The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-09-06
PAGE THREE
WILHELMSHAVEN.


Christian Science Monitor; Less than
seventy years ago the place where
Wilhelmshaven, the great German naval
station on the North Sea, now stands,
was part of desolate, low-lying marsh
land, on the western shore Of the shall
low inlet formed in the coast of Olden.
burg by inundations during the Thir-
teenth and Sixteenth centuries, and
known as Jade Busen. That was, of
course, many years before the coming
of the Kiel Canal. Schleswig- -Holstein
was still Danish territory. Hanover
was still separate kingdom and Prus.
sia had no access to the open sea, save
by way of narrow passages through the
Danish islands.
Such state of things had TO be rem.
edied, and so the King of Prussia ap
preached the Grand Duke of Olden.
burg to negotiate with him for the Dur.
chase of just four square miles of the
marsh on the Jade Busen. The Grand
Duke consented and the land changed
hands at a purchase price of 100000
thalers. Then the Hercuean task be.
gan. The natural obstacles were bad
enough, but, in addition to these Prus.
sia had to contend with the deeply
rooted suspicious entertained by Han
over for the whole scheme. Hanover
in fact, would have none of It. or. at
any rate as little Of it as she could;
and she utterly refused to afford any
facilities to Prussia In the carrying out
of her project. She closed her RAILWAYS
TO the transport of materials for the
new harbor, and obliged the Prussian
government to ship everything It need
ed by the long sea route round the
coast Of Denmark
In the view Of Prussia. however the
work was an all-important one. to be
carried through at all costs and in spite
of all difficulties, and so, for seventeen
years, hundreds of workmen were EN-.
| ployed, dredging the shallow bay. driv
ing great piles down into the solid
ground beneath the peaty soil, con.
structing docks and shipyards and lay.
ing out the new town with wide streets
and open places. The work was often
! interrupted. The sea was no respecter
Of persons. It had been in the habit
OF flowing more or less where II pleased
in these parts. and every now and then
a specially high tide would demolish.
In an hour, the labor of months. Final.
! ~, however the work was completed.
harbor constructed and town built. and
the whole was formally dedicated bv
King William Of Prussia in 1869. in the
presence Of many British naval officers.
| The completion OF course, marked the
rise Of Prussia as a sea power AMI
as ships were added to ship in the Prus.
sian navy, which after 1871, became
OF course, the German navy, Wilhelm.
shaven developed in Importance. Shin.
yards, dry docks. fitting out harbors
iron foundries boiler factories. all the
paraphernalia Of a great naval base
We're steadily added TO and kept abreast
with the needs Of the times. More than
a third OF the town. even before the out.
break Of the war was made up of army
and naval forces
AS to the famous harbor itself il con.
sists of the old and new harbors. and
the torpedo harbor, which lies 10 the
southeast Of the latter. The three en-.
frances to the old and new harbors are
sheltered by long and massive moles.
the whole body Of docks. building sims
machine shops, and so on. being lnclos.
ed by lofty wall with fourteen iron
gates and defended by strong fortifiva.
tions. Wilhelmshaven has. however. or
at any rate had in the days before the
war a peaceful side. and every year
was wont to welcome a considerable
number Of visitors, who came there for
the sea bathing.