PRAID - TOWN DESCRIPTION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00047R000200330006-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 6, 2013
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: December 26, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/05/07 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000200330006-6
CLASSIFICATION coNFIDENTIAL/sECuRII
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY Rumania
SUBJECT Praid - Town Description NO, OF PAGES 3
PLACE
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DATE
ACQUIRED
Toll DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFD[SNTION AFFECTING TN. NATIONAL DEFENSE
DF THE UNITED .TATS., WITHIN TOE YEHIIIMO 0! TI TL. IS, SECTIONS 7.3
AND 7G., OF THE U.S. CODE, Al AMENO10. IT. T....MI.f IOM OE REVS.
LATION OF ITS CONTENTS TO ON .[CFIPT ST AN OMAUTN0N1[ED PERSON 1.
...HISITED IT LAW. TN[ REPRODUCTION CF THIS TO.. I. P.OHISITED.
SOURCE
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
1. Praid (16?33'N, 25?08'E) is a centuries-old town dating back to the period of
the Roman Empire. It is located in a valley on the Tarnava-Mica (now) river.
The Hungarian name for this river is Kis-Kukullo. The river is very small,
about six meters wide, and. it is very rapid. The Tarnava-Mica flaws from the
northeast to the southwest. It is not suited for commercial fishing but sports-
men occasionally catch a few mountain trout in it. Banks of. the river are flush
with the ground. Although the river normally floods after a big rain, such
floods do not damage the town's buildings.
2. The streets are paved with small crushed rock. Maintenance is very poor. Al-
though there are no severs, the streets drain well. Numbering system for build-
ings is very irregular. streets are lighted well with electric lights every
night. The lights are on wooden poles about four meters from the oun4F
Most residences are of log pole construction, one floor and are painted light
blue or white. Houses are erected flush with :streets with no ei,d. s inter-
vening. louses are boated, with small woo d-bur ag,stoves. A large ahd adequate
firewood supply is readily available from forrest surroulndli Raid y Almost
all residences are equipped with electricity but few bave telephone. Most
persons own their own homes and do not rent tom, Climate does little damage to
buildings. Hip roofs covered with wood shingles are the prevailing type 0 Gar-
bage is placed on manure piles and later used as fertiliser,
4. There are no military camps in or around !raid. The town ? s poPul6t4ao is
Rungarian and townsmen cliEsitke the humnniRam govoramen%.
About eight kilometers most of ?raid there is a mine which produces aragonite
I have no details about this mine,
6. I have prepared a free hand sketch of Praid, ncloaure 67 not drawn to scale,
showing the location of the principal buildings N burrs on the sketch are
identified by the corresponding nuera listed below
FZV7'X`M,& IA
CLA88 ICATION col ` IAL/s fT'f 1Rp !14R
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/05/07 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000200330006-6
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/05/07 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000200330006-6
CONFIDENTIAL/S ITY XW ORM ION:
1. City hall. This is known as the "new" city hall. one floor -- brick
construct ion .
2.. Elementary school. one floor, frame construction.
3. Rumanian Orthodox Church. Brick construction. No one uses it because anything
with a Rumanian label is disliked by townsmen.
4.' Catholic Church.
5. Priest's residence.,
Presbyterian Church.: Brick construction.
7. Hungarian constabulary office. I understand this building was used by
Hungarians during their occupation of the town in World War M.
8. County office building.
9. Old city hall.
10.. Pharmacy -- this is the. only pharmacy in Praid county m.
11.:.'Doctorcs residence.
12.-:'Bus station. There are two main routes from Praid. One goes to Odorhei
(46?279N, 25?141E) and the other to Targu-Mures (l+6?33?N, 24033'8).
13. Lmiber mill..
14. ' Lumber 'mill.
15. Flour .mill.
16.1 Flour mill. This one makes an extra-fine type of-flour.-
17. Flour mill.
18. , Concrete dam erected in. 1927 or 1928,
19. 'Lumber mill.,
-20. Hydroeleetrf.c power plomt erected in 1926.or 1927. It provides `poorer only
for the town of Praid6 it produces 22 volts on an alternating current.. It is
privately, owned.. by a~German family named iUrst. It is. also equipped to gen
erate,electric'power from steam during the nter months when the?Tarnaya.Mica
freezes: The power' Ju ply' is not very dependable., Power failures.are fre
guent . :.I do no?t - know what 'causes them.
21., Mill. Produces. crushed. rocks for roads. A small narrow gauge railroad
station is located about three hundred meters southwest of this mill.
22. Luber mill.
:;;23. Salt. ,mitie .
24. ? Administration office of salt mine.
25. old Roman salt.mine, stiyll.produces salt.
26. Swimming pool.
27. Salt hill.
28. Cattle market,
29. Presbyterian cemetery. Nearby is the only place I know of in or near the
town that could be used for an airstrip. Adjoining this cemetery is a flat
CONFIDENTIAL/SECT. ITY INFORMATION
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/05/07 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000200330006-6
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/05/07 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000200330006-6
CONFIDENTIAL/SE bORITY I&oI MATION
stretch bf~land about one and one-half kilometers long and two hundred meters wide.
It is not`used`as an airstrip now. It is covered with a thick growth of pasture
grass and is, used by farmers as, pasture. . .
30. Catholic cemetery.
31. Post office, telephone and telegraph offices are located here.
32. Pottery factory = very small.
33. Public market -- Thursc.ay is market day.
3I.. Rumanian coiistabulary office.
ENCLOSURE (A).: Sketch of Praid, Rumania, not drawn to scale, showing location of
principal buildings.
CONP'IDUTI L/8NCURITY INFORM=ON
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/05/07 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000200330006-6
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/05/07 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000200330006-6
CONFIDENTIAL/SECURITY INFORMATION
SKETCH OF PRAID, RUMANIA, NOT DRAWN TO SCALE, SHOWING LOCATION OF
PRINCIPAL BUILDINGS
~L$
CONFIDENTIAL/SECURITY INFORMATION
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/05/07 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000200330006-6