New-York tribune., 1870-11-16
BEFOrT PARIS.

THE PRUSsIAN SIEGE GUNs-TUEIR INFERIOR
CHARACTER AN INTERVIEW WITH BIS
NARCK's sECRETARY-THE SIEGE TO LAST
TILL SPRING.
IFRoM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
ST. GERMAN, Oct. 30.-Thcre are now 23O
guns in park the south of Paris These are
Of @ most miscellaneous and incongruous character
Some are muzzle-loaders some breech-loaders, some
red some smooth borcs, some OF bronze some OF cast
iron some OF steel. There about half q dozen 90
Founders, fifty sixty 24-pounders- muzze-load
ing some rifed, smooth-forty-sx 12-pounders,
these being bronze ried breechloaders Then there
about co small 6-pounders, mounted on peculiarly con
sructed carriages, TO attain great elevation, and
consequently extreme range. These are said to
be able throw shell 6000 schnts or about $500 yards
q range which the German officers seem TO consider
enormous. But even the disparsged Armstrong;
will easily throw 1900 yards just double the distance
There 20 very odfashoned mortars Of bronze
of which is said to have been cast in 1910! There
a few rifed steel mortars Of new construcuon-
later than l640 that swhich throw shell weighing
10 pounds may add, in conclusion that my unfavor-
able opinion of the Prussan siege train Is shared by
Capt Hozier OF the British army Many OF the guns,
notably Of the heaviest naval guns taken from
the useless Prussan feet
1t hardly necessary TO say that great precautions are
taken to visiting the guns. mo strangers allowed
here" being strictly enforced and had TO show count
less passes" and the like before got leave from the
officer in charge to make my little tour OF inspection
Even TO you dare not mention where the guns arc, as
1t would be looked hetraying State secret and
might procure my expulsion from the Prussan lines.
Before visiting the guns the second time had in
teresting conversatiOn with Count Won Kenden, Bis
marck's secretary and righthand man. 1 was anxious
to the Chancellor himself but he had gone TO the
Kings assist in the ceremony OF comforting the title OF
"Graf" on Won MOltke and the making OF the Crown
Prince and Prince Frederick Charles into Field Marshas
Won Kende is a tall stout OF about 40, with pre-
maturey gray hair and not unpleasant though rather
hardlooking face He was glad To be able to conhrm
the report that all foreigners would be let out OF Paris
could not help saying that really II seemed that the
Chancellor had gone step too far In his anxiety not TO
punish innocent people for one had had fair warn
ing OF what coming. We then talked of NJ Theirs
and his mission and it clear, although Herr Won
Kenden is too good dpomatst to say 30 directly that
he had not only very small opinion OF N. Theirs him
self, but did not think it the least likely his
mission would have any success. 1.-THE ParSans
are Obstinate and don't believe even the news of the
fall of Metz which NJ Theirs has been requested TO take
with him. will change their determination to resist to the
last They persist thinking that the siege OF Paris will
be destruction" Then talked OF the great victory
OF Metz and Kenden said he could not understand how
such number Of men-173,OoO- ever lay down
their arms. "German, American, or English soldiers
would never have done such thing. Why, the English
hold India with less than that number Of men. The
French are bad soldiers, bad, very bad About the
bOmbardment be said: 81 think We shall be
here in the Spring. 1t is now pretty certain
that the Parisians have plenty OF provisions
for four months that they have taken active meas
ures to husband them. We have been sounded as to
whether before the bombardmen begins, we would not
allow the French women and children to leave Paris
But this impossible, for the effects OF bombardment
OF so large a city as Paris is Of course moral than
material and count the terror of the women and
children and their husbands fear for them But the
bombardment cannot begin until the second week ia No
yember, and doubt If it will then"