The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-10-02

CRAONNE-The scene of Napo-
Icons last victory before the end or
the first empire was laid in the village
Of Craonne, France, in the hills. a
little more than half way on straight
line from Reims to Laon. The bat
tie took place on the TIN of March.
1914, after Butcher had combined a
force of 100000 men at Laon. The
emperor fell upon the advance guard
of this force at Craonne and drove
ii back upon Laon, where battle
took place two days later. Napoleon
was here defeated, and with only go
Geo at his back, he WAS compelled
to renounce all ideas of further
offensive, and he retired to Reims.
The town has changed but little In
! 90 years. haveing scarcely more than
! 600 inha bitants. 1t overlooks the
valley of the Aisne, as II threads its
way through the big hills TO the
northwest Of Reims-
TERGNIER-A point OF strategic
Importance. a little to the north of
a line from Noyon to Laoti, France,
much coveted by reason of its loca-
ton on the northern bank Of the
nise and on the Canal CroZat. which
joins the Disc and the Somme, and
principally because 1t is at the juno
tt,re Of the doubIe-tracked railroad
running 10 lHt -SoIlh lSi
nier are direct lines to Noyon. Laon.
Amiens, St Quentin and many other
points in the battle zone. Tergnier's
population of about 5000 Is interest
ed principally in large railway work
shops located there. The town is
twenty-seven miles northwest of the
craonne battlefields.
ST. GOBAfN-In northern France
ten miles west OF Laon and seventeen
miles east of Noyon, in the heart of
enc OF the most densely wooded dis
:I,cts of that part of the country
lies St Gohain, which proudly lays
claim TO the distinction that 1t manu-
features the largest mirrors In the
world No town in France Is more
thoroughly French, and none has suf-
fered less from the successive Partisan
earthquakes Of the past century. The
French government owns large tracts
Of land around and beyond st. Gobain.
the remnant of the immense sylvia
cum" through which Agrippa opened
a great Roman way connecting Rome
with the British channel. The towns
600 inhabitants owe their well-heing
10 its glass company. One of the mos
curious features of ST. Gol,ain Is a
sybterranean lake about 1900 square
yards in area.
! ANIZY-A small French town
eight miles southwest OF aon, anc
/ ten miles northwest of scissors, which
seems TO have been a fortress or the
Emperor Valentinian In fourth cen
,l,ry. and TO have been ?i'i"ced .'y
the yandals ir the fifth. Ths rev.
oiution laid violent :tAnis up. II the
town. It's buildings we're demolished
or defaced, its old trees were cut down
md its fine Old chu..>h. st. Genevieve.
was turned into i meeting nall I or
the electors. who. after putting on ne
sacerdotal vestments. marched about
The church carrying the dats. beat
! me crosses and carved stalls to pieces,
smashed the poorbox, and stole what
vas worth stealing. They sold the
stone slabs from the graves end es-
| tahiished a saltpetre factory In the
church.
! VIC-SUR- SEILLE-A small town
! in Lorraine. sixteen miles north OF
I cast of Nancy. whose principle poses
zions are the ruins Of an old castle
and some disused saltworks. The lat
Ter were aba ndoned when rock salt
mine was discovered at Dieuze. From
! Vic to the West the country is vast
unenclosed. arabic plain, uninhabited,