The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-09-05
THE EUROPEAN WAR.


Of the fortiticatiops of Paris Whether these
rampartS and deIenceS may or may not
be brought into use before the conclusion
Of the present exciting drama in France,
this account will nc interesting to the
reader:
TYPOGRAPHICAL FEATURES AND pErENcns OF
rARiS.
Paris is divided into two UNEQUAL parts
10y the river Seine, which enters il ut its
southeast corner, about one mile and half
northeast of It's junction with the Marne at
tharCnton. The Seine then DurSrpS o
northwcstcrly direction for about two miles
:, nd three-quarterS from its point of iunc-
tin with the Marine. then nearly due west.
for about the same distance, then about
soutl. west for about four miles: from this.
which, Is the most southern point in the
bend, it turns northward. and running
first in Il nosthwesterly direction for about
one mile and = half, it gradually sweens
around by gentle curve, first to the west
of north. then to the cast of north for the
length Of about ten miles, where il passes
within six hundred yards of St. Denis to
the north of Fans, where it again bends
10 the West, and, Jnaking sharp curve,
runs again in q soutberly course, nearly
parallel to the northerly sweep above.
The country around within the course OF
the Seine is undulating or hilly; the hills
vary il their height from about $50 feet TO
various levels above the river. The most
noticeable Of them as they are comprised
within the defences of the city are the hill
of 81. Denis, about two miles and hall
north Of fortifications that enclose the city,
and Mount Na}erieu, Or the west, which
lies about the same distance from them.
The Bois de Boulogne, which lies in the
space comprised in the bend of the Seine
on the west and south of Paris, is traversed
nearly midway north and south by the line
OF tortfications. The Sois de Vincennes,
on the e;lst of the city, lies outside of the
fortified line, extending about three miles
east of it and two miles north Of the
Marine.
FoRTlFcATI0Ns.
The city proper is enclosed by contnu-
oll> line of Fashioned fronts. each front
nearly four hundred yards in length, with
out uutworkS. They have an ordinary ram
part and parapet, entirely open overhead,
with scarp wall about thirty-three feet
high. The bitches have Il simple slope of
earth for counterscacps; and. in their
front. glaci> leaving 4 wide BERN on the
surface Of the ground between it and the
ditch The object of this simple fortified
line j. TO secure the city from an cScalade
bv open assault. The fortified line. COM
mcncing at the point where the Seine enters
Paris. and where the numbering OF the
ba>iions begins, running from oneto ninety,
runs first northeast about q mile; then it
turns a little TO the west of north for about
three miles: il then makes 4 slight bend
westerly and northerly for about one mile
and half; from this, its most northerly
point. il turns somewhat TO the south Of
west for three miles; thence. for two miles
further. its course is southwest thence, for
somewhat over three miles, it runs little
TO the west of south. where it nearly
reaches its most Southerlv point from
this. for four miles and a half, it runs lit
tie 10 the south Of east, and finally, for
about one mile and a half, runs northeast
10 the starting point on the Seinc-thuS
making the entire length Of the line, esti-
mailing by straight lines from point TO
point, about twenty miles.
DETACHED FORTS AND REDoUBTs.
IN connection with this unbrOhen line
there is system Of detached forts and re-
doubts, some Of q permanent and some OF q
TEMPORARY character. Commencing on the
north there are the three forts covering st.
Denis: the Double Crown du Nord in the
centre: Fort de la Briche, fourteen hun
dred wards west, and Fort FEST, two
thousand yards east. Next comes Fort
Il 'Aubervilliers. two miles southeast of
Fort de PEST: Fort de RoInainviiie, two
miles southeast of Fort d'Auberrilliers :;
Fort de Noisy, about one mile east OF Fort
de RomainVille Fort de RoSny, one
mile and a half southeast Of Fort de
Noisy Fort de Nogent, two miles
nearly south of Fort de Rosny Chateau
de Nincennes, two miles nearly west OF
Fort de Nogent; Fort de Clarendon,
two miles and half south of Eincennes ;
Fort d'Ivrv, two miles southwest OF Cha
renton: Fort de Bicetre, one mile and a
half west of Fort d'lvry; Fort de Mon
trouzc, one mile and half west OF Fort de
Bicetre; Fort de Nauve, one mile and
thrcc-quarters west of Fort MontrouZe ;
Fort d'ISSy. one mile west of Fort de
Vauve: and lastly, Forteresse du Mo-,
Saierien, five miles nearly north =" Fort
dIssy. From this last work f.. cne forts nj
st. Denis the distance is "",uout eight miles
without any perlnar..on intervening works
BESIDES thcSe =, Is, which are Fashioned pen
tagon> or .quares, there are other works OF
Teu',uDtS, as Redoute de Faisanderie ant
i,edoute de Gravelle, about one mile ant
thrce-quarters southwest OF Fort de NOgent
and which close the neck OF the loup, about
1000 yards wide, formed by q bend in tht
Marine at this point. The unbroken fortified
line extends beyond the old boulevards of tht
city, Il distance varying from half a mile tt
over one mile and Il half. All of the de
tached forts are without caSematcs for ar
tlllcry, but have bomb-proof shelters. The
largest, which is Fort du Mont Valeren, i
a Fashioned pentagon, with bolnb-proofs fol
lis garrison. These permanent delences
which are estimated to force an enemy to s
regular siege TO last some time, form tht
supports for 4 system of temporary work
TO cover the space between them and thu
army watching its opportunities for often
sivc movements, which may occupy thu
zone between the detached forts and tn,
unbroken line to the rear.
THE PARIS PEOPLE.
With this grand system OF defences fol
their capital, the French naturally feel thai
they have little or nothing to fear for it from
an invading army. Certainly they have
reason so to regard it, provided that tht
conditions Of defence such as Is expected
in u case like this are fulfilled; which are {
sufficiently ample and disciplined army, M
armament correspondent to the great I'm
provement Of ordnance up TO the present
moment, and full supply Of provision:
and munitions of war. This is the purely
military aspect Of the situation. But the
more controlling one is the morale OF the
population Of Paris. The ianatical clement,
The one that is ready for any sacritices-the
working class-nay be depended upon to
endure all the horrors Of siege. Not SO
the other classes Of the population, who
dread the working class even more than q
foreign foe. Paris is city of shop-keepers,
ana II is not from such class of the pop,l-
lation, nor from the renters and other
classes above this, living in ease, comfort,
and even luxury, that priYatious, however
slight, are to be looked for.
THE TASK BEFORE THE INVADERS.