The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-09
PARIS in PERIL.

The Danger OF the French CAPITAL. and the
Means at Command 60 Ward It OG-The For
tifcatiops of the City-A HistoricaI Outline
Its tnternal OrganlZation-The General situa-
tion and It's Danger.
Last nights cable kilograms from the seat of
war are taken up principally with details of the
recent battles, and there is practically no
change in
The Situation
since we fully explained it yesterday. The
most important item of news is the rumor given
currency by the Paris Temps of last evening" to
the effect that Marshal Bazaine is to be placed
in chief command of the army, with General
Trochu as Major. General, instead of Marshal
LIE Beuf The position of Major-General in the
French army is similar to that of Chief of the
General Staff in the Prussian army, which is
held by the veteran Won Moltke and the incum-
bent of it has charge of the general outline
of the campaign. AS Marshal LIE Beufs plans
have been signal failures thus far, it is quite
likely that the Emperor is anxious to get rid of
him. General Trochu his reported successor,
is regarded as the most accomplished strategist
IN the French service, and it is even claimed
that he is the equal of the Prussian prodigy,
Won Moltke. If change is made, there is
likely to be a material modification of the
French plan of campaign, and an approximate
return to the system OF the First Napoleon of
fighting the enemy in detail with a superior
force, instead of attempting to annihilate the
whole German line at one and the same time
The reported Illness of the Emperor may, per-
haps, have something to do with the report that,
like ''the noble infant" Louis, he has had enough
of war himself, and is willing to turn over the
imperilled fortunes of France to q man who
is a soldier by profession, and has enjoyed some
thing of reputation as such by making Marshal
Bazaine Commander-in-C Chief.
The only other points worthy of special notice
in last nights dispatches are, that the Prussians
have occupied Forbach, few miles from the
border on the railroad from Metz to saarbruck,
which enables them to menace st. Avoid and
Metz, and that Marshal MacMahon continues
his retreat along the line of the railroad from
Stasburg towards Nancy. The French army in
general, it would seem, is endeavoring to effect
a concentration in the passes of the Vosges
with Metz and Nancy as the points d'appui, for
the defense of the approaches to Paris, and "a
general battle is considered probable to-day.
The Peril of Paris.
The position of affairs tends to give credit to
the cable telegram which came from London
yesterday afternoon to the effect that ''the con-
dition of Paris is believed to be dangerous" :"
This announcement was fully warranted by the
official circular issued by order of the Empress
Regent on Sunday morning and signed by the
leading members of the Cabinet in which it
was announced that, ''in order to facilitate the
execution of military preparations we
declare the capital in state
of SIEGE" On the same day the Journal 06iciel
gave its recognition to the perilous position of
the capital by summarizing the forces which
could be mustered for its Defense while mani
festo issued by the Minister of War yesterday
sounds still another note of alarm, although
protesting to express the belief that the mea-
sures which are being taken will suffice to save
the city.
The Fortifcations of Paris.
We gave yesterday an outline of the different
routes by which Paris could be assailed by hos
tile army from Germany, and the obstacles
which it would encounter on each. But the
most formidable obstacle would prove to be the
elaborate Notifications of the city. 1t was re-
ported short time since that the Empress, on
her return from the visit to the fleet at Cher
bourg, toasted M. .Thiers, the leader of the
Orleanist partys because the so-caled
imPregnable Notifications of the city
were constructed while he was at
the head of Louis Philippes ministry.
The Orleanist King and his Prime Minister were
greatly interested in the completion of the
works, and made special exertions to accom-
pIish the task, which was finished about thirty
years ago. In 1S41 an appropriation of about
$SC,0oo,0 600 was granted for completing the de-
fensive works, making a total of about $780,
OoO,0oo which has been spent apon them. They
comprise wall 33 feet in height, Fashioned and
terraced, the escarpment faced with masonry,
and embracing both banks of the river
Seine, with continuous enclosure 22 miles in
circuit and presenting "a angular fronts
This wall is lined with fosse, ditch
about 20 feet in depth and strengthened by out
works or detached forts TO the number of H.
which include the principal suburbs of the city
and even great portion OF the surrounding
country, and command the approaches in every
direction. Within the Notifications is a con
tinuous carriage road, and still within that
railroad connecting with the five grand linei
radiating from Paris TO the boundaries of France
The limits of the city proper are traced by th'
old octroi walls, about mile and half within
the new military wall, erected at much earlie