The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1922-11-22

reduced as it II. still contains some
of the best land In Europe. Vienna,
its industry stopped, can do little to
earn the food it needs. During the
summer Of 1920 all traffic between the
two capitals was stopped by mutual
boycotts, and although steamers piled
the Danube from Linz to Budapest,
no through passengers or freight were
received.
To the casual observer Budapest Is
the same proud city az Of old The
fine parliament building and the i'm
posing palace on the heights across
the river, where Admiral Horthy now
rules, seem as attractive as before the
war. The upper river is still crowd
ed with bathers and with canoes and
rowboats in which charming women
and stalwart men do their best TO at
tain a spacious coat OF tan. Along
Franz Josef quail the promenade adds
lively touch Of color to the drab
scenes TO which the beautiful blue
Danube has become accustomed
At Belgrade and Below.
From Zefnun, once the last Hunga-
rian port on the Danube, a short trip
between low banks brings one to Bel
grade. the capital Of the new kingdom
of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.
where the steamer rounds the base Of
the ancient fortress which dates back
to the time Of the Celts. the Romans
and the Franks. and comes to its dock
little way up the Save, which here
! enters the Danube from the south.
About four hours sail below Bel
grade the wide plains give way to
hilly country where the Transylvanian
Alps curve down toward the tumble
of mountains which extends to Monte
negro and Greece. II Is in this region
that the main distractions Of the river
occur. But the most famous obstruc-
tons and the finest scenery come at
the Kazan defile and the Iron Gates
| where the river has collected q grue-
| some toll
At Rustchuk the railway traveller
| from Rumania ferries across broad
| and sluggish stream to continue his
| journey TO Sofa and Constantinople !;
and here the banks of the Danube are
lined with huge barges. Below Silis-
tria the river curves to the north and
passes through Rumanian territory
| throughout the rest of its length. At
Cerna Voda il is crossed by one Of the
longest railway bridges in the world
the last of the many bridges which
| cross the stream. some Of which are
now destroyed.
| This is one of the most remarkable
| examples OF its kind OF engineering
and was built at a cost OF 100000.
1t has IS spans, one of which, over the
i main stream. is a cantilever more than
600 feet long. The bridge has height
OF 100 feet above low water. and the
piers go down to bed rock 100 feet be-
low the water surface. making them
! nearly one-half as high as the Wash
| ington monument.
6raiia and the Delta.
BrailS lbs miles from the three
main mouths of the Danube. is q port
for the grain and produce Of rich
| agricultural region In prewar days
| its wharves teemed with life and its
huge grain elevators hulged with the
rich products of Wallachia and Do
brudja, which has seen great develop
ment since the Russians gave il TO
Rumania instead of the more valuable
and fertile tracts of BeSSarabia From
Galatz to the sea the Danube was long
/ under the control of an international
commission whose duty it was TO tame
the river and the many Rationalities
TO whom the river Is highway or bar
rier according To the tides OF human
passion and national life.
| Sixty miles from the sea begins the
delta Of the Danube The Kilia. the
most northern of the branches into
which the river divides, carries more
than twothirds of the volume Of frs
water TO the sea. but is not deep
enough for the more important traffic
which moves by the more direct
branch through the middle of the delta
TO Sulina. Here a natural channel of
seven TO eleven feet has been In
creased to twenty, and long dikes
stretch out to sea and carry off the
silt. Although IL discharges less than
per cent Of the Danube's waters, the
Sulina channel carries shipping
which multiplied tsnfold between 1854
and 1902. II. was steadily increasing
with q promise Of future prosperity
when the World war interfered