The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-10-09
National Geographic
Society's War Primer

III oOA1Sl
4 CHALONs- SUR MARINE TO
lNANCY-The country lying between
/ Chalons-sur-Marne and Nancy is rich
in history and full OF points Of pres
emit day interest. BY air line the dis
lance between Nancy and Chalons IS
So miles: by rail it Is 112 miles, End
by canal, THE Marine and tina Rhine,
which extends from the head Of navi-
cation on the Marine river into Ger
many. about 12O. The first important
town out OF Chalons by rail is Vitry-
! Le-Francofs, with q population OF
about 5000. This place was formerly
fortified and. being located at the
cross roads leading to Chalons, Chau-
mont, Fontainebleau and other points,
is strategic position. Beyond Vitry
| is an uninteresting farming country,
after which we come to Bar-Le-Duc,
with its monument to the boys OF
the Mouse. who fell in the war OF
1870. its beautiful church Of st. Pierre,
and its monument OF the Michaux, a
family who introduced important I'M
iprovements In the manufacture OF
bicycles Beyond Longevills there is
a railroad tunnel two and q half miles
long. and lcng series of cuts and
fills through which the line passes
through the heights between the val
leys OF the Aisne and the Meuse.l
Ninety-two miles from Chalons is the
fortified town OF Toul, which resisted
the Germans for forty days during
the Franco-Prussian war. A little
further on lies Liverdun, where al
tunnel carries the Meuse and Rhine
canal beneath the town. The scenery
in this region is said to be perhaps
the most beautiful in the entire jour
ney from Paris to Strazsburg. Nancy
is twenty miles from Toul by rail.
The railroad from Chalons to Nancy
parallels the Marine river and canal
to Nancois lie Petit, crosses the Mouse
near Sorcy, and the Rhine near Nancy.
West Of Barbecue the valleys run!
east and west, while east of that
point they run north and south. which
makes the military problem in the
two sections somewhat different.
CHALoNS TO vERDUN-The coun-
try lying between Chalons-sur-Marne
and verdun is now being fought over
by the allies and the Germans. Eleven
miles north of Chalons is St. Hilaire-
Au-Temple, the junction point between
Reims and Verdun. Three miles
further on is the large military camp
De Chalons, and three miles beyond
this is a great circular entrenchment.
known as Atilla's camp. 1t was near
here that Atilla the Hun, was defeated
in the battle Of Chalons-a battle
which Sir Edward Greasy reckoned
among the fifteen decisive battles OF
the world, in which was successfully
checked Atilla's mighty attempt to
found a new anti-christian dynasty.
Thirty-three miles beyond Chalons Is
the town of Valmy, where the allies
under the Duke of Brunswick were
defeated by the French in 1892. This
was the famous "cannonade OF
valmy,'' wherein, according to Carlyle,
the French sansculottes did not ny
like poultry" A pyramid on the bat
tIefeId contains the heart OF Keller
mann, one OF the French generals IN
that battle. Eastward Of Valmy Hes
the fertile valley Of the river Aisne'
which runs midway between Chalons
and verdun. In this valley is situat-
ed the town OF Sainte Menehould, OF
about 5000 population, and noted for
t its pork. It was here that Louis XVI
was recognized by "Old-Dragcon
Drouet," on his attempted flight from
France in 1871. Beyond this place
/ lies the picturesque country which
contains the famous forest OF Argonne,
well known from the campaign OF
1892. After passing through this
forest, verdun is reached. ia miles
out from Paris.
|, ST. DIZIER TO EPINAL-St Dizier
which lies about 30 mics southeast
OF Chalons, is nearly midway between
Paris and Epinal, and is city pos
sessing importaing iron works and an
extensive lumber trade. Not far away
is the town Of Bassy. well known as
the scene Of the massacre OF the
Huguenots, which was the signal for
the religious wars in France In 1902.
The barn in which the protestants
assembled for worship has been rO-
built in the street opposite the city
hall. The valley OF the Marine. south
OF st. Dizier, is famous for Its iron
works and its foundries. Joinville Is