any
day threaten the safety Of that Won
derful fortress on the Pacific, Vladi-
vostok, says the Pail Mall Gazette.
Russians have described Vladivostok
as the key to the Pacific. I believe
that a literal translation Of the name
gives the title Sovereign Of the East"
to the place upon which the Russians
have lavished millions and millions of
rubles. The interests Of the army and
navy centre there, and around the for
tunes Of these two services the place
has sprung up. 1t Is also the chief
town Of east Siberia-in fact, 1t may
be said to be the most important seat
of Russian influence in the far east
It Is so much more formidable than
Port Arthur, so much more magnif-
cent than Dalny, so much larger than
Khabarovsk, and 1t possesses such an
admirable harbor, that 1t Is not sur
prising that the Russians regard the
town and its surroundings as the hub
Of Greater Russia in the east.
The town is situated on the slopes
of high ridge forming tapering pc
ninsula which projects into an irregu-
lar, landlocked bay. The entrance Is
commanded by Russia Island, where
there Is an important fort and innum-
erable small islets, on which. too, the
general scheme Of the Notifications Is
also carried out. Again, along the
crests Of the Iandlocked harbor,
stretching for miles to the eastward
and known as the Golden Horn, there
are other continuous chains Of earth
works and defensive positions. The
lofty hills on the northwest protect the
port from the land side, and in the
deep water Of the Golden Horn, which
is four miles long and a half mile In
width ships ride easily at anchor, free
from the menace of attack and beyond
the reach of the weather. The guns
mounted on the hills are plainly Wis
ible from the water in a number Of
places, while in curious contrast to the
smiling muzzles Of these pieces Of ar
tillery are the clusters Of suburban res
licences which are scattered about the
hillside, even descending in places to
the level Of the water.
The main street runs east and west
through the business quarter and
across the railway track to Amur Bay
and east past the government build
ings. The main street, Svetlandskaya.
named after the frigate upon which the
Grand Duke Alexis visited the port In
1873, follows the curve Of the Golden
Horn. Lying between the street and
the shore, on rising ground, are the
residences Of the commandant Of the
port the public gardens, the Admiralty
gardens, the museum Of the Geograph-
ical society, the residence Of the gov
ernor Of Primorsk, the grounds Of the
Maritime club. the native bazaars and
the steamboat quay. At one point
there Is a magnificent granite monu-
ment surmounted by bronze globe,
on which perches an eagle with out
stretched wings. This monument COM
memorates the memory Of Admiral
Nevelski, who made several voyages
in the east in the early sos. On the
north side of the street there Is the
Cathedral of the Holy Virgin, and
there are also the offices Of the Mu-
nicipal Council, the post and the tele-
graph bureau and the railway station.
The Svetlandskaya Is crossed by the
Aleutskaya, and the point at which
these two streets intersect is the COM
mercial centre Of the town. The