Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-12-04
History of Towns
in the War Zone

Washington, D. c., Dec. 1.-The re-
| gion around Verdun, in the department
| of the Meuse, and that around Sedan
and Charleville, in the department of
Ardennes, form the subject of an in
teresting statement given to the press
by the National Geographic society
today. The statement is as follows:
The department of the Mouse, in
northeastern France, is one of the
most strongly fortified regions in the
world. The greatest length of this
department from north to south is APP
proximately so miles, and its greatest
width is approximately 40 miles, yet
within that circumscribed area, with
its 2,4OO square miles of territory, are
the great fortress of Verdun, the forti-
fed positions of st. Mihiel and Giron-
vile, and the towns of MontmIady,
Stenay, Montfaucon, Spincourt. Troy
on and Commercy, each eloquent with
recent military history.
The Meuse river flows through the
department from its southeast corner
to its northwest border, crossing the
latter only about 10 miles from the
historic battlefield of Sedan, Verdun,
st. Mihiel and Gironville defend its
eastern banks and the great fortifica-
lions of Toul form an outpost of its
valley. About one-half of the tota!
area of the department is embraced
in the valley of the Meuse, which is
enclosed on the west by the forests
of Argonne, and on the east by the
hills known as the Cote de Mouse.
Still further to the east lies the for
ests of the Woevre district One-fourth
Of the entire department is covered
with forests, and they were, prior to
the present war, those finely kept for
ests of France that resemble wooded
parks in our own country.
THE 100000 people who live in the
department of the Meuse in normal
times are devoted mainly to agricul-
ture and manufacturing. Their crops
correspond generally to those of the
Mohawk valley of New York, the Sus-
quehannah valley OF Pennsylvania, and
the Shenandoah valley of Virginia
Sugar beets are an important addition
to the list of things produced from
the soil.
There are many Industrial estab-
lishments in the department, such as
textile mills, lumber mills, paper
mills, carriage works and distilleries
Ligny-en-Barrios is famous for its out
put of scientific instruments. There
are also important iron, steel and wire
plants In the department, and its
files, hardware and edged tools are
famous.
Important waterways cross the de
partment, one of them connecting the |
Marine in France with the Rhine in |
Germany, and the other running up |
and down the Mouse valley. Their |
aggregate length approximates 145 |
miles. or nearly three times the length |
of the Panama canal In times OF |
peace these canals are great thorough
fares Of cheaply transferred COM
merce. There are numerous railways, |
among them the main line from Paris |
to Strassburg, passing through the |
southern part of the department, and |
the line from Paris to Metz, passing /
through the middle section. Another
important line Is the one which fol |
lows the Mouse valley.
With more of a panhandle than |
either Texas or West Virginia can
boast of. the department OF Ardennes,
In northeastern France, is one of the
smaller and yet one OF the most his
toric of all of the departments OF