The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-10-01


the Fort 'AubefvillieFs, also on a
plain. Between the two is the rail-
way TO scissors, and behind them is
the Saint Denis canal. This canal is
elevated, and can OF itself form a
species Of hreastworks strengthened
by the above mentioned redoubts.
-Four thousand PAGES farther on, across
the canal of Ourcq and the railroad
leading to Strasbourg. but on higher
ground, and the continuation of the
nights of Belleville beyond Pantin.
is the Fort de Romainville, only 800
yards from the principal TRmparts of
he fortress. From thence down to
ward the Canal of Ourcq runs a row
of intrenchLents, while on the other
side of the canal are two redOubts.
Farther TO the east and south are the
defences of Forts de NOISY, de Rosny
aud de Regent, all of the same eleva-
ton, and almost parallel with the
railway to Mulhouse. At the latter
fort ends the elevation. begun at
Belleville, falling away steep toward
the Marine. Between the forts last
mentioned are found. at short inter-
walls, the TedOubts of Noisy, Martreuil,
Boissiere and Fontenay. The Marine.
here of a very considerable width.
constitutes another internal defence,
which is still farther fortified on the
isthmus of Saint Maur, were the river
is bridged By intrenchments $500
yards long. Here there are breast
works aud bitches, Aanked at each end
by the redoubts Faisandiere and Ora.
veile. Here also the railway from
| Vincennes to La Varennes passes ,leav-
ing oD its right the famous camp of
Saint Maur.
All these Notifications embrace, in
a semicircle, the strong and noble old
castle of Vincenues-the principal ar
senal of Paris. Behind the castle
stretches away toward the Marine an
immense artillery practice ground.
At Nineennes some OF the most IA
nous episodes of French history have
left their mark. Only one of the huge
nine towers which originally rose from
the walls now remain. Louis the
Saint used to administer justice under
treei n plain not far from Vim
cennes. Over the river, on the cor
ner made by the junction Of the Seine
aud Marne. and 70 the right Of the
course Of the Great Mediterranean
railway, leading TO Lyons and Marseil-
les, is the Fort de Cls0renton, closing
this first great line of defence. This
fort is of superb strength, and in
cludes a space for a tented camp for
two hundred thousand men.
THE SOUTHWARK LINE
Begins on the eft bank of the Seine,
opposite to and about four thousand
PAGES distant from the Fort de Char
entOR. The celebrated Fort d Try,
first on the line, Is the one which the
Parisians recently suspected Prus-
sian brewer, whose brewery was near
by, of attempting to blow up, and ae-
cordingly mobbed him. In almost
straight line from east to west, follow,
at average distances of perhaps three
thousand PAGES, Forts de Bicetre. de
Moptrougs and KduUes. Fort o. ItTg
lies about fifty feet above the Seine,
just as that river leaves the city limits.
Through this southern line cuts the
railway from Paris 10 Versailles, on
the lett shore. The three forts which,
with the d Tory. make the line, are,
since rihed cannon have been intro
duced into warfare, commanded By
the nights of Meudon aud Bagneux,
In the rear.
THE THIRD AND WESTERN LINE
Is particularly strong oy nature, the
Seine turning near Meudon and
Sevres in a north and northeast di.
rection, by Saint Cloud, Boulogne (the
Bois), Suresnes, Puteaux, Combevoie |
(barraoks), Neuilly, Asnieres, Clichy,
Saint Owen, and all those places |
whose names and features have be
come so familiar to you through the |
medium of the Paris letter." Be- |
tween the bend of the stream and the |
city here lies the Forest of Bouolgne,
now the herdipg place of the thousands |
of cattle destined to feed US during the |
siege. Five bridges cross the Seine on |
this line, and at the dept of Astniere on |
the left bank, are united the railroads |
coming from Dieppe and Normandy, |
Saint German, and the linefrom Yer |
sailles, on the right bank, all crossing |
the river on one broad arch. Only |
one fort commands this neighborhood, |
the proud Mont Valerien, prince of |
Partisan strongholds. four hundred |
commanding one of the finest views In |
France. A paved road connects Mont |
NalerieD by means of the Bridge of |
Its distance from the nearest fort, |
that of Saint Denis, is, as the crow
flies, nearly FIVE miles. This great gap |
in the Notifications has always been |
distrusted by the Parisians, and work |
men are now striving night and day |
to fill it. It Is to this gap that the |
War Minister appears 70 have referred |
on the StE of August, when he said |
that the Committee of Defence had |
decided that the labors on certain |
works long deciced would be COM
menced the next morning" One of the |
essentially weak points Of modern
Paris is the gap between Mont Val |
erin and the hillsides of Meudon,
where great work is needed to COM
mand the valleys of Sevres and Vile |
d Away. The point chosen for some
hasty strengthening of this weakness
is Montretout, commanding st. Cloud.
The line Of circumgerence, suppos
ing all the forts thoroughly connected.
would be thirty miles. All the de-
fences have telegraphie communica-
ton and subterranean passages tor
sortie and for Paris ingress and egress.
Were the Prussians before Paris,
hardly day would pass without some |
most daring and romantic engagement |
in scenes already consecrated by ie-
gend, and verified occurrence stranger |
than any fiction. Sixteen hundred |
regular siege guns, and about i've |
thousand cannon in all, can be mount |
ed on the walls of Paris. A simple
line of soldiers, placed outside the
reach of the guns and parallel to the
outer works, would require $4,000
l.
ference of the tremendous force which
must he enpaped in a siege.