El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-01-16

, beneath, which still in operation for
drinking purposes today, has served
continuously Is a dispensary Of cheer
ing fluids since 1855.
KOnigsberg Near Frontier.
KOnigsberg is the capital of the
province of East Prussia. It's population
! is about half as great as that of Bres-
lau. only ninety-fOur miles from the
Russian frontier, 1t is 900 miles north
east of Berlin-a nine-hOur Journey BY
rail A traveller leaving the city at 10
o'clock in the evening may expect Jun
der peace conditiOns) TO reach Berlin
at getting-up time in the morning. The
distance to Petrograd is q hours by
express.
Anciently the place was a fortress
of the Knights of the Teutonic Order,
and the old 'schloss" (Which still
stands was the residence Of the grand
master Of that great military organiza-
ton Later on it was the palace of the
dukes of Prussia, and even today il
contains apartments reserved for the
use of kaiser Wilhelm and members OF
the imperial family. IL is a long rec
tangular building, erected in 1855, and
in its north wing is the torture cham
Der which was used for dealing with
unhappy prisoners at a period when
every castle of Importance was pro.
vided with a convenience Of this de-
scription.
Once Walled Town.
Just as Breslau stands asEride the
Oder. so likewise does KOnigberg
straddle the Pregel-a stream which,
where il passes through the city, is
only about $50 feet wide. In early days
it was walled town. Today it is both
a military and naval stronghold of the
first rank, being defended by two enOr-
nous fOrtreSses, one of them on an
island 81 in the river, and the other on
the east of the city. outside the latter,
and encircling it, is a ring of u de-
fQnhn6 forts Giw either CidR n q
Pregel. These defensive works, be-
gun as long ago as 1913, were finished
in 1905.
Konigsberg is the headquarters of the
first army corps, and is garrisOned by
about $4,000 men, The town comprises
three distinct quarters, which in early
times were independent of each other.
1t has a magnificent and well shell
tered harbor, and is trade center of
great Importance.
In 1910 a university was founded
there by Albert I, duke Of Prussia, who
required that it should be an institu-
ton of learning exclusively Lutheran.
It has famous observatory. I'M
manuel Kant, called the sage Of
Youngsters" was born there, in 1924
and is buried there. He taught as a
professor in the college. There is also
in Konigsberg museum Of antiqui-
ties which is exceedingly rich in relies
of the stone Age, including skeletons,
Vikings weapons, curiOsities from pre-
historic lake dwellings,. etc.
The "Teutonic Knights" who ruled
KOnigsberg during the middle ages.
had their origin in the period of the
Crusades, They became exceedingly
powerful, and making rree use of the
weapons Of religion to reinforce their
political ambitions, they finally ac-
quired such control of affairs that a
bloody war, in which Prussia sought
the aid of Poland, had to be fought
before this proud order of militant
churchmen could be reduced to sub
mission. In their day they held abso-
lutte sway over a vast extent of land
and sea-a sort of sacerdotaI organiza-
ton of licensed robbers with KoniCs-
berg as their chief headquarters.
E<fel the Busiest Place.
Undoubtedly the busiest place in the
kaisers dominious these days is the
Baltic city of KieL where. on the east
side Of the harbor-a superb sheet OF I
water II miles in length-are located !
the dockyards and shipyards of the
chief naval port of the empire. Fourteen !
hundred men, in time of peace, work !
there all the year round at the build |
ing Of ships; at present it is likely /
that this number is at least quad !
rupled. Report has il that 90 sub /
marines of the newest sea-going type /