The herald., 1922-02-23

rection of Grande Riviere. An army
with the necessary guns and equipage
successfully 10 attack this stronghold,
would have to come from that direc-
| ton.
Guns I'm the prov commanded the
nearer and sleeper approaches, both
| from the direction of Grande Riviere
and of Milot. Other guns along the
southern and western sides command
ed adequately all other points of APP
proach. Numerous loopholes were es-
pecially prepared for the use of sharp
shooters.
The elevation at the base of the
citadel has been variOusly given as
| from 5000 TO 5000 feet, hut care
full reading of a compensated aneroid
barometer records 1900 feet. To this
must be added the height of the diff
| ferent walls, i'm order to ascertain the
! correct elevation to the top of the
building.
Approach Is Difficult.
The difficulty in reaching the cit
adel is due not so much to its ele-
walton as TO the fact that to reach it
one is compelled TO cross at least eight
miles of mountainous country, and the
approaches are all very steep. The
highest place on the walls measured
to the ground) is 40 feet. The high
est wall. measured perpendicularly, is
the PROV, which has drop of 100
feet. Other walls range from so to
ITO feet.
Although large granite blocks are
to be found in many places through
out the building, most of it is built
of red fire bricks of different sizes, the
average brick being 10 inches long, 6
inches wide, and inches thick. These
bricks apparently were manufactured
on the site of the building. The noun
tains for long distances in all direc-
tons from the citadel show traces of
Titanic labor in getting out building
material. The average number of
aoors is four, the longest being on
the east face. where the main battery
Is located. 1t has length Of 270
feet In one stretch.
The main battery gallery has an
inside width of 30 feet. Each gun
compartment has wonderful vaulted
ceilings 20 feet high, each compart-
ment being separated from those ad-
joining by thick masonry walls. con-
nected by low passageway. This is
to minimize the effect Of local explo-
sions and possible hits.
Behind each gun there are still to
be found neat piles Of cannon balls
ready for use, while in convenient
chambers just to the rear of some of
the guns are heaps of decOmposed
black powder mingled with the re-
mains of the original wooden powder
cases. A vast pile Of similar debris
is also to be found In the large powder
magazine.
The largest guns are IL feet inches
long, caliber 6 inches firing a 6-inch
cannon balD, / foot 10 inches thick
at the breech and l foot 81 inches at
the muzzle, dated 1855. They are
made of bronze and have enormous
hardwood mounts Of the primitive
gravity return type, moving In train
over large metal are set in the floor,
and on small wheels of strong make.
These guns came mostly from the Eng
lfsh, some from the captured French
forts, and others. judging from the
very apparent results of the corrosive
action of salt wafer on them from
war vessels wrecked along the treach-
erous coast.
There are only two entrances - the
citadel. One was used to bring in
the reserve cannon balls from the long
piles stored by sizes on the slipping
terrace to the south; the other ad-
mits TO the prov. Both entrances
were closed by massive, bolted and
loopholed wooden doors.
The entire structure is in an excel
lent state Of preservation, except that
the floors In the prov were all shaken
down in the earthquake of 1912. which
laid the town Of Cape Haitien in ruins.
Christophe's downfall and death
were as sudden and melodramatic as
the rest of his career While attend
ing mass on April. 10, 1920 he suf-
fered a stroke of apoplexy and fell
heavily to the floor alongside the altar
in the chapel. paralyzed below the
waist. Rebellion soon broke out, and |
the king. deserted by his army, CON-
mitted suicide.