The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-11-04
The Bombardment of Paris.

The long expected and long dreaded
event Of the bonibardment OF the second
city In the world. containing nearly two
millions Of inhabitants, Is imminent, III
the PrisSian threats are carried out. Ii
is Of little use to say that Ii Is q disgrace
to the civilization OF the nineteenth centu-
~, for il is part and parcel OF that civiliz-
alton. and we are to expect nothing bet
ter until there Is an organic change in the
principles and morals of society. Wecan
only hope that this carrying out TO the
extreme of the brutal logic OF war will
react in favor of better era.
Since the bonh,rdment, however, Is in
eyis,ble. ii may no pertinent to condense
,oms facts calculated To throw light upon
the situation. il not upon its prospects.
The area OF the city of Paris l. about TO-
800 acres. which Is entirely cncircled with
walls, molts and other Notifications, form
ing "a circuit of twenty-one miles in ex-
tent. Tho length of tho city from east To
west is about Il, 800 yards. and its width.
from north to south. 300. The site Is
mainly vast plain. divided uneqnally by
the river Seine. whose form within the
walls is that of bent bow. The walls
are 40 feet high. pierced in 65 places for
leltes. railway entrances. &c. On the
outside of the walls runs ditch or moat
OF an average depth OF twenty feet, and
from 80 to l60 in width. filled with water.
Still further outside are n series OF de-
r,ched forts, IL in number. ut unequal dis
tanccs from each other according to the
lay Of the ground and other defensive con-
sideratious. They are all, though. calcu-
lated for mutual support. except the Fort
Mont Valerien. which alone defends the
west side Of Paris, having greater height
than the rest and having the assistance oil
70 peculiar bend In the river Seine. These
forts are. on the average. about ono mile
and quarter from the line OF continuous
walls. The state of the matter then, in
military point of view, is thus expressed
by u writer:
Gnd, seventeen strung detached forts, forming =
girdle OF thirty miles In circuit and the guns
weeping over The space between fort and fbrt Sup
have TO advance toward he Sa.Sa.s ss sr psr.
peI twenty OF senty-two miles In circuit with It's
STO .n an Sa. assp des y. LOFTY seaP and It's guns
In this Wall the enemy will hnd the inner Paris
MARRIED by the grille Of the barriers. and Then ths
sun Nhglruled by the eynrfs
Ports, wall, barriers, bouleyaris-thss. mai M.
four rings of the target, one within The other
Are the Germans prepared for this nm
auestionably formidable undertaking
How will they 90 TO work3 What sue
cess will they have9 These arc questions
60 be answered In the future-though we
may say that tho past gives n very good
hint rs To the general result The process
however. is Mt present wholly uncertain.
IL remains to be seen how these fortifcS-
tons will stand tho German seige guns,
which are among the best yet manufac-
tured. Good military critics, who stud
led, the effect OF projectiles in our war,
have no faith in stone-woTk TO resist rifed
cannon. Others are Of contrary opin-
ION. Opinions are equally divided rs to
whether the heaviest attack viii DO madc
on Mount valerien. ON tho west or on
Forts d'Issy and yanvres. on the SOUTH
west of the city. AT present. bcseigers
cannot lombard tho city itself. even II
they hare cannon equal to the 'swamp
angel" at Charleston. Neither Is Il vet
clear whether the bombardmcn,. after al,