Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-24
THE FoRrrFICATIoNs OF PA
How They Have Been Multiplied
Strengthened Since the Siege Of 1S7

Strengthened Since the Siege Of 1S7
Paris IL now girt. says the Fortnightly Rsvis
BY triple belt of defenses. There Is, int
nrst place, the old enceinte, twenty miles
perimeter, which completely sncircies the city
and Vas constructed in ls4o. II remains - /.
was ouii-ssi simple parapet and ditch, broken
at Intervals by bsstions chiefly adapted for \
musketry defense, with here and there en-
Placement Tor guna The demolition Of the
eneein'e has been frequently proposed since
the construction Of the new forts. but 10 has
recently been finally decided 70 retain and even
strengthen IL as q permanent line OF inner d.
Tense. Outside the enceinte are sixteen de-
tached forts, likewise constructed in lss0-s2.
and placed at distances varying from one 10
three miles from the walls of the town. IL was
with this enceinte and these detached for,x thai
the French held the Germans at bay for four
months during the winter OF ls7O-fl Since
the war another circle of forts has been added
ut distances varying from four 70 six miles
from the inner line OF forts should the
German armies ever again approach Paris tLey
would ind all the positions they took mp II
1870 already occupied by French defensive
works. These works arranged in three
main blocks. Versailles on the south and SOUTH
west, Nincennes on the east and ST. Denis on
the north have been converted into three vast
intrenched camps, each of which is capable Of
sutittTluS an ARMY OF lOu.Up men. Inc peril
meter of the works already covers nearly sew.
enty miles On the northwest the natural do
lenses OF the country are 20 favorable TO the
defenders, owing TO the obstacle afforded by
the quadruple bend Of the Seine that the con-
struction OF the new works on this side has
been postponed till the completion Of the forts
on the south and east sides Of Paris. Works
have, however, been projected for the heights
OF Hautle and Bias Bretuil in order 20 cover the
approaches to the forest Of 81. German, aud
when thesa nd fhar n
have been completed the perimeter Of the new
line OF forts will be increased 10 $50 kilometers
or about ninety English miles.
RoUsDsoF THE PORTS.
During recent visit to Paris the writer Of
this paper took the opportunity Of visiting the
positions of these new works, which must be
full OF interest to the military student His
inspection was facilitated by the admirable
railway communication which exists between
the forts themselves and likewise connects
them with the town. There are two circular
railways traversIng Paris, Of which. the
Ceinture twen known TO English tourists whs
winter in the south Of France), runs imne-
dIately around the enceinte. The other and
exterior line, starting from Versailles, is car
ried completely around the city between the
two circle of forts which have Just been de-
scribed From this line railway offshosu
lead right up to the forts themselves Ad-
mission TO the interior of the forts is out Of
the question; no foreigners and few French
men are allowed inside. Much, however. can
be learned from an outside view and without
trespassing on terrian militaire interdit The
works are all OF the same type and contrast
strangely with those built by n. Theirs in ls40.
The bastion front has been replaced by the
polygonal trace. Earth parapets 80 TO IS feet
thick. ~ feet high, bitches 40 feet wide and 80
feet deep; enormous earth traverses placed
athwart the ramparts to cover the guns. power
fully armed caponiers in the dIscbes-thess
are the chief noticeable features Of the ne WY
constructed forts. Not a vestige Of masonry
can be seen except in the revetements Of the
bitches. From the outside nothing is visible
n the interior except the muzzles Of the guns,
which appear to just reach over the psrapst
No embrasures are anywhere cut, the guns
all being mounted en- barbette. The huge
traverses which cover the gun emplacsments
from entlade tire are a striking contrast 10 the
gingerbread structures which answer for trav-
erses in the forts Of the Portsmouth, and
Plymouth defenses. In some of the larger ferts
revolving cupolas, having the appearance frem
the outside Of gigantic umbrellas. have been
placed at the exposed salients in order TO sweep
the approaches 10 the works Each Of these
cupolas appeared to contain four guns-two for
each flank. In many cases the ingenuity Of the
French engineers has enabled double tier Of
artillery fire TO be brought to bear on positions
outside. Ii has been stated on excellent su-
thority that the total amount expended by the
French IL fortifying Paris and the frontier
since IS70-7l has reached the enormous sum Of
9l35 100000 and, after seeing the forts around
Paris, II is quite easy 70 believe that this figure
Cured in constructing these stupendous works
Of defense.
THE WEAK PART
Of the scheme is undoubtedly to be found In
the large area which the defenses cover, and
which requires a correspondingly large garri-
son to protect il. Accepting the estimate Of
Col Denfert, the defender of Beifort, who laws
H. 4 n
ground as a minimum necessary strength. this
would bring the number Of the garrison ND to
$50. 000-a large force to keep id behind in
trenchments at a time when every fighting
man will be worth his weight in gold as the
front Col. Denferts estimate, moreover, in
only based upon the necessities Of passive de-
Tense, and takes no account Of the mobile
troops which would have 10 be maintained for
sortie purposes and keeping open comnunica-
tons. This difficulty was foreseen by n.
Theirs, Gems. Changarnier. Billot and other
opponents of the extension of the Paris forti-
fications, when the military commission Of
1874 proposed them TO the chamber
In their anxiety to prevent any part Of the
defenses being dominated by ground outside
the French engineers have not known how or
where to stop. One work has led to another.
Even now fnality has not been reached, and AZ
time when war may break out any day there
still remain two dangerously large gaps in the
line of detached works the delay in defending
gaps, about eight or nine miles wide, lies to the
south of Paris, between Fort yilleneuve ST.
Georges Gan isolated fort denominating the
Seine Valley and Fort Palaiseau, which Is
powerful work situated at the east angle Of the
intrenched camp OF Versailles. The other gap,
and far more dangerous one, has been left
between Fort Stains and Vaujours, in the open
plain to the northeast of ST. Denis, through
which the traveller passes on bis way by rail
from Calais to Paris. Three maia lines Of
railway lead from the eastern frontier Of
France direct to this gap, which is fully nine
miles wide. According 70 French authority
(Lieut. Col. HenneberD il is proposed to place
a system of works at Blanc Mensil, but Q long
day both by rail and on horseback in this Sec
ton of the defenses has convinced the writer
that owing TO the nature Of the ground, which
in this case is favorable to the attack, this
corner, even when artifcislly protected, must
always constitute weak spot in the Paris de-
lenses. The fact Of the existence q this
vulnerable point 10, Of course, wsn known 10
the German staff and has been mads the sub
ject Of Of open discussion both In the French
and German press.
The Work was All Rixht,