The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1914-09-09
PARIS IS GUARDED
BY STRONG FORTS
Surrounding the City In
Three Circles.
|, DEFENSES MORE FORMIDABLE
Than ThOSeWhich Resisted the
Strong German Siege
of 1901.
a MASTERPIECES OF RESISTANCE


Washington, Sept. 5.-The forth
fications of arts and their ability
to resist siege is receiving the
close attention of military observ-
ers. now that Paris is the announce
ed objective Of the German forces.
and the Frensn ministry of war is
strengthening enc city's defenses.
The general character of the city's
detailed defenses is well known to
military experts, who recognize
them as among the strongest fortifi-
cations in the world.
The Notifications consist of three
distinct circles sweeping around the
city-first, the solid wall of mason
nv eighteen feet high extending for
twenty-five miles around the old
sections of Paris; second, the system
of seventy detached forts arranged
at intervals, two miles beyond the
wall, and making a circuit of the
city thirty-four miles long, and,
third. an outer girdle of forts, seven
ty-fve miles long.
Each of these circles of masonry
and steel is complete defense in it
self. The wall around Paris and the
seventeen detached forts two miles
beyond the wall were built by Louis
Philippe. They sustained the Ger
man siege of 1S7O-71, and the outer
forts since have been greatly
strengthened. The third line of
forts is of modern construction with
the latest type of batteries and ahea-
Wy guns.
The inner wall about Paris sur
rounds the best known and most inn
portant sections of the city. Outside
of the wall circle of suburbs ex-
tends for many miles, among which
are dotted the forts of the second
and third line of defenses, protect
ing them and the approaches to the
capital The wall contains 93 bas-
tons and g. gates.
The second line of forts includes
the famous fortress of Mont Valer-
ian, which was the center of attack
in the German siege of 1870 South
of the city is the row of forts at
Ivry, Bictre. Mont Rouge, Vanves
and Issy. North and east of the city
are three great forts around st.
Denis, and two others at Fort Aub-
ervillers and Fort Clarendon. COM
manding the approaches of the great
wood of Bondy. The outer circle of
forts of the most modern tySe form
"a to 60 heavy guns and 600 to l.
200 men each. In all the three lines
of defenses require 100000 men to
operate them, not counting troops
assembled within the city. Accord
ing to military experts it would re-
suire a force of 100000 men to in
vest these defenses.
General Won Moltke, field mar
shall of the German forces at the
time of the siege of Paris of 1901
states in a report on that siege that
the French artillery armament con-
sisted of more than 2.627 pieces, in
Guiding 200 of the largest caliber OF
naval ordnance. There were 500
rounds for each gun, and reserve
of 100000 Kilograms of powder.
Won Moltke points out that the bonn
bardment of fortified place, in the
heart of an enemy's country, is diff
ficult If not impossible, until the in
vader is master of the railways or
waterways by which heavy siege ar
tillery can be brought up. He ex-
plains the failure to lombard Paris
at the outset of the former siege by
saying it would have required 800
heavy guns with 500 rounds for
each gun. The movement forward
OF these heavy guns would have re-
quired $500 four-wheeled wagons
and 10000 horses. which We're not
available.
At later siege the Germans
brought up their big siege guns, at
tackin gthe encincture and forts,
dropping 800 to 400 fifteen-centi-
meter shells into the heart of the
city. Notwithstanding the fury of
the German attack. Paris withstood
the siege for 1872 days. Since then
the Entirely new and outer third
line OF defense has been erected and
military experts say the fortihca-
tions as a whole are far more for
midable than those which resisted