Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1900-10-25
PARIS WELL GUARDED.
Extensive EortificntionA and Military
Protection of the French
Capital.

Another German army might gel
into Paris a did Old King William 5
men In 1871. but the feat would prob
aD,y pe much more difficult Of accom-
p.ishment. The traveller who has just
returned from a visit to the Paris eN
position missed a good many things
probably. Here are some OF them:
Seven great forts about the city. eight
miles away from its walls. Nineteen
smaller forts four miles out, each con-
tanning three acres and mounting two
95-ton guns. Great stacks OF lQn-pound
melini1e shells ready for these guns TO
lurl. Twenty-one miles OF contlnu-
Gus Notifications about the town
earthwork walls $50 feet thick at the
base and fronted by 45-foot moats.
Three hundred emp.acements along
this giant wall for as many 95-ton
cannon, kept free from rust in the
Champs de Mars arsenal and ready TO
be sWung in place at any time. Ihlr-
teen barracks, II great modifying de
pots-no. YOU may have seen these or
some Of hem, says the Chicago ChrCn-
ice.
SO c.everlv are the forts masked by
long slopes of green turf and the walls
! bv trees and bushes that one can pass
/ in and out of Paris dozen times and
! see scarcely trace of its famous for-i-
| feat kas. The range of he 95-ton guns
| is over ten MILESTONE say IA.
TO work these guns. We're every man
Of the garrisons rafted away, Paris
Nv
her reservists. She could man every
gun twice over. garrison all her forts
with infantry and reservists and put a
dozen cavalry regiments into the field
for scouting purposes. Such per
formance no other city on earth could
rival.
The Paris railway stations have i'm
mense acreages Of platform space, eN-
elusive Of arrival and departure quays
which are made long enough to re-
ceive three trains at time Paris has
three circular railways-the inner
the outer and the Grand Centuries
which form a network connecting the
city and its suburbs. At every Loo;
yards along the inner slope of the
fortiticatons is a three-story guard
house. Some 10000 troops could thu
be sheltered within call of all attack
able points. These guardhouses ar,
connected by the broad Boulevard F.x
terieur. which is, of course, provided
with tramways.
Every reservist. whether Partisan
born or provincial immigrant, has
book containing his number, partic
ulars Of his service and a memoran
DUN Of the barracks to which he mus
t repair upon the calling Of the reserves
T In case of war lines carefully main
t tanned would be switched into use an
the tramway system would be in com
municaton With the enormous good
depot OF the Paris termini. Not rol
irg stock only. but horsehesh Won,
J be requisitioned. Every horse over fou
years old is registered together with hi
type, owner. and probable utility. TIL
!, general staff could choose from som
10000 horses. There are in, Paris co
}. cabs, with three horses to cab-4s.0 c
mounts fairly suitable for cavalr,
Add 10000 tram and bus horses and so
O00 drauoht horses--the balance ma
be taken as in private hands.
The military stores of Paris al
!, boundless. In day she could arm an
= c,othe 100000 fighting men with 70
:, &A},0NO rounds of melinite cartridge
y Atthe army bakeries she reserves lare
stores of grain. In case of siege II
general staff has censorship of price
n ready in the Paris municipality. whic
D. at al times fixes the prices of brea
/ and would do so Of other staples. Par
I, has an invisible defense-the subm;
/ rne boats that patrol the Seine fro
t. Asnieres and lvry.