Norwich bulletin., 1915-06-17
THE WAR PRIMER
By National Geographic Society

"The Dniester, where it flows
has again become a military frontier
of first interest, the most important
feature of the northeastern Galician
fields for which the Austro-Germans
and Russians are bitterly contending"
says a statement on war geography
just issued by the National Geogra-
phic Society. 1.-THE Dniester rises on
the northern slope of the Carpathian
mountains, about so miles due south
of Przemysl, and flows to the north
to Sambor, where it turns in an arc
toward the southeast. finally reaching
the Black Sea at Odessa.
1.-The river is about S65 miles long,
$50 miles of its course being in Aus
trian territory and the last 515 miles
lying in Russia. 1t drains an area of
approximately 29,670 square miles.
Until it reaches the plain falling to-
ward the Black Sea, the Dniester
runs through an elevated country, and
its flow is rapid, it's mean rate hav-
ing been calculated at l I'll miles per
hour. Projecting rocks feature many
sections Of the rivers bed, making
navigation difficult in its upper reach
es. Steam navigation is confined to
the lower course.
The Dniester is one of the most ir-
regular rivers in the world. 1t winds
and turns with the most unexpected
abruptness and Inconsistency through
out its way, being especially capriciOuS
in matters of direction in the Russian
part of its course. 1t passes about Il
miles southeast of Przemysl and ap-
proaches TO within about 10 miles of
Lemberg, whence it flows for the rest
OF its way through Galicia roughly
parallel with the Lemberg-C zernowitz
railway. The railway crosses the
T)T1ip CT of
In many stretches the channel of
the river is confined averaging in
width between 500 and $50 feet, though
in some places it widens out to as
much as 1900 feet. Along its way in
Gaicia where the Russian and Aus
tro-Germans are fighting, the river is
narrow and shallow. While the spring
floods of the Dniester often cause the
waters to rise to such a degree as to
submerge much of the surrounding
country, sometimes raising the level
of the water 20 feet, these floods oc-
cur in the latter part of February and
in March, and have now subsidized.
The Dniester, however, is still high,
and its current, strong even during
shallow water. must prove an obsta-
Gle to the rivers passage.
The rapids and shadows have
greatly retarded it's employment as a
traffic route. The governments have
expended large amounts in the en-
deaVor to open the waterway, but, its
greatly varying depth and the coast
illness of sufficient improvement have
operated to minimize the streams
commercial Importance. It passes
through regions rich in products best
carried by water transportation, such
bulk products as the grains and tim
Der of Galicia and the agricultural
products Of Bessarabia. In dry years
the water is so low as to permit of
only two or three weeks of navigation,
while in others freight craft are able
to ply without interruption.
"lnnumerable tributaries flow to the
DnIester, but, none probably, of any
Importance, with the possible excep-
ton of the Sereth in Galicia. The
river mouth and the lower part of the
river are rich in fish supplies. Carp,
pike, salmon, sturgeon, and cells are
caught The banks of the stream along
the Austro-German and Russian line
are sharply defined, in places difficult,
but not approaching the sleeper for
nation of the cliff.