Maubeuge
France, a fortification of the first class on both sides of the MAUDE nault, it passed to France in 1678. Was invested by a Prince of Saxe-Coburg in 1793, but was relieved in the battle of Wattignies. Population before the European War 25,120. A key point in 1914, when the German army drive was made toward Paris, owing to its position as the junction of several important railways; from Paris to Brussels by way of Mons; Paris to north Germany and a line to the eastern frontier. The Germans held Liège and Namur, and the conquest conquest of Maubeuge would give them a good line of communication by rail to Aix through the Meuse valley. Just before the Germans invested the fort the garrison had been reinforced by detachments from Lanrezac's French army and a British field battery and numbered over 30,000 men. The Germans having smashed all the outlying forts took possession of Maubeuge on Sept. 7, 1914. MAUCH (mâk) CHUNK, a town and county-seat of Carbon co., Pa., on the Lehigh river, the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company's canal, and on the Central of New Jersey and the Lehigh Valley railroads; 46 miles W. by N. of Easton.
It marks the extreme boundary of the anthracite coal region of Pennsylvania; is famous for its striking natural scenery; and in the summer is visited by thousands of tourists. The coal is now carried through a tunnel, but was formerly transported to Mauch Chunk by a gravity railroad known as the Switchback, which has become famous as an exciting pleasure route for tourists. The town contains a county building, Y. M.
C. A. building, the Dimmick Memorial Library, electric street railroad, electric lights, National banks, and several daily and weekly newspapers. It has a number of foundries, a shoe factory, car shops, etc. Pop. about 4,000.