Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-24
THE STORY OF SVEABoRa.
A Description Of the Helsingfors Fort
ress and Its Past Experiences.

ress and Its Past Experiences.
From the London Globe.
1t is most charming voyage on board
one OF the clean, smart Swedish steamers
that run between st. Petersburg and
Stockholm and call at Helsingfors from the
spring until the Ice comes again In the
autumn. Leaving the VASTLY Ostron just
below the Nicolas bridge across the
Neva at o'clock in the afternoon. the
frowning granite forts of Cronstadt, with
the woods of Peterhof and Oranienbaum
on the opposite mainland. are passed two
hours later. At 7 o'clock the excellent
'sexa." or evening meal, is served In the
usual Swedish ample way. and then. should
the season be that near the summer SOL
stice one can sit over coffee on deck and
watch the long day close with just a short
break Of few minutes and pass into the
short night and out again into the dawn OF
another day.
In the fresh morning air Helsingfors is
reached at o'clock. AS the steamer enters
the broad expanse OF landlocked water, at
the end OF which lies Helsingfors, the trav-
eier notices away on his left the granite
ramparts of Sveaborg, the guardian fortress
/ of Helsingfors. and usually styled 1.-The Gil
braltar OF the North" while on his right
and browning the summit of the hill which
/ separates the open water OF the south har-
Dor from the inner. or east harb0r. scars
aloft the gorgeous. fiamboyant cathedral of
the so-Greek Church. built in recent
years. and whose topmost cross is. as the
Russian officials will tell you with manifest
glee. some inches higher than the cross on
the dome Of the Lutheran Cathedral at st.
Nicholas. standing on hill in the center
OF the town.
1t was my good fortune to pass a summer
there in one of the villas IN the BRUINS
parker. Right opposite my house. at dis
tance OF about two miles was the fortress
OF Sveaborg. The name is compounded of
borg" a fortress. and ''Svea, meaning OF
the Swedes. The name bespeaks the origin
Of the place. which commands the narrow
Gustaf sound. the only channel with water
deep enough for large vessels arriving from
the outer waters. The Notifications are built
out OF the solid granite rock; they extend
over six rocky islands-Langorn. Lila
Svarto N,ster Svarto, Oster Svarto. Var
gon and Gustafsvard. and all OF them, ex-
cept Langorn. are connected by bridges.
Nargou Is the citadel owing to its central
position. and on that island Count Ehren-
swerd field marshal OF Sweden. built the
first fortress between l747 and 1853. Count
Ehrenswerd lies buried In the open space
before the commandments house; the monu-
. ment erected over his grave bears the in
scription: ION this spot and surrounded by
his own work repose the remains of the
Count August Ehrenswerd." To him Sweden
owed also It's first gunboat fiotilla. which
was organized in 1860 BY ITO Sweden had
established Sveaborg a naval harbor and
fortress. In 1905 the Russians succeeded in
capturing the place from the Swedes. The
event forms probably the darkest page In
Sweden's history Admiral Count Cronstedt,
an officer OF tested courage. was In COM
mand of the Swedish garrison of 20S officers
and 1885 non-commissioned officers and
men. while the Russian investing force was
very much smaller. The siege began on
March o: the land was stu under snow and