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Show hrisiaphe's v Citadel, Haftjl -v. L -j Ti BJ I Main Entrance to C (rrprd br th National Oorvihle Bo-clur. Bo-clur. Washington. DC) Twenty miles to the southwest of the town of Cape Hnltlen, in the north of the Island of Haiti, there stands, on the top of n precipitous mountain Bonnet a TEvegue one of tho wonders won-ders of the western hemisphere, yet one whose existence Is ns present scarcely known nnd ono whose full history will never be written. A personal per-sonal visit to Chrlstophe's citadel is necessary In order fully to appreciate Its masslveness. Its Intricate nnd elaborate elab-orate construction, nnd Its remote sit-uatlon. sit-uatlon. Few nre so fortunnto os to bo able to visit this spot, or, even when given the opportunity, possess the physique 'necessary to nmko the arduous trip. Trior to the first general uprising of tho slaves against their French masters, mas-ters, Chrlstophe worked as a waiter In Cap Francalse (now Cape Haltlen), and It was In this humble capacity that ho Is supposed to have picked up his smattering of English nnd formed the ncqunlntnnco of English nuvul officers. of-ficers. Tall and of a splendid physique, with exceptionally bright and piercing pierc-ing eyes, and with a reckless bravery and a terrible ferocity, combined with no little duplicity nnd cunning, he speedily achieved a conspicuous place as ono of tho trusted lieutenants of Toussnlnt L'Ouverture, that remarkable remark-able negro strategist who roso from slavery to a position of commanding Importance tn Haiti nnd who successfully success-fully led the slaves In their revolt against the I' reach prior to tho independence in-dependence of the Island republic. Through trenchery L'Ouverture wns captured and carried nwuy to Fort do Joux, In France, where he tiled In prison In 1S03. His Immedlnle successor suc-cessor wus the both fumous and notorious no-torious Dessnllnes who created himself him-self emperor. When Dessollnes was assassinated, In ISO.", Chrlstophe wns elected president and soon proclaimed himself king. When he wns only n general under Dessallnes, Chrlstophe hnd begun work on Ids mnrvelous mountain-top citadel. It Is not known Just what length of time was required to build the citadel, but It Is evident it was finished somo little time prior to Chrlstopho's death, In 1820. Its construction Is variously 1 estimated to have tnken a toll running runn-ing from ten to twenty thousand human hu-man lives. Murdered Its French Deilnner.. It Is believed that the plan for the structure wero drawn and tho work of construction supervised by two captive cap-tive French ofllcers, who possessed tho highest order of technical train-Ing. train-Ing. When their work was completed, Chrlstophe, In company with these of-(leers, of-(leers, is said to huvo mudo a thorough thor-ough Inspection of nil pnrts of tho structure, und then, upon arriving at one of tho highest points of the edifice, ordered both men seized und hurled to their deuth on the rocks below, thus forever safeguarding tho secrets of the plnce. There Is n legend thnt tho tyrunt once hud an entire company of mutinous soldiers driven off this Rnmo spot; It was his favorite method of dispatching thoso who Incurred the royal III wm. I The mero location of this cltudel is 1 such that one wonders how nntuio provided such a site, and a thorough nspeetlon causes unbounded admiration admira-tion for the master mind tlmt recog, nlzed the possibilities, aside from con-celvlng con-celvlng ami constructing the edifice now- standing there; for Ibmuet a Lhvequo could not have been more deally located for Its purpose If It had been made to order. Occupying t hi entire top of the mountain the citadel commands every neighboring peak ami approach, while a spring beneath be-neath und Inside of the building fur-nlslies fur-nlslies an nbimdunt supply of vvntcr tlmt prime necessity In withstanding a long siege. " The building has the prow forma-tlon forma-tlon pontine toward the magnetic north, the entire enstern face being In tbli line. o the eastward aide, wh ch Is the longest, Is located the main battery of heavy Kims; und strategically thlo should be so f,,r this lives absolute commnnd of the most dangerous approach, that from tho di- JhrUtopne's Uuauu. ,BJ rcctlon of Grande Illvlere. An t H vvltli tlto necessary guns nnd tm successfully to attack this strong BJ would havo to come from that fln I BJ Guns In tho prow coraminW ft H nearer nnd steeper approacha, bolt H from tho direction of Orande RMts I nnd of Mllot. Other guns alm tit BJ southern and western sides coamai H d adequately all other points ottf'BJ p roach. Numerous loopholes trt t H peclnlly prepared for the use oti!w? BJ shooters. 'BJ The elevation at tho Lose of tV H citadel has been variously gttn if BJ from 3.000 to 0,000 feet, but i cut BJ fill reading of a compensated tacnll BJ barometer records 2,000 feet TotBJ must be added the height of Ut iU BJ fcrent walls, In order to ascertain & BJ correct elevation to the topofttiBJ building. ' BJ Approach Is Difficult BJ Tho difficulty In reaching the dt BJ ndcl Is due not so much to Its A BJ vntion us to tho fuct that to reich I H ono Is compelled to cross at least e'jii miles of mountainous country, and teH approaches nro ull very steep. TiBJ highest plnce on the walls (measiwsBJ to the ground) Is 140 feet. TbebipBJ est wnll, measured perpendicularly, ! the prow, which has a drop cfUB feet. Other vvulls range from 80 ti BB 110 feet. BJ Although Inrgo granite blsdJ tijB to bo found In many placet OirocE out tnc building, most of It It Ml of red tiro bricks of dllTercatIj,tli nverugo brick being 15 InchM ))(, Inches wide, and '1 Inches thick. TteaB bricks npimrently were manufifturriB on the site of the building. TUtnmH tains for long distances In all &kM tlons from Ihe citadel show triceuM Titanic labor In getting out twMUjBJ innterlnl. Tho uverage numUr V floors Is four, tho longest belnfc the east face, vvhero the main batttnM Ib located. It has a length of IS feet In ono stretch. B Tho mnln battery gallery nu Insldo width of 80 feet. Each PjBJ compartment lias wonderful vanlwBJ ceilings 20 feet high, each cai?B raent being separated from thowJ Joining by thick mnsonry walls. tJ nectetl by a low passageway. WjsJJ to minimize the effect of local Wm slons and possible lilts. (iJjB Behind each gun thcro are wU'J bo found neat piles of cannon yg ready for uso, while In cooTeii.jM chambers Just to tho rear of iwl tho guns are hPups of decotPJj black powder mingled vylth "" B mnlns of the original wooden PJrM cases. A vast pile of similar um Is also to bo found In tho large yflvm magazine. mrtal The largest guns nre 11 f'fB long, caliber fl Inches (firing cannon bull), 1 foot 10 ".M nt the breech and 1 foot SK JwflBJ tho muzzle, dated 1780. JM mndo of bronze und have en7M hnrdvvood mounts of the frLM gravity return type, moving m over a large metal arc et " " ., and on einull wheels of a strong m Tlieto guns came mostly from nLJM llsh, some from the captured n forts, nnd others. Judging 'B very apparent results "f "'e ' "trM action of salt water nu ffIrJB wur vessels wrecked along tlio erous const. -wilB Thcro arc only two iHMV M citadel. One was used w "LyM the reservo cannon balls fro 1 1 ,,,,, piles stnietl by l" (in, ")hf'f iB tcrruce to the south, the otner mlts to the prow. ,n"l,VIted nlj were closed by massive, n"'1 loophoictl wooden doorf. fJ(f Tho entlio structure W ,D " .B lent stalo of preservullon, ex " tf tho floors In tho pro.v were m down In the enrthquuki- o' "'fM laid the town of Cape ll' ' itiM Chrlstophe's downfall '' t!e iflj were us sudden nnd melw ira jjj tho rest of Ills career ' ' Ing mass on April W. w itm fared u stroke of npoplW ,flj heavily to the floor along' m In tho chapel, juiraly w'l t ,m waist. Itebolllon soon brjKB . ofl tho king, deserted by W ' iulltud suicide, fl |