Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-07
VIEWS
ANCIENT CITADEL
Flyer Circles Over Fortress
on Flight to Port all
Prince.
BY col. CHARLES 4. LINDBERGH

BY COL. CHARLES n. LINDBEK(sH
By Cable to The Star and New York Times.
PORT Au PRINCE, Haiti February
MY route Yesterday gave me an un-
usually good opportunity To see the is
land upon which the two republics OF
Haiti and Sanio Domingo are situated
When left Santo Domingo yesterday
morning at 1880 O'Clock. local time.
instead of heading west toward the
Haitian capital. took northwest
course. in order. at the request OF The
Dominican government. to fly ovA San
iiaeo de Los Laballeros.
After leaving the tropical plain near
the city OF San,o Domingo. and passing
over the low mountains, ] climbed mp
over the fertile plateau. covered with
vegetation. to the more temperate cli-
mate In which Santiago is situated. II
is the larges. city In the interior oi
Santo Domingo.
circled low several times. both over
Santiago and over the aviation ncid,
where large crowd had assembled.
Then ! started Tor Cape Haitlch, "nlch
Is HaIti's seennd city.
Circles Over Capital
circlrd low over this early capital
of Haiti and over the bay. which, am
told Columbus visited on his first voy-
age
A number OF miles southwest OF Cape
HaItien Is the citadel ot La Ferrltre.
huilt a little more than 100 years ago
by the Haitian king, Henry ChriStopne
I had been told o! this citadel, which
is considered by men who have seen
II TO be an eighth wonder OF the
world, and | made special point OF
visiting A. II Is well worth much
longer visit than / was able TO give H.
This citadel Is situated In an I'M
pregnablc position ON the peak q!
mountain 1000 feet above the sea. ana
dominates both the land and the ocean
for miles around
II would be considered huge struc-
ttre anywhere II Is all the more difn-
cult 10 imagine the labor Its cons'fuc~
ton on the mountain top mus, nave m
volved. especially with the methods In
Use a century ago
This enormous fortress. with thick.
solid looking walls. which must be In
places roo feet high Is built entirely
Of brick and stone
ried M from the bottom Of the steep
mountain. mostly by hand or on the
heads Of the laborcrs The carrying OF
MI sorts of things on the heads seems
To be faVorite means of transportation
here,
Had Many Cannon.
The citadel Is said 10 have been
armed with hundreds OF huge cannon.
which must have been extremely aim"
cult 10 BRING up the mountain, A num-
brr of these cannon stili remain but
they were hidden from me by the roof
At one end of the citadel. party over
grown with shrubhcry, | did see tho,tN-
unds oi cannon balls stacked In long
rows.
Not the least remarkable feature ot
the citadel Is It's shape. Roughly. II re-
semjlea reclangle, with great battle
ments rounding three of the corners
The baitiement on the fourth conner
however, extends out In n point like
the prnW of "A dreadnnuaht Al the hAae
this prov lula out like rammlng de-
wee
There are trees growing out of the
sheer walks ot The citadel aud tropital4
Ahiuhbery covering parts ot the top
There are n number ni flsaures In the
wallis, hut all IN ali. from the ati, II
seems 10 be fairly we'll preserved
am told that there are huge ciateths
and even u well wiihlN the citadel and
big hturerouma II could doubtless have
stood u siege fut years IN thoae days
There would certainly seem tn he room
within II tor Thousands nt men
| understand II was built hy Christie
pine as last refuge Tor the iiaitians, Al
That time, they had any recently treed
themselves from slavery aud established
an independent state an " aeens
they feared the French aight return
aud attempt IN recover the lost colonN
and re-ehtahlish slavery
show Ut Disctpiine,
According 10 the iaaend 1t Was on
one nj the .hattlements ut this citadel
that Chiiaiophe marched an entire
company over one Ut the picripltintla
walls IN order Ia demnnstrate the dia-
ripliue nf his ttoopa
] flew dawn within few ieei nt tho
citadel IN nrder 10 Insnfct It The
anly things | know 10 compare Il tn IN
magnitude ARE lhe ancient pyramids IN
Meaicn, hoth at lheae filns are The
n,nat impressive | have snsn
Considering the diffleultN Ut Hnnsttuo~ |
lion, the solldlts NJ the edihre and the
Immense saale on which II IL built, tins |
citadel u On astonishing eork 4 isN
tcoatlausd on FAss 1 caiaaa a.