The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-12-09
A Possible Battle of Rivers.

portant parts is indicated IN a dis
patch from the Pyrenees. This dis
patch states that while FrdQce is
considering the diversion of one Of
the French headwaters of the
Spanish river Segre, Spanish en-
gineers are. studying the. possibili-
ties of making retaliatory di-
version of the Garonne which rises
in Spain and flows through France.
A bulletin from the Washington,
D. c., Headquarters Of the Nation
al Geographic Society tells some
thing of these two rivers which
might bring about a unique war
of picks and snove1s and concrete
dams.
ITO say that if France shifts the
headwaters of the Segre. Spain, IN
the valley of the Garonne. may
give her "a Roland for her Oliver.
says the bulletin. but it happens to
put this we'll known phase to
singularly appropriate use. 1t was
lin the rugged Pyrenees country
that the greatest exploits Of those
two knightly peers of Chariemagne
are supposed to have been per-
formed. Not many miles away, in
fact, is the great cleft in the noun
tains called the Breach of Ro-
land which legend says the, hero
carved at one stroke with his Cal
lie counterpart OF EXcalibur.
kashnlcrc-Like Vale in Pyrenecs.
..The country about the head
waters OF the Spanish ,Sergre is the
better known of the two regions.
1T is the more or less famous
Cerdagne, perhaps the most beau
tiful Of the extensive .Pyrenees
valleys region that might well
LAY claim to being the peer of any
valley Of Switzerland. italy or. the
Tyrol, any vale of Kashmere, or
any Of .Colorado.s charming emer-
laid parks AS level almost as a
floor, the Cerdagne is the product
Of extensive glacial action. To the
south tower the great SNOWY peaks
! of the Spanish Pyrenees:: to the east
land north. those of France; and to
the west rises the mighty bulWark
of Andorra, the tiny. republic Of a
handful of Catalan mountaineers
who have. tenaciously kept their
independence and their medieval
ism. wedged in between two
strong nations.
This is one of the historic high
ways between Spain and the
north. Hannibal is assorted to
have. come near here on his me-
morable march toward Rome. Ro-
man legions marched by and
planted their colonies. The Sara
| cen horde poured through to grasp
southern France. And across the
Cerdagne in turn came the Army
of Ckarlemagne to press the Moors
southwark in the retreat that,final-
ly cleared Europe Of their rule.
Boundary arbitrary Line.
French and Spanish forces have
flowed and ebbed across the beau
tiful valley many times. At last.
by the treaty Of the Pyrenees in
1863. the Cerdagne was divided
between the two nations. Between
| France and Spain the crest Of the
| Fyrenees serves as the natural
boundary throughout most OF its ex-
tent. But in the Cerdagne the
| international line runs across the
fair mountain valley dividing it IN
way in which nature has no part.
For a mile or so it runs almost lit
orally across fields. then climbs
along foothills toward the Andor-
ran frontier.
I'm the other direction the line
follows for a space tumbling
mountain stream over which a
small bridge carries the road from
| France to Spain Upon a hill on
the south side is the Spanish town
of Puigcerda, long the natural cap
I ital and trading center of both the
Spanish and French ports of the
valley: beyond the bridge on the
north is Eonrg Madame, the rail-
| head of France.
.'rhe valley is an irrigated gar
| den spot for its simple peasants.
alike in its French and Spanish
iportions. Everywhere the available
soil is carefully titled or the fow-
cred meadow-iands pastured with
stock. Until just before the World
War, the Cerdagne was remote
from The world. and the tourists
who knew its calm beauty and lis
unsurpassed sunsets were few.
With the completion Of an electric
railroad to Bourg Madame this
scenic gem Of the Pyrenees be-
came suddenly accessible, and since
the war lis visitors have been more
numerous. Pu;gcerda shares in the
popularity but the Spanish valle..,
south and west of the town still has
the primitive favor OF the past.
Garcnnc's HcaGw;i,ers More Iso-
The heads Of the northern VAL
legs CT the cerdagne are the French