Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1905-12-27
Forcing The DardanelIss.


all the powers of Europe have COM
bined in sending fleet to seize
Macedonia, one of the Greek States,
and then govern it in the future to
show the "Sublime Porte" the great
Turkish ruler, that Improvement in
government must commence in his
empire.
The Sublime Porte rules Turkey
and other &C. existent States from the
city of Constantinople. This city
was built by Constantine, the first
GAristian ruler of Rome, and was
HHown in earlier history as Byzan-
tune. Constantinople is the break
water between Turkey and Europe.
Should the Powers fail to impress
the Sublime Porte sufficiently by a
display of naval force it has been
suggested that the allied fleets might
make an attempt to enter and pass
through the Straits of the Darda-
nelles-a move which, as matter
of fact, is not in the least likely to
be undertaken, inasmuch as the losses
of ships and men would inevitably
be enormous and altogether out of
proportion to the ends sought.
The strait was known in classical
time as the Hellespont, and Xerxes
of old passed over it with his enor-
nous army consisting of something
like 100000 people, including camp
followers,) by means of bridge of
boats. 1t is like river, forty miles
long and very narrow in some places,
separating Europe from Asiatic
Turkey and connecting the Sea of
Marmora with the Aegean. On the
Asiatio side its entrance is marked
by promontory, where the Argo-
nauts are said to have landed when
pursuing their search for the Golden
Fleece, and close by the shore on
which the Greeks who came to be-
siege Troy, drew up their vessels
and established their camp.
Thus it will be seen that the vicin-
ity of the Dardanelles is in very
truth classic ground. On the Euro
pean side of the strait are frowning
cliffs, while the Asiatic bank presents
to the view the most beautiful seem
cry imaginable, with fertile plains,
vineyards, and smiling fields, over
which villages are scattered. In the
distance, as the topmost summit of
mountain range, to which the plains
rise in gentle slopes, is seen Mount
Ida, famous of old. On the Asiatic
side, on a jutting point, and sur
rounded by modern Notifications, is
an ancient tower, known by the
graceful name of "Tomb of the Slut
for no other reason than that it is
said to have been erected in memory
of Priam's widow, Hecuba, who, ae-
cording to the story, was changed
into female dog as punishment
for cursing the Greeks who took her
captive.
In places the strait is as much as
four miles wide, but for considera-
BILE distance its width does not ex-
cd4d one mile. 1t has many inlets
and secure harbors for vessels even
of the largest size, and defence of
it is rendered much easier by it's
winding course, and by difficulties of
navigation. Throughout it's length
of forty miles it is lined on both sides
by continuous series of forts which
bristle with guns. Some of these
works, built by Ottoman engineers,
are of ancient type and more or less
in ruins, but others are of improved
MNern and thoroughly up-to-date,
M3Fing been erected by French mill
tary experts. At every advanta-
geous point there are stone fortifca- :
tions or earth works, from whose
gun n-emplacements formidable cannon
project their threatening muzzles.
From period far back in their
history the Turks have placed an al
most superstitious reliance in artil-
lery, and they are convinced that the
Dardanelles could not possibly be