The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-07-18
RUSSIA HAS BUT ONE
BALTIC PORT LEFT
Reveal. Remaining Stronghold. Il
Heavily Fortified and VIII Put Up
s. Strenuous Defense.
LARGE GERMAN POPULATION
Sole Remaining Spot Where Russta's
Hattie Ship May Refit---IAbau Has
Been In German Hands Several
Nonths.

washington, ID. u, July IL IN
Reval, the remaining Russian station
upon the Baltic Sea, the Tsar possesses
a strong. convenient war harbor,
doubly protected by its deeply indent-
ed bay and by its position upon the
narrows of the Gulf of Finland" says
a study in the geography of Europe's
great war recently prepared by the
National Geographic Society at Wash
ington. The statement continues:
The development OF Reval as a
great naval base Is a matter of recent
years Reyal has always been more
or less fortified, but its present for
midable works date from the decision
of the Russian admiralty that Lfbau
was too near the German borders to-
be dependable as the first naval base
of the Empire upon the Baltic. IibauI
was maintained as an important base;
Its defenses were made Az strong as
possible: Its shipyards and military
factories were built up; but Reval. Sc
cure in its fastness in Russian waters,
became headquarters of Russian ma
val strength in the West.
"Revai is also the capital of the gov
eminent OF Esthonia, 1t lies upon the
Bay of Reval. deep, roomy inlet of
the Gulf of Finland. The seaport is
about $50 mites west southwest of
Petrograd, with which city it Ia con-
nected by a weli-buiIt trunk-iine rail-
way. BY night express. Reveal In eleven
hours from Petrograd, and eighteen
hours by water: thus reenforcements
and supplies could be qnickly thrown
into this important base in case Of
need. Riga lies nearly 200 miles due
south Of Reval. Both coasts along
the Gulf OF Finland are irregular. and
the narrows are well adapted to de-
fensive purposes.
'Heisingfors. Finlands great sea.
port, Is just opposite to Reval. with
which 1t carries on a considera BILE
trade, Reval has been important,
both as commercial and as a forth
fled harbor ever since Western civilf-
zation penetrated to h and to its
interland. 1t did an annual aggregate
trade before the outbreak Of hostili-
ties of well over $40. Zoo. 600. thus TAX
the Baltic ports of Russia. Spirits.
grains. animals. fax. butters wool.
hemp. timber and game birds are it's
principal articles of export. Its i'm
ports are cotton, coal petroleum ana
manufactured wares. Reyai naanufac-
lures some machinery and consider
able beer, and adds TO the balance
sheet OF Its profits by regular influx
OF summer bathers.
Its population before the war was
about 10000. of whom more than half
were Esthonians and nearly 80 per
cent Germans. Since the loss OF La
hau to the Germans. this population
has, probably. increased by a mum Der
of workers for the deveIopm emit of ma
val yards to take the place OF those
lost TO the enemy. During recent
years Revai has become well acquaint-
ed with its battieships; for a squad
ron Of cruisers. battieships and. de.
stroyers has generally been held there.
Moreover. target practice has been
held In the offing every summer, the
great guns pointing toward Finland.
The city Is divided into two parts
Domberg. or Cathedral HIM. and that
part of the town upon the beach. The
lower and upper towns have their own
administrations. The craig upon which
the upper town Ia built was occupied
In the early Middle Ages bu an Estno.
MAN fort. Lindfnissa. Valdemar II.
King OF the Danes. credited with be-
Ing the founder of Reval built church
and strong castle here in 1919 Han
ga merchants came: settled here. and
buiided flourishfng trade. Early In
the fourteenth century II was forti-
fled. and since then 1t has withstood
| many sieges and bombardments, both
by sea and by land. Its fancifui old
battlements, it's meandering. war worn,
weather-beaten streets. its battered CT
| tadei and donton, which the cannon
shot OF Swedes and Russians searched
and SCARED. its centuries old build
ings. it's ancient archives and many
athar testimonies nc tina past, snaks
the quaint old city and the modern
deadly stronghold of Unusual interest
to the peaceful tourist"