Pioneer press. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1882-19??, 1915-01-30
CARPATHIANS FORM
HUNGARY'S DEFENSE
Protect land In Peace and War
Times From the North
and East.

tlOnal Geographic Society tells
something of the Carpathiun noun
tains and their bearing on the Flu
ropean situation and upon Central
European climatic conditions, say
ing:
THE Carrathians are among the
best friends which Hungary has. They
stretch in wide-flung are around
the northern plain Of the Magyar
from Pressburg, on the Danube near
Vienna, to OrsOTa, on the Danube,
across from Roumania. Thus, they
form nearly the entire boundary of
Hungary east and north of the Dan
ube, a line Of about 500 miles in
length. The hollow Of this arc. as
well as it's most favorable apDroa ch.
lies toward Hungary. Troons press
ing forward along this whole convex
mountain sweep are facing the least
favorable passes and are operating
with the least shelter from the bitin5
winter
Besides having served the pCo-
pies who have lived in the Hungar-
ain plain long and faithfully as a
hrSt-line defense against the wrath OF
their EeighbOrS in the north and east
the CarpathianS have been just as
partisan for the southern plain in
times Of peace. They shut out the
singing bleak winds which snap
across the StaNpo wastes direct from
the frOsticst ice fields OF the north
Turn Billiards From North Aside.
While the CarpathianS range is Of
low average height and has no great
peaks, its walls, nevertheless, are
lofty enough to catch the Russian
ice-winds and bliZaZrds and to de-
fleet them away from hungary. Again
in summer the warm southern brccZ-
es are caught and broken on the
Hungarian hillSides, which thus pre-
vent them from reaching Galicia
"The Carpathians are the eastern
wing Of the great central mountain
system Of Europe, and. likely, one
OF its parts Of most historic import
ance. They are steep and craggy in
their northern exposures, while to-
ward the south they fall away in
lesser mountain groups and broken,
sloplng platcaus. With the eXccp-
ton Of parts OF the eastern TamiIi-
cations, which belong to Roumania,
this range lies wholly within Austro-
Hungarian territory. It's total area
is 1900 square miles.
"The CarnathianS attain the great.
near the centre Of the range and
just east and south Of Cracow. the
chief city Of Austrian Galicia. The
system also has it's greatest width
here: Throughout the chain the
passes over the mountains vary from
7 to 230 miles. The heights Of the
peaks in the HONE Tarta group are
5000 feet and more. GerlSdOrfer peak
the highest one in the entire system,
reaches. S,737 feet above the sea lev
Ell. Thus the Carpathian range has
no mountain formations to compare
with the more majestic Alpine
groups or with those Of our OWE
Rockies. There are innumeTabic
peaks through this Hungarian line
Of defense; however, which avry
from 5000 to 1000 feet in height
and these walls, together with the
involved characters Of most of the
passes, have made the Carpathians
a very effective barrier against
northern invaders.
MiserabIy Poor People On Ranges.
These mountains separate Hun
gary, beginning on the west, from
the Austrian provinces Of Moravia.
Silesia, Galicia, Bukowina, Moidav1a
and the Kingdom of Roumania. ONE
Of the most miserably poor white
people in the world live along this
range and upon its forest covered
sides. They are mostly Slavs, Po-
llsh Slavs upon the bleak, more
abrupt northern exposures, while
the jewellers Of Slovakland, people
almost become subject to the Mag
var, live upon the southern noun
tains.
"The Carpathian Mountains are
richer in metallic ores than any 9th
er mountain group in Europe. Large
quantities Of gold, silver, copper.
iron, lead, coal, petroleum, salt, zinc
and other minerals are mined there.
and many Of the wilder parts Of the
y tom have net yet been thorough
J.. .>. &. I'd here are d number
Y, D"ao.. amt mineral springs in
tIo mou, t&Ins wHich are well known
as health resorts.
Among the higher convolutions
Of the Carpatbians great number
of beautiful lakes haev been discov-
cred. which the Iuagarians have
named the eyes OF the sea The
irregularity Of cliff and gorge ana
the beatty of these deep highland
1,J-