New-York tribune., 1871-01-18

Judges IL oonversant with the positions, would admit
that all that skill and lnowledgC both practical and
theoretical effect, has been bestowed the duty.
The siege train and the detailed conduct Of the lombard
ment IT, believe, under the supervision Of Col Barge,
an officer Of cr, al experience with heavy artillery. or
course the fire Of the French forts IL an important ee
ment in the consideration Of the eventualtcs OF the
bombardmcnt Of Mont Avron aud IT would be blindness
70 negative il.
1t was believe originally intended that the firing
should begin at O'Clock. Half an bour before out
in the cold morning air. listening for the first booming
report that for days have been anxious TO hearhe
emblem and herald, az il would he, Of phase OF the
war. and. let us hope OF early termination. Seven
passed, and all was s sent-for the French had left
Of their firing. Eight came, and the keenness Of ex-
pectancy became absolutely painful. Was the whole
thing. after all, and feinti We're those
"quakors" whose cold SIDES had leaned against the day
before, and the ammunition beside each a
"dummyG q" No; the evidence OF ones senses
contradcted this. Was then, the day post
pOned yet agani No; only the hour. At
exactly quarter to nine tie first gun crashed Its
report below me in front Of Montfermeil, aud
could hear its angry whir cut the air in crossing
the intervening space In three minutes more the air
full OF the din of deep diapason. There was
nothing TO and saw itsuch may serve as sum
mary OF NY days work. Az day light the had be-
to fall not heavily and in big fakes, hut in feqhery
particles which filed and whtened the air. making OBJ
gnnors had got their lights and ranges the day before
and their shot must been there there there
abouts" but Avron invisible as if IL had been
the further side OF the North Pole. The work gave
the idea of fighting with knives in a dark At first
it seemed as if the French arlerymen were taken by
surprise. IL till o'clock that Avron sent back
the first installmcnt of its reply. When it did begin
though il went 10 work with a will, but rather
wildly, the shells flying about promscuousy in fashion
that impaired the safety OF any given point BY 10 this
duel in the dark in fun sway the air nccssantly
laceraed and tortured by the whistle OF the prQectles
so that might have imagined himself in a calm az
sea- with the rush of coming sQua bearing down upon
him. The German fire like cCck-wOrk; three times
timed the number OF rounds fired minute, ana the
results were24 o. 49, or these figures are val
ueess in indication OF the rapidy OF the firing without
information the number of the guns, which am
not at liberty TO give; but they afford remarkable ey-
dence of the systematic sca1iness of the practice The
French fire in spurts and gusts, and
then silent for half minute When in full
blaze it rapid to be continuous, and did not
admit OF being timed itself OF timing the German
fire. About IL the batteries at Bondy, as well as
could Judge by the direction Of the sound took up their
position and were replied to by the extreme right flank
of the German position which has been designed amiaby
looking toward the said Bondy, with view to such a
demonstration. All day long the fire continued, with
no great variation speak Of Perhaps il heaviest
till After that hour the French fire seemed TO
slaoken vsby There were no longer intervals pctNcoh
the spurts and the spurts were not 40 animated The
forts of Rosny and Nogent however chmed in OCCASION
ally covering the slackness OF Avrons efforts Abou
sundown there was a marked weakness in the eneInys
fire. the German fire continuing meanwhile III steady
plodd.ng, stod fashion. As write % o'clock at night
both sides have partially suspended operations About
every five minutes hear report, but cannot say from
which il comes. No doubt tomorrow the air will he
again full OF sound
The Prussans intend when they have drawn all the
best French artillerymen 10 that side, to open
tremendous fire MeudOr, Clamart St. Cloud, aud Cha
tilon. st. Cloud will be OF their most important
points Many batteries have been constructed in the
park which has been almost totally destroyed by the
Prussians for military well as the best part
Of the town Of 81. Cloud The French batteries on
the peninsula OF Bellancourt have been constructed tn
fight the Prussian batteries in the park OF ST. Cloud
Huge trains Of heavy ammunition daily taken into
the park the entrance of which ID now strictly forbidden
1laUc