The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-09-22

tai are like, what 1t is to walk In them and to
follow their course, will admit the possibility
OF vast force finding Its way below, ground
to any portion of o city. For example. every
connterpart below. The sewer map of the en-
eineer to the corporation, Mr.. Hayward, Is as
Complete In its general outline as map Of the
CITY itself, and beneath all the larger thorough
fares men can walk erect, anu IN many OF
them three or four abreast. The subterranean;
works of Paris are more Wonaerlul sui, and
are admitted to surpass those Of ancient Rome.
From the suburb of Asnieres to the Place de
10 Concorde. an enormous subway runs, which
is. sixteen feet and half high, eighteen teet
broad. and more than three miles long. Be-
sides this are below the city three
spacious galleries running on each side
OF the Seine, the whole being. pro-
vided with air-traps at regular Intervals, and
lighted with oil lamps DESCEND S INTO either s,1 Of
those beneath the city of London, and with
facilities for cleansing them which are ex-
tremely suggestive Of their value for strate-
pical purposes. The subterranean drains, or
galleries, are furnished with iron tramways
along which small carts run, which are pushed
BY three men, and furnished with drop.plank
which fits exactly into the drain and pushes
the mud before 1t as 1t advances. on the tur-
bid waters Of the great collector, between
Asnieres and the Place de 10 Concorde, a good
sized boat is navigated, and the widest stories
are abroad respecting It's possible uses 10
the enemy. Most of these may be dismissed
as idle, but I am in position to affirm
that careful inspection of these subterra-
mean works has been made, land that Paris
is preparing Itself, down even to the
tion OF its foe. If gunpowder will blow up
iron traps, water will spoil gunpowder, and
the sanitary rite known as flushing the sewers
would effectually dispose OF an intruding force.
The catacombs, again, into which seventy diff.
ferent staircases lead, and which extend not
merely under the FaubourSs SC. Germain, St
Jacques and St. Marcel but under such impor-
tant buildings as the Palace OF the Luxen-
bourg and the Pantheon, have had more at
tentlou paid them within the last two days
than has been the case for years. Their uses
under contingencies which IL s ineGpedent to
name, their size and value as repositories, are
all canvassed eagerly, and nothing shows more
plainly the anticInations Of the people OF Paris
than the keen interest they display In such
topics as these.
The Siege OF Paris.
Should the arm,stice not be effected, the
probabilities are that we shall hear, from day
to day, OF pretty sharp fighting outside the
walls Of Paris If Trochu hss 200, 900 troops
at Paris he will, doubtless, essay to use them
points on the immensely long circuit OF the
Prussian beaeging lines.
Some of:the scenes Of the attack on Paris By
the allies ftty-six years ago Will, doubtless, be
reproduced. Paris then, with a force OF about
10000 men, and scarcely anything deserving
the name of Notifications, undertook to ep-
pose the assault Of the allies having an array
Of 80, 600. The attempt wes futile, but there
was some pretty obstinate fighting before
the city surrendered. The plan of the al
lies was to make general assault along
the whote line obedience. The Prince Royal Of
Wurtemberg was to attack the extreme right
of the French In the woods OF Vincennes, drive
them from the banks OF the Marne and the
village of Charenton, and thus turn the heights
of BellevIlle on the right. The Russians, an
Ger Rayetski, were to make flank movement
to attack the important heights of Belevllle
and IomSinville. The Russian and P-"ssian
bciy-guard were to attack the French centre,
posted npor the Canal de Fonlcq, tne reserves
Of which occupied the com mmanding eIainence
OF Montmartre. Blucher, with the army OF
Silesia, was to assail the left of the French
line. to the end Of turning and carrying the
heights OF Montmartre from the northeast.
The attempt OF the Russians to gain the
heights of Romainvile wus arrested by heavy
fire OF artillery from the French, who, in turn,
became the assallants, and they drove back
the Russians, taking possession OF the village
of PantiR O place since made notorious from
the wholesale murders characterized as the
Pantln massacre. The Russians, after hard
fighting. Cepossessed themselves OF the VII
lage, but the heights were defended with SO
much obstinacy, and especially by the ooys OF
the Polytechnic school, that the Russian gene.
raj ordered q suspension of the attack until
the operations Of the Allies elsewhere should
make diversion in their favor. The French
again made dash and repossessed themselves
Of the village of Pantin.
Blucher also encountered formidable opposi-
tion In carrying out his part OF the programme.
The French, strongly entrenched and protect
ed by heavy batteries, made determined re,
sistance, and the attacking columns suffered
SEVERELY. The reserves Of the Silesan army,
commanded by Prince William CT Prussia,
came to the support oil The attack upon the
French centre, but the defenders concentrated
themselves on the strong post OF La Y1llette,
and continued to offer Il desperate resistance.
Upon the left wing OF the allies the prussian
Guards and those uf Baden made dashlng as
sault for the recapture of the village of Pan
tin, and carried it ut the point of the bayonet.
Meanwhile the Prince Royal Of Wurtemberg,
on the extreme left, had forced his way to Vim
cennes and co-operated with the Russians In
q fresh attack upon the. heights Of Romaln-
vile from which they had previously been re-
pulsed. The attack was now successful, and
the yictors, following up their advantage, pos
sessed themselves successively OF the villages
of Belleyille, Mesnilmontant, The Butte de st.
Cbanncnnt, and the heavy artillery which de-
Tended this line.
The VILLAGE of Charonne, on the right ex-
tremity of the heights, was also carried, and
the whole line OF defence occupied by the
right wing of the French fell Into the posses
sion Of the Allies. The centre OF the French
army, stationed on the Canal de IOurcq, was
now carried by assault and the defenders
driven back to Paris. The whole line of the
French detences hl,d now been carried except
ing the heights OF Montmartre, which were
turned, and on the point OF being stormed,
when flag Of truce appeared TO demand
cessation Of hostilities, and the next day the
Allies entered Paris.
The stye OF attack by the Prussians this
time will be more in the nature Of regular siege
operations than was the attack Of the ALLIES In
isIa bnt It is not improbable that we shall
hear Of lighting at many of the points made
historical by the previous defence of Paris.
Scenes in Strasbourg.
Berthold Auerbach, the German novelist.
writes a series Of letters about the siege Of
strasbourg, from which we make the follow
ing extract. It shows what is the daily his.
tory:
AUGUST 95.-Betore trasbourg-morning.-
strasbourr burns! In this word are crowded
ali the horrors. terrors, anguish Of heart, We
svnerienced In The past night. My eyes yet
smarts from the ireflashes, my hand trembles
still So was IL TO be Again is there night
If ST Rartholomew-for such was the one Just
nassed-with detestation to be craven in his