The Washington herald., 1914-04-26
On the Heights of BouIogne.

new harbor.
On the Heights of BouIoEne.
From little fishing town BouIogne
became with the assembling of the
army, the most populous city in France
after Paris Its buildings were turned
into Offices. warehouses. and hospitals,
while a city of wooden huts spTang up
on the plain above the town FOR the &C
cOmmOdat!on OF the troops. Its streets
bearing the inspiring names OF Napo-
Icons victories and generals.
Napoleon ;oOk for himself and JOS
ephIne a chateau two miles back OF
BUUlOgnc. hut most OF the time he was
at the imperial pavilion by Caligula $
tower. where HC sat a big green table
beneath a e. ling ri ture that represented
an eagle with q thunderbOlt in a flight
toward England. while a chart of the
Channel hung before him on the wall.
Seated at that table he ruled Europe
and attended to the mlnutest details or
his army. Not another chair than his
was in the room. for the generals and
ministers must not sit down in his pres
ence. though they remained in council
for three and four hours. His iron
in another room was powerful telescope
generally pointed al Dover Castle.
Through its lens he caught the only
climpses Of England destiny was to
vouchsafe him until he stood a captive
on the ueck Of the northumberland in
49,.
While engaged in the tremendous la
bOTS of his campaign. he yet found time
20 unrave! and smash the great BOur-
bon plot against his life and put on two
crowns. Where he set up his throne
for the distribution of the decorations
of the Legion of Honor in the presence
Of his army, there now stands a small
marble shaft. near the road to Wine
reuN- The throne was the chair OF Dag
ebert, and the crosses of the Legion
were heapcd on shield of the Cheva-
lier Bayard.
The army went through daily drills in
embarking and disembarkinE until every
and 5000 coulG Chamber aboard in ten
minutes. Often the soldiers. while they
battled With the surf were inspired to
feats OF daring when they felt tn" mas
ter's eye upon them as he Ealloped over
the sands or watched from the cliffs.
Sometimes he ventured into the boats.
and once his boat was overturned in
gale, when the soldiers, plunging into the
pillows, carried him ashore on their
backs.
4 Gigantic Blum.
But how did Napoleon. without a
French warship in the Channel. propose
to break through the line OF British ma
va vessels that guarded England's wide
and stormy moat and land an army of
10000 men? His answer was Eight
hours of calm or fog will decide the fate
of the universe" If the stormy straits,
through which the waters of the North
hasten to the Atlantic, would be still only
eight hours. his invading hosts. he
argued. could be rowed across while the
British ships, with empty sails. Law he
Gained and helpless spectators of his
descent upon theiH doomed island. IL. on
the other hand. he should be favored
with eight hours of fog, his fiotilla. he
commended. could dodge its way under
sail through the enemy's fleet.
History cannot keep straight face
while recording this nonsense. So great
a f1otilla could not possibly crowd its way
out of the shallow little harbors at and
near Boulogne on single tide. The fist
section, therefore, would have to wait
outside, exposed for twelve hours to the
fro Of the British ships, until another
tide floated the rest of the boats. Mean
while the calm or the fog might disap-
pear and the keelless craft would be like
corks on the heaping bosom Of tho swift
and trcacherous channel. Seasickness