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Show The Oannbe'a Iron (latet Vjbxja, SepLlo. The work of blowlne up tho so-called "Iron gate" of the Danube, the great rocky pass on tho Servian fwrder-through which a nwigable channel was cut many years ago, begins today. This reat of engineering, to remove obstructions ob-structions In the cataract and narrows nar-rows of the Danube at the point where the AutL'o-Hungarian, Servian Ser-vian and lljuniaolail boundaries meet, was attempted in 1791, and again Iu IS3L. The connuimation of the scheme has been delayed sinca that time foe political1 reasons. Tho protective twlicy of the Atis-trlan'and Atis-trlan'and Hungarian governments Is being carried to euch lengths as to regard tblsnaUiral barrier to com-nlerm com-nlerm as worth preserving. In 15S3the project was again taken up an-1 the Vienna conference of June -Uh resulted In ultimate harmony of understanding among the nations iutertted. . The tremendous dlfllcultles of this great work may be Imagined from tile fact that the whirlpool rapids pour through a defile only GSO feet wide and SUM feet long, with a fall of fifteen feet and a velocity of ten to fifteen tret a second, its course bing troubled by a number of reefs and ledges. This terror to navia-torSwas navia-torSwas only partly removed by the cutting of a channel through for river steamers and the plan which was finally approved and adopted for clearing the course of the river wes worked out by an American engineer, McAIplne,who died In American short time ago. The result of the operation is awaited await-ed here with some eagerness. |