The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-10-18
OF CATTARO
STILL IN DOUBT
Beautiful and Romantic Port Is
Reported to BE in
Ruins.
lRUMORS CONTRADICTORY

| OF It's own OF from Soine caprice VI ia'o'
| II mas not been PERM tea 900 NOV IA,
isolation that r. position nigh: be ex'
oerted 10 assure
Cattaro on account OF It's romantic
| situation on one Of the most beautiful
| bodies OF water in the world and its pos
| session OF many interesting remains NJ
| carly Venetian architecture and civiliza-
| ton, has been filing the cnviable posi-
| ton OF the favorite tourist point aloha
| the Adrlatic coast. SO II must have been
| Il considerable shock to the many who
| have visited the fascinating little place 10
| learn that soon after the war began Cat
taro had been bomharded by the fleet or
| the allies ana utterly destroyed
| Cnttaro's history goes back 10 Roman
times II was known even IN pre-Chris'
| 'ian days Justinian built palace there.
| It's interesting pages have. however. TO 40
| with the time when the italian cities
| fought for It's possession, when Cattaro.
Ragusa and other Adratic towns were
| in an alliance and Venetians and Turks
struggled for its hnrbor and for the great
inlet from the Adriatic that led up to its
| piers.
| II became Austrian Just n hundred
Years ago In the preceding years OF the
| nineteenth century IL had belonged TO
both Italy and France. All its former
owners left their marks upon the town
and its surroundings
| Saw Much OF War.
A place with such n history must have
| seen much OF war. oonquests and defeats.
| out little was left in recent years except
an old fortress on the hiil in Cattaro
Itself to remind one OF past military gio-
| ries.
There were forts lining the shore OF
| tho Bocche and defences at every strn-
egic point where the inlet narrowed from
| broad basins into deep channels There
was the strong new fort OF GorRZda along
the winding road leading UP 20 Monte
negro. and on all the boats that entered
the harbor there were warnings in every
language which camera owner might
speak against taking pictures along this
part OF the coast. But the town itself
seemed 10 have not claim TO warlikC
characteristics.
Every year the Mon,enegrins coming
down TO attend the market set apart for
their use left their much beloved weapon.
outside the city gates. About ali tina,
Cattaro seemed really 10 wish was to be
let alone to sleep quietly under It's ow'
plum and Hg trees.
Not only does the town Itself enter into
This gloomy picture, but all the fascnat.
inE neighborhood is reported 10 have SUI
fered in the bombardment by the ships
OF tho allies. The venerable Ivy covered
walls of Castelnuovo: the ancient fort o.
Spagnuolo. against which the Ottoman
forces were 80 often hurled; the Old con.
vent OF st. Sava, with it's beautiful gar.
dens; the Beuedictine monastery. on ~
island near Perasto. and the romantically
situated little pilgrimage church OF SAINT
Marie near the roclos of san Georgia Were
razed,
The early report OF the destruction 81
Cattaro gave some credit 10 the Monte
negrins for part patti x in the bomua 81
ment. They hurled projectilcs from grea
Siege guns on the slopes OF the overflow
ering Lovcen. The Montenegrins hav.
long wanted Cattaro. 1t IL the nor
through which most foreigners entel
their country and visit their capital. Get
TIME, and in spite Of all King Nicholas o,
efforts to build UP n port Of his own a
Antivari, Cattaro stll continues a por
OF entry and departure FOR n considerable
bulk OF tho freight business that Monte
negro has with the outside world
The Powers would never permit Nicho
las to have Cattaro They did. however
permit him 70 have the Lovcen. TIL
FOOT OF this mountain lies at the poin
where the wonderful road the Austrian
built along the mountalnside crossed int
Montenegrin territory. "A road which on
joys the distinction OF giving one OF tn
most wonderful views in the world, ex
tending from the Adrlatic to Cattaro an,
from cattaro along the length an,
breadth OF the fascinating Bocohe.
4 The 1,ovcen Is almost sacred to IN
Montenegrins. on its slopes is the NOR
tuary chanel Of its great Vladika. potp
H. The Montenegrin Prime Minister. NJ
JanoNltrh, speaking to TuE ST.. ....y,.
fpondont recently Of the possession OF TIL
nom s'id tNAt II would never he give
UP 10 the Austrians and that It woul
h' h..d as Zoo d t. ,1"r" wa q Montenr
grin living TO defend It's sacred peak"
Besides It's historic associations Lower
possesses the peculiar advantage Of over
looking Cattaro itself and every import
ant fertilization IN It's neiRhborhood. Tn
Montenegrins might without much peri
to Themselves roll boulders down IN
mountansde that would make some
thing more than dent In the big for
NJ Gorazda and might tear I'D severa
blocks OF little Cattaro itself But tn
great difficulty of the position is TIM
Montenegro had nj the beginning OF tn
war very few big Siege gums and that :
bring them in through her own port o
Antivari and transport them over IN
. mountains to the I-ovcen would be nj
, almost impossible task
The bombardment OF Cattaro Is 4
every respect n wonderful naval achieve
ment In that Cattaro lies Mt least twent
miles from the Adriatc coast
II the ships were 70 lombard II fror
tho nearest point on the AdrlRtic the
\ would be compelled 10 Are that dstanc
I over a ridge Of rocks that rises to
! height of 1000 feet. The distance OF Cat
tnro from the mouth Of the Bocche 4
, Cattaro by the route usually travelled u
Z steamers II about twenty-five mile,
Throughout this entire line the shore
lined with forts and defences which begi
NJ Punta dOstro and Punta d'Arza at tn
, entrance.
, Nevertheless. Cattaro continues to h
I bombarded. When the censorship get
I most rigid along the line in Gallcia BE
o gium or France. the news drops In tina
q Cattaro is hombarded. taken or dc
| stroyed It's only rival appears TO he BE
grade, which Is also In the BACKGROUND q
7 tho war news. It, too. was homhar ride,
( burned ana destroyed few days after IN
2 declaration OF war. and, besides, "th
= brigands from the hills came down an
Y looted the shops and killed the chiIdre
and women Cattaro. by actual coun
, has been reported hombarded twcnt
4 times Fifteen OF these occasions Gu
r minated In It's capture and i've In its dC
q structlon For the frequency of the o,
q currence Cattaro has the advantage {
s Belgrade, But few days ago the int
. ligence came from Belgrade that the pc,
. pie were doing business I'm Belgrade an
O that Of all attempts made by the Au
Q TRANS 10 lombard the city not one r,
suited In serious damage to the plac
d Cheerful news OF similar character hf
Z also come from Cattaro for THE sun g