DOOM OF FAMOUS RHINE STRONGHOLD.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3378, 13 June 1927, Page 7

DOOM OF FAMOUS RHINE STRONGHOLD.

The imposing fortress of Ehrenbreitstein (“the Broad Stone of Honour”), which dominates the city of Coblentz, from across the Rhine, is to be destroyed at once, in accordance with the terms of the Peace Treaty. Built in 1816, the fort was a familiar object to Rhine tourists. Before the coming of aeroplanes and modern artillery it occupied an ideal position for a stronghold. The original building figured prominently in the Thirty Years’ War.

Ehrenbreitstein looks down on the confluence of Rhine and Moselle, with the three-cornered city of Coblentz and its vast equestrian statue of Kaiser JWilhelm I.

Before the war English visitors, under German convoy, were allowed to see the eternals of this stronghold, but Frenchmen wei’e less readily admitted.

In i 921 much excitement was caused over the approach of the Pons-Win-necke comet, which, it was rumored, might run into the earth. This comet was expected to return again to the earth’s neighbourhood this -year. It has now been detected by Professor van Biefbroeck at the Yerkes Observatory, and on June 27 it will be extremely close to the earth. Although the comet, will not collide with the earth, and there are no grounds whatever for alarm in regard to it, it will none the less be very much closer to us than it was in 1921; yet still 3.500,000 miles away, or 15 times the distance of the moon.