The New York herald., 1870-08-23
J--PAlais Royal.
6-Isseitns.
1-Legiom d'lK0npeur.
S--PaIais slu Quni d'Orsay.
9-CSrps Legislasti.
10 Elysec.
lf-i10tei de Vile.
l2-u Stel des InVniides.

progress of the enemy for q brief while they
entirely inadequate TO the wants Of the city.
OF THE FORTIPIcATroNs.
The plan agreed upon by the commission is
what wss adopted by the government and carried
out. 1t provided for double line of defences,
the interior to consist of continuous enclosure
(encei'Ae continuee) and the outer line of
series of detached forts each complete of itself
and independent of the other, and yet all so
arranged as to afford each other the amplest
assistance in the event OF an attack. Their fires
sweeping each other, it is necessary for an enemy
to pass between them before he can attack the
inner walls, whose guns also sweep the open
space between the forts.
THE INNER LINE.
As will be seen by the map, the inner line of
works consists of series of bastions which pre-
sent nnety-four angular fronts. The line is ir
regular, but surrounds the entire city, going
through the Bois de Boulogne the west and
touching the Bois de vrncennes on the southwest.
1t is twenty-five miles in circumference and is
probably the longest continuous line Of bastons
in the world. The wall, which forms part of the
bastions, is also terraced and has an escarpment
of thirty-four feet, faced with masonry Each Of
the angular faces q. e., bastions) has medium
length of 100 feet In front of the whole and
entirely surrounding the city is q continued fosse,
or line of wet bitches, lined with masonry and of
a depth of eighteen feet by width of twenty
feet. From the bottom of these bitches to the
top of the embankments crowning the walls is a
height of about forty-five feet The bastions will
have mounted in them an average of about ten
guns EACH which will make total of $40 for the
nnety-four angular faces. This agrees with the
dispatches from Paris, which report 900 guns
mounted the ramparts since the battle of
Wocrtb. About 100 gates pierce the ramparts
the bitches being covered by drawbridges, which
can be removed at q moments notice or destroyed
in two minutes bv the cannon in the bastions.
At different points in the rear of the line arc
placed extensive magazines well supplied with
ammunition for the artillery, and amply protected
rom the shot of the enemy. Since the accession
Of Louis Napoleon these magazines have been en-.
tirely remodelled, and are now absolutely mpreg-
nab!e to shot and she'll. The old military roads of
communication troutes strdtegiques), constructed
during the reign of Louis Philippe no longer
exist, the city limits having been extended to
these inner fortifcations, and, in fact, all the
ground from the old wall, which can be seen
traced on the map, and at which the octroi duty
was collected to the bastons, having been laid out
in streets and bouevards, which are for the most
part built up. In place Of these routes there is
line of railroad directly in the rear
OF the Notifications and entirely around them, by
means of which troaps can be thrown from one
part of the line to the other with great rapidity
There Is no high ground in front of he works ex.
cepting that on which stand the outer fortresses
The entire zone from the detached forts to the
bitches is a clear, level and almost open country.
We have aresdy been informed by telegraph of
the destruction Of the Bois de Boulogne and the
Bois de vneennes and the tearing down of build
ings and clesring\away of gardens to give the
guns clear and unCnsrtucted sweep. Much as is
to be regretted the destruction Of SO much that is
valuable and interesting in nature and art, it is
undoubtedly necessary tosa proper defence Of the
city.
At no point along this lineNof inner works, with
but two exceptions, are tho, bastiOns beyond