The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-02-14
Black SEA IS !.
Of MILITARY
IMPORTANCE
Ottoman and Muscoyite Erown
atone Another overWaters
of This Inland Sea.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13.-The Ma
ttonal Geographic Society in a state
ment on European war geography,
says OF the Black sea:
THE Black sea Is unique among the
war theaters. 1t is the least regard
ed by the people OF the west, and, YET,
operations there may result in per-
manent reorganization OF European
Affairs. Half possession has just
served to whet the desires OF each o;
the two empires for full possession
and the Ottoman and the Muscovite
have long frowned at one another
over the waters OF this inland sea.
Oriental Water Body.
Enclosed on the north by the
southern coast Of Russia, on the east
by Russian Caucasia, on the south and
west by Turkey In Asia and Turkey In
Europe, and on the northwest by Bull
garfa and Roumania, the Black sea is
In every respect an oriental water
body. Physically, It is a boundary be-
tween the east and west; In reality,
the life which surrounds 1t is strongly
related to the east and as strongly
foreign to the west. Hence, there is
little general interest In the military
operations there among Americans.
The Black, Caspian and Baltic seas
are about the same size. but, Of them
all, the Black sea drains the country
OF greatest natural resources, OF most
advantageous connections with the
trading world, and, by far, OF the most
commercial Importance. From east to
west, the Black sea has a length Of
$50 miles; its. greatest width Of $50
miles; and 1t covers an area Of $780,
900 square miles, or Is considerably
greater than the sum Of the areas OF
the American Great Lakes. It has
a coastal line OF 1000 miles, and a
large part Of its central basin reaches
the extreme depth Of 5000 feet.
"a million square miles OF land IN
Europe and Asia drain into the Black
sea. The Danube, Dnieper, Dneister,
and Bug, OF central Europe; the Don
OF eastern Russian; the Kurban and
smallers rivers, Of Caucasia; and the
Tcharuk. Kill Irmak, Sakaria and
other rivers OF Asia Minor, carry enor-
nous volumes Of water to It's basin; II
rises and falls according to the In
crease and decrease in the volumes Of
Its tributary waters. OF tidal action
there Is little or none.
Violent Storms.
"Chief among the port cities are
Odessa. Sevastopol and Baum, in
Russia; Trebizond and Sinope, in
Asia Minor; varna in Bulgaria; and
kosten1e In Roumania. Greatest Of
all the commercial cities is Odessa,
one OF Russia's most important cit
les for the shipment Of agricultural
produce. Datum is a famous oil port.
With the mouth Of the Black sea, the
Bosphorus. corked by. the Turks, Rus
STA Is in the peculiar position Of hav-
ing plenty Of grain and plenty Of PEE
troleum, and Of yet being unable To
take advantage of the high prices Of
fered by her allies for these commo-
dities. With Turkey In Europe, the
advantages Of Russia's only warm
water ports are, at best. doubtful.
"The sea Is swept by violent storms
and,heavy fogsjin winter, making nav
igation in winter and early spring a
matter Of. some hazard. Then, on ey-
cry side, except along that strip from
the Crtmean peninsula to the Dan
nbe, its shores are high and bold.
Furthermore, there Is only one island
large enough for a medium sized ship
to take refuge behind on all the sea.
This Is Serpent's island, thirty miles
from the Danube.
"The Black sea is better known to
the people Of the west In fable than in
history, for the myth laden Cimmer-
ian region is upon It's northern shores
and many OF the early Grecian heroes
carried on their knight errantry along
It's coasts, while Colchis, where Jason
and brother Argonautsi sought the
Golden Fleece. lies on its east bank