The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1908-08-27

/ tai OF kraVOnia, Is an island set
! IN plain. 1t lies i'm the broad valley
of the Krath which at this point flows
due east Immediately above the city
/ the river divides into two branches,
! known as the North and South rivers.
Slavna is rlasped in the embrace of
these channels. Conditioned by their
course. as form is not circular, but
pear shaped, for they bend out in grad.
uql broad curves to their greatest dis
tance from one another, reapproach-
! ing quickly after that point is passed
! till they smeet again at the end, or,
rather, what was originally the end,
Of the city to the east. The single re
united river may stand for the stalk OF
! the pear.
In old days the position was a strong
one Nowadays it is obviously much
less defenslble and those in power
| had recognized this fact in two ways
| first by allocating money for a new and
scientific system of fortifcations, sec
ond by destroying almost entirely the
ancient and out of date walls which
| had once been the protection of the
| city. Part of the wall on the north
side, indeed. still stood, but where II
| had escaped ruin II was incumbered
aud built over with warehouses and
wharfs. for the North river Is the
channel of commerce and the medium
of trade with the country round about.
TO the south the wall has been entirely
demolished, its site being occupied by
| boulevard, on TO which faces a line of
handsome modern residences, for as
| the North river is for trade. so the
South Is for pleasure. and this boule-
ward has been carried across the
stream and on beyond the old limits of
the city and runs for n mile or farther
on the right bank of the reunited
Krath, forming delightful and well
shaded promenade, where the citizens
are accustomed to take their various
forms of exercise.
Opposite to II, on the left bank, lies
the park attached to the palace. That
building itself, dating from 1920 and
regrettably typical of the style of its
period, faces the river on the left bank
just where the stream takes a broad
sweep TO the south, giving a rounded
margin to the kings pleasure grounds.
Below the palace there soon comes
open country on both banks. The bou-
levard merges in the main postroad to
Volsenl and to the mountains which
form the eastern frontier of the king
dom. At this date and for. "a consider
able number Of years afterward the
only railway line in Kravonia did not
follow the course of the Krath, which
itself afforded facilities for traffic and
intercourse but ran down from the
north, having it's terminus on the left
bank Of the North river, whence car
riage bridge gave access to the city.
To vote money is one thing, to raise
II another, and to spend 1t on the desig-
mated objects a third. Not a stone nor
a sod of the new forts was yet In place,
and Slavna's solitary defense was the
ancient castle which stood on the left
Of the bank just at the point of bisec-
tiOn, facing the casino and the botanical
gardens on the opposite bank Sulei-
mans tower, relic Of Turkish rule, is'
built on simple plan-a square curtain,
with bastion at each corner, inclOses
massive circular tower. The gate
faces the North river, and a bridge,
which admits Of being raised and low
cred, connects this outwork with the
north wall of the city, which at this
point is In good preservation. The
fort is roomy Two or three hundred
men could find quarters there, and, al
though II is under modern conditions
OF little use against an enemy from
without, II occupies position Of con-
siderable strength with regard to the
city itself. II formed at this time the
headquarters and residence of the com
mandant of the garrison, post held by
the heir to the throne. the Prince OF
Slavna.
In spite OF the fiatness OF the sur
rounding country, the appearance of
SlavDa is not unpicturesque. Time and
the hand Of man the people are a color
loving race have given many tints,
soft and bright, to the roofs, gables and
walls of the old quarter OF the north
town, over which Suleiman's tower
broods with an antique impressiveness
Behind the pleasant residences which
border on the southern boulevard lie
handsome streets of commercial build
ings and shops, these last again glow
ing with diversified apd gaudy colors.
In the center Of the city, where, but for
Its dissection, we may imagine the Krath
would have run, a pretty little canal
has been made by abstracting wa
ter from the river and conducting 1t
through the streets. On either side of
this stream a broad road runs. Al
most exactly midway through the city