DANUBE DANVILLE 681 ceeding centuries the countries bordering on the Danube were frequently the theatre of conflict between the Christians and the Turks. The Germans occupy the entire upper basin^ and portions of the middle and lower; the Slavs parts of both banks of the middle course of the river ; the Magyars the central portion of the valley, and the Roumanians the lower regions. The commercial use of the Danube has scarcely begun to be developed. The ra- pidity of the current in its upper course, the reefs, rapids, whirlpools, and sudden changes of the channel and banks, its shallowness where it passes through the Hungarian plains, and its numerous windings, offered so many impediments to navigation, that up to a com- paratively recent period it was limited to the scantiest intercourse between the provinces immediately adjoining the river. The applica- tion of steam in 1830 inaugurated a new era in the history of the Danube. Then the govern- ments, becoming aware of the importance of the river, adopted a system of improvements. Beefs were removed, flats deepened by narrow- ing the channel, and canals and cut-offs con- structed. By the treaty of Paris (1856) the entire freedom of the navigation from tolls and dues was stipulated for ; and in pursuance of this, the governments of the states through which the river flows agreed upon a conven- tion (Nov. 7, 1857), by which vessels of all na- tions were allowed to ascend the Danube from its mouth to any point above, while the navi- gation between different points on the river was reserved to the subjects of the riparian states. The provisions of the treaty of Paris were partially modified by the treaty of March 13, 1871, which authorizes the riparian states, in case of their agreement as to the removal of the remaining obstructions at the Iron Gate, to levy a provisional tax on all commercial ves- sels availing themselves of its advantages, until the expenditure shall have been repaid. The principal drawback to the importance of the Danube as a channel of commerce is the shal- lowness of its mouths. The three outlets en- closing the delta (or rather the flat islands Tchetal, Leti, and Moi'she, the highest elevation of which is not more than 6 or 7 ft. above the level of the sea), the Kilia Boghasi, Sulina Bo- ghasi, and Kediskeh Boghasi (St. George chan- nel), have a length of 72, 53, and 55 m. respec- tively, and according to the report of E. De- jardins, submitted to the prince of Roumania in 1867, convey the waters of the Danube in the respective proportions of |^, ^ 2 T , and -/^ of the volume of the river. Formerly the St. George channel was used almost exclusively ; but having been choked with sand by the simultaneous occurrence of a strong freshet in the river and a violent gale from the sea, it was abandoned, and the Sulina channel resorted to. The Turkish government took good care to keep this channel open ; but when, by the treaties of 1812 and 1829, the mouths of the Danube passed under the control of Russia, all efforts in that direction were abandoned, with the in- tention, it was said, of diverting the Danubian trade into the Kilia branch for the advantage of the harbor of Ismail. The bar of the Sulina continues 1,000 yards outside of the mouth; it has a width of 2 to 3 m., and a depth of water varying from 10 to 14 ft. The energetic efforts of the Austrian government immediately after the retreat of the Russians (1854) at last suc- ceeded so far as to obtain an available average depth of 10 ft., while under Russian rule the depth had been reduced to 7i ft. By the treaty of Paris an international committee was appointed for the regulation of the mouths of the Danube. The majority of this committee concluded that it would be feasible to suppress or cut off two of the principal outlets, and, by leading their waters into the third, increase the volume and power of the current sufficiently to sweep away the mud and sand banks. A special committee, appointed by Austria, re- ported in 1857 that the St. George channel, if restored to its former condition, would in all respects offer the shortest and safest outlet, and that the cost of this improvement would not exceed 3,700,000 florins, nor the cost of keeping it in repair 65,000 florins per annum. The Danube and its principal tributaries (the Inn, Drave, Theiss, and Save) are navigated by steam vessels for an aggregate length of 2,400 m. The Bavarian Danube steam naviga- tion company was established in 1838, and in 1862 was merged in the Austrian company, which was organized in 1830. In 1870 the latter company employed 155 steamers and 547 transports. The voyage from Vienna to Con- stantinople is now performed in seven days. DANVERS, a town of Essex co., Mass., 15 m. N. N. E. of Boston; pop. in 1870, 5,600. It contains a carpet factory, a rolling mill, six tanneries, six brick yards, manufactories of boots and shoes, a national bank, and two weekly newspapers. It is connected by rail with Boston and Newburyport. In 1852 George Peabody, a native of this town, gave $20,000 (afterward increased to $200,000) "for the promotion of knowledge and morality" among the inhabitants. With this donation the Peabody institute was founded, and en- riched with a library. He also gave $50,000 to establish a branch in that part of the town known as North Danvers. Until 1756 Danvers formed a part of Salem. In 1855 it was divided by the incorporation of South Danvers, now Peabody, as a separate town. DANVILLE. I. A borough and the capital of Montour co., Pennsylvania, on the N. branch of the Susquehanna river, 12 m. above Sun- bury, and 50 m. N. E. of Harrisburg ; pop. in 1870, 8,436. Montour's ridge, extending near- ly 21 m. along the river, abounds in excellent iron ore, and in limestone, which is used as a flux in smelting. Rich mines of anthracite coal have also been opened in the vicinity, and the northern branch of the Pennsylvania canal affords means of transportation. The Cata-
