The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-05-03
MARSHAL FRENCH
CONTINUED From cage ons.>

kSN2@@&A1oCO e Viii . N4&os1
,ATMTX4%EE89
Mezferes ana LUnsm.. The French
troops farther south had taken the Of
fensive and marched into Asace. Lcige
still held out. Nanur was intact The
Belgians seemed SECURE behind tho for
tifications Of Antwerp.
Before going further It would be as
well to Civ esome account of tho eoun-
try in which the two opposing forces
faced one another on the night Of Fri
day, August q, the area Condo Cambria
lie Observation-Disclosures
Distances. Miles.
Cambria to Conde...---.----..-24
Condo to Btnche- 70
Cambria to Le Nouvion. .---.--- Is
LIE Ncuvion to Binche. ii
This region forms part of the BegfHn
province Of Hainault and the French de-
parments OF the Nord and the Asne,
lying approximately between the upper
valleys Of the rivers Schcldt and Sam
bre. Its northern boundary is formed
by the basin Of the River Hatne. This
river. formed from three streams which
rise in the neiShborhood Of Binche, pass
es Mons and flows into the Scheldt at
! Condo after course OF thirty mixes
Close to its left bank from Mons to
COCC6 q Canal COIItrtCLS lilo 1OI IiSE p3oS5
with the Sc91eldt. Prior to the construc-
! ton Of this canal. the Faine was navig-
| able by means Of locks Several small
| parallel streams run into 1t from the
south, along sunken valleys In an undu-
latins plateau. over which lie scattered
| the various mines Of the Berinage coal
| field
West Of Mons the visley OF the Hatne
forms q long, low plain covered with
meadows, through which the river mean
| ders tn broad bends as far as the Zpnie-
zQozi. Numerous water bitches ctu in
tho peaty soil and marked out by poplars
and willows drain the land and render
| the movement off the roads Of any
troops but infantry quite impractdcable-
On tho northern boundary Of the val-
| ley Of the HaiIre n belt Of sand :-'v"- = ="
! 70 a trTct - "N''~h. ''''..'..' -. 80:
, which Is in uuny piIceS Covered Win
! woods On It's southern boundary the
ground x4ses steepiy on the east, and
moro gently on the west. TO tho Franco
r2elgian frontier. over rocky sub-son
in which the afffucnts Of the river have
cut deep valleys.
! The Mons Condo Canal has length Of
sixteen and a quarter miles. twelve and
! a quarter Of which are Belgian territory.
| II has q surface width Of Sxty-fouT feet
| and its maximum depth is seven feet
The canal is crossed By eighteen bridges
all Of which with the exception Of the
! railway bridge cast Of st. Ghislain and
the railway bridge at Les HeroieTes, are
swing bridges. A Inctaned towing path
! runs along zach bank
hTe principal passages across tho val
lev of the Haine are at Mons from Brus-
sells at St Ghislain from Ath and near
Pormcroeul from Journal.
The Schcldt. rising near lie Catelet at
an altitude Of 36n feet above the sea-
soon approaches the st. Quentin canal
| and runs alongside 1t as far as Cam
| brai, wnrre the river and cannl flow
| In one channel and form naVigahle
connection between the Scheldt and the
| Somme. Below Cambria the now canal
| izc driver flows on TO Ealenclcnncs. re-
| cciying on the way on ITS loft bank the
! Sensc9 River and canal and on its right
| bank the Ercclin. Sole. Ecillon and Rho
| nellie streams. which flow down IN ptraI-
| lei courses from the watershed close to
| the left bank of the Sarnbrc. From VAL
| encrnncs the Schcldt runs to Conde.
| vhnr. as stated above II Is Joined by the
MouS-turdc Canal and I'll" River lIa'ne.
immediately aftcrHard 1t enters Belgian
territory. where 1t becomes II great Fivnr
Of tho Flemish part OF the country. just
as the Nous may BE- said to be tho great
river of the WalloOn portion.
There axe fourteen locks between Cam
brai and Calndc, each providing means