The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1919-03-20

AS soon as the United States
government made a debarkation
port of Brest, it at once became
one of the most important towns
on the Atlantic coast of France.
Its facilities were strained to the
utmost to accommodate the thous-
ands of American troops that
were pouring into the city to stem
the tide of the German advance.
For this reason, accommodations
were often inadequate or impos-
sible to secure-yet it can all be
laid to the door of the conditions
of war that existed.
Brest is a very old city, with
quite an interesting history. It
seems that it's golden age was un-
der the reign of a favored queen
known as the Queen of Brest," !"
for before the formation of the
French republic Brest was the
capitol of a province in the state
now known as Brittany.
The city has a good harbor,
(though not deep enough for the
needs of the largest ocean-going
ships.) For this reason, it has
been an object of desire and
Sstrife among the various petty
$rulers in the early days Of the
French kingdom.
In the city are found the Ma
poleon Barracks built in the days
when a single hand from France
was trying to do the same thing
that more heartless monarch of
later day attempted to accom-
plish, but met ignominious fail
ure. The barracks were con-
structed of masonry, many feet
thick in walls, and surrounded
by thirty foot walls. These bar
racks are still in use for quar-
tering the forces of the allies.
The floors are of concrete, and the
yards floored with crushed rock
for even in that day, this re-
gion was just as bad in respect
to rain and mud.
A little removed from the heart
of the city is what is known as
"Nepoleon's Dungeon. . 1t is a
sort of prison and building for
execution of chiefly
political prisoners. Of course, it
was made of rock and concrete.
As the visitor entered from the
outside, he noticed the lack of
fresh air Immediately, and as he
was conducted by the guide
down stairway after stairway,
and no light was visible except
that carried by the guide, he be-
gan to have little feeling of un-
easiness as he traversed the inky
blackness of the underground
prison. There was no ventilation
and nothing to insure the least
comfort to any unfortunate pris-
oner who might be put therein.
When the guide had conducted
the visitor down some halfdozen
successive steps and the visitor
had begun to wish that he had
stayed outside, a little light be-
comes noticeable. It comes in
through an opening in the floor.
The guide moves that way, and
shows to them round hole some
thing like twenty-four inches in
diameter, and forty feet deep. A
look into the opening revealed the
dark waters of the river as they
silently flowed beneath, and be-
tween the water and the top of
the opening, numbers of swords
were bedded in the concrete and
the blades were sticking out,
turned upward. The guide said
that prisoners were bound, drop
ped through the hole, cut to
shreds by the embedded swords,
and were carried to the sea by
the waters of the river. Such was
the fate of those who were inn
prisoned at Brest, and received
the death penalty. We are glad
that most Of the world has adj
vanced beyond the age in which
Napoleon lived.
The streets are well paved, and
street cars regularly bear their
passengers over the city. Often
the mud accumulates on top Of
the paved streets, and when a
good rain falls, it all soon be-
comes slush. When the road is
in this condition, and the army
cars and trucks come by, it is 3
good idea to give them plenty Of
room. On numbers of streets the
windows are always smeared over
with mud that has been splashed