The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-10-28
H WALLS OF PARIS
GREAT But USELESS EMDANKMENT
BUILT If YEARS AGO.
How Ii Failed to Keep the Invading
m Out-The Forts ON h
Surrounding Hills.
Paris correspondents Cleveland Leader.

from the year 1910. Perhaps 1t was not.
accurately speaking, a council of wise men,
but only one Of the many plans that con-
stantly evolved from the brain OF Louis
Philippe, who did so much to beautify
Paris and improve Ii artistically and from
a sanitary standpoint. Anyhow, the decree
was issued that Paris should be a fortined
city. and forthwith thousands OF men and
hundreds Of carts were set at work build
ing the huge entertainments that now sirdle
the French capital.
For five years the men dug. the teamsters
swore at their much-abused horses, the
earthen wall grew and grew. and one morn
ing Paris woke uo and found itself a city
within a fortress. Then the Parisians
chuckled with joy and rubbed their hands
with satisfaction. Now let the Germans
or the English or the Spaniards come" said
they. land we shall remain behind our
safe wall and pick them OF one by one at
our leisure. while we shall be unframed.
No body Of men ever can cross that wide
ditch and scale that high rampant with
our soldiers on the top to shoot them down
as they please" Oh. indeed. it must have
been a glorious time in Paris when all that
massive embankment was finished.
In the first place there was a moat about
fifty feet wide and as many feet deep,
which must be crossed by an invading
enemy. Above it towers the steep side OF
the bank. on the top Of which was a para
pet nineteen feet wide. The latter would
accommodate the French army in safety,
and what a splendid situation 1t would af-
ford the defenders to utterly annihilate
the invaders. The fertilization was con-
structed at varying angles in order that the
French infantry and artillery might pour
a flank fire into the ranks of the hostiles
whenever any hostiles presumed to sur
round Paris The entire system, COM
pleted, cost the French nation lac. 900. 0O0f,
about SIS. co., 900 in American money. When
ever a stranger came to Paris the honest
bourgeois, who fourished when Louis Phil
ippe performed his great dual feat OF hob
nobbing conformity. with crowned heads and
green grocers, took the visitor out to walk
or drive and showed him the great system
OF defense that was 10 be the perpetual
salvation OF Paris in case Of war: Isn't
And, OF course. mis- friend was bound to
agree with him. for 1t is something of an
enterprise TO surround a great city with a
ditch fifty feet wide and a bank of earth
quite as many feet high. The total length
Of the fertilization is twenty-one miles.
WHEN THE GERMANS CAME.
But years passed and an invader trampled
the sacred soil OF France" under his sturdy
German feet. Bavarians. Prussians, Sax
ons and any quantity Of burgers" care
lessly lounged under the very nose of the
gay French capital and whistled 1.-The
Watch on the Rhine while the French
were choking off the "Marseillaise." Sauer
kraut and weiner wurst perfumed the air
hitherto sacred TO pates and filets with
MADEIRA sauce. topped off, with salad and
m~ayonnaise dressing. Plain Munich beer
tasted as well out Of French glasses as had
Win l;@.f - - 5000
The fertilization was still there, and the
residents Of the city often walked out to
it and from Its parapet watching for signs
or the Germans 1t was valuable for re-
served seats In which to view some Of the
n non i more re- !Es Gsrmans Were eh not s ae6
fools as to walk up to IL and expose their
precious bodies to French bullets. No, in
rounding Paris and amused themselves
shooting at the most prominent steeples in
the city with their long-range cannon.
marched out of the gates of the avenues
fntersecting the Qualifications. They looked
grim and determined, and IL there were
any German sympathizers left in Paris they
must have been stricken with grief at the
thought OF the humiliation of the German
or other as often as the French soldiers
sailed forth so often they struggled home.
Not all OF them. IL Is true. for the mute
stone monuments in the environs of Paris
bear silent testimony TO the bravery with
which they fought. The fortification. how
ever. was still there. and it is there yet,
AK themselves whether 10 is worth the
money that 1t cost and the additional thou
sands that it takes to keep it in repair.
In this age OF the world a walled city,
is possessed OF two advantages. The first
is that from the wall the defenders can
tight to save their lives and property: the
second is an advantage for the other chap.
That wall of defense is also a wall of i'm
prisonm 1t. 1t Is palpable TO anyone that
IT Is musn easier to keep an animal in the
relatives got behind the wall and all the
Germans had to do was to see that they
into submission. The officers of the Ger
man army knew that when the Parisians
were ready to sally it must be by one of
How easy. therefore, to keep excellent
watch Of the exits.
Paris are no longer the fashionable
thing In military circles. In fact the de-
scendants OF the honest bourgeois are in
their ancestors sacredly revered. The
mighty earthen embankments are overrun
with cowpaths and footpaths and ii does
not take more than half an eye to see
that Paris recognizes the imbeciiity of in
trenestng itself behind a costly ditch and
wall of earth, when the enemy between
breakfast and dinner can sit on the hillside
and fire his little popguns and big pop
guns all day long at the handsome build
fngs and most sacred edifices.
Then. too, Paris is becoming ambitious.
Not that Paris has not always b>en ambi-
tious in certain channels, but that a new
channel has opened. Paris Is jealous of
London London is the largest city in the
world so far as population is concerned.
II those miserable Notifications were torn
down, and the municipal limits of Paris
extended through the many suburbs which
really are a portion of the city. Paris
would very likely be larger than London,
and, therefore,, from a French standpoint.
possibly from that of others, the capital OF
the world In its ambition to grow Paris
cago would take in the entire State of I'LL
nois II she could. Paris would not hesitate
TO embrace all France in a similar emer-
gency. In fact. Paris does control France.
II doesn't cover all the area OF the Repub-
&c. but there Is no Frenchman unpatriotic
enough 10 stand in the way of any measure
That would enhance TO the glory Of Ia belle
Paris"
y CIRCLE OF FORTS.
The Notifications, however, are not all
that are meant TO protect Paris. Beyond
the wall OF the Notifications there exists
q circle OF forts. gems in the coronet OF
hillsides that crown the lovely city. OF
these forts the most important, SO I am
told. is that OF Mount Valerien. 1t was
never taken by the Germans when they
invested Paris. For that fact Mount VAL
erien has the right to be congratulated.
One sees this fort well from the steam
tramway that puffs and snorts along the
highway from Paris TO st. Germain-en-
laye. the birthplace Of Louis. and the
deathplace or James III. OF England. 1t is
visible only on a clear morning. for. al
though the hill on which it il Sifuafed "a