The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-09-07
THE SEIGE OF PARIS


ont to the world that the allied arm
les have not tried very hard to pre-
vent the Germans from reaching
Paris. From the manner in which
they have fallen back to one side or
the other, they seem rather willing
than otherwise for the invaders to
invest the city. =
On the other hand, it is not in the
least likely that the Germans will
try to surround Paris with ring of
troops 1t would take half a million
men and such a Gordon could be
broken at almost any point by the
handled troops
If the Germans reach Paris they
are most likely to try to carry its
defenses by direct assault This may
take three days or three weeks, or it
may fail altogether If it is not ac-
compoHshed at once the allies will
almost certainly raise SO much Cain
with the German communications
that they will have to retreat.
Most people have an idea that the
defenses of Paris are composed of
rings of frowning walls. across which
huge cannon peer toward the enemy.
Instead, there are lines of forts, in
unsymmetrical array, with wide and
irregular spaces between.
In the system of defenses about
Paris and all cities protected by
modern works, the forts form only
the skeleton of the fortified lines.
The Fashioned wall which used to be
relied upon as the main defense of a
city is impossible today. "A stone
wall Of the old type would be reduc-
ed by modern siege guns in less time
than it would take to tell it.
The forts about Paris are in a
circle with circumference of about
sixty miles The seventeen great
fornesses which form the frame
work of this great system we're
erected at cost of more than $780,
GOO, 900. To build a solid wall OF
sneaa forts would cost up in the bill
7Dns of dollars and no nation is rich
enough to undertake it.
Much of the system of fortifca-
tions about Paris is secret. Dotted
all about the forts are small pre-
serves, access to which is denied to
the public. These conceal batteries
Vast lines of field works are designed
for the spaces between the forts.
BY far the greatest number of the
heavy guns are fought from without
the forts, not within. As the enemy
naturally knows the position of per
rnanent works, he will place his owl
artillery in positions where the gun!
Of the forts can do the least harm.
While formerly all of the big guns
were fought from within the fort
resses, in modern warfare it is nee
4sssary to place them where their pc
eItfons can be changed, as the for
tunes of battle shift. For this pur
pose there is now about Paris a mill
tary belt line railroad which con
meets with all the forts and whic
has spurs extending in all the place
where it might be necessary to plan
big guns With such railroad
heavy artillery and ammunition ma
be speedily moved from one place
another.
The railroad is concealed from til
enemy by system of tunnels an
sunken roadbeds, where the lay
the ground does not afford natur
concealment. On the other hand tt
4ni1itary railroad system of Paris W;
laid out before aircraft scouting he
gained its present efficiency.
The modern type of forts at Par
are shallow from front to rear, wi
two fronts facing the enemy al
meeting at an obtuse angle. II
walls are Of concrete reinforced wi
steel. The heavy guns inside a
worked from disappearing turret
being loaded behind the walls a.
then elevated and discharged. The
guns are aimed by officers in armc
ed Gurrets, which rise long enoui
for them to take their observation
and then descend to safety, while t
gHnners elevate the guns to the {
sired angle. When a gun is fired
EecoiI automatically causes the turf
eo fall back into a place of safe
from the enemy's fire. Searchligl
are similarly worked from disappei
Fng FnTTets.
The primary use of such forts
en keep the long range guns of