The sun., 1914-08-30

successfully defended by $4,000 men.
and It Is said that double this number
could easily be assigned for this wor X
without crippling the feld armies in
any way: To maintain these defenders
the French would have their base OF
supply right in Paris itself. while the
besiegers must Of necessity. draw their
ammunition and food from beyond the
frontier. many leagues To their rear,
md. at the same time, guard these lines
OF communication against the mobile
forces of the French armies in the field.
Now the three intr/nched camps are
not literally intrcnched in the older
use OF the term, nor are the exterior
works. apart from the forts. either
permanent or continuous. They are
thrown up az certain strategic points
where natural cover hides them from
the casual eye. and the military au-
thorities have seen 10 II that visitors
have been few and. far between. In
deed the average Partisan or the run
of Frenchmen know next TO nothing
about these secret provisions Tor the
safeguarding nf their capital.
OF course, the main forts are more
or less conspicuous, but there !s not
much that they dlsclose from the outside
Of their offensive or defensive resources.
This Is especially true OF the new works
These are earthen parapets from thirty
to thirty-hve feet thick and a score or
feet high, and beyond them are bitches
or potential moats tsrty' feet VIDE and
fully thirty feet deep. while immense
earth traverrs. placed atnwart the
ramparts. cover the guns asaln't cross
fire. There "a nothing to he seen OF the
interior o. these forts, IL one except tho
muzzles OF tho guns Just reaching above
the parapets and the steel domes OF the
barbettes beneath which these wea pons
are sheltered The only masonry in
sight Is the revetcments of the bitches
! AS we have said, the permanent por-
| ton OF the intrenched camps are the
forts. which in time OF hostllities are
connected by chains Of temporary
works supplemented by a carefully de-
veloped system OF interconnecting rail-
ways. Before entering upon this rail-
way feature. which 10 one OF the most
| important parts Of the defence. let us
take up the various forts; working from
the north OF the city eastward and then
to the south. Their names and their
positions and elevations are as fellows
and can he verified on the accompany
ing military plan Of the city, which has
been elaborated from different sources
Fort dEcouen. Immediately south of
Ecouen, with the Batterie dcs Sablons
in its rear and another battery on IT'S
right nank. ...'
Fort de Vaujours, at an elevation OF
1896 feet. a little 70 the southeast Of the
Sevran- Livry Powder Mills and between
Vaujours and Country
| Fort de Chellcs, imrnedia tely north OF
Chelles at an elevation of 3l5 feet. '..'
! The fort close to Grenopillcre little
northeast OF Villers- sur -Marne. at an
elevation Of 347 feet.
Fort de Champigny, at an elevation OF
S35 feet. above the bend Of the Marine
and between Chennevieres and Cham
pigny..
The fort at sury-en- Brie
The fort at VilleneuvesSt. Georges.
The fort at Pslaiseau, with the Bat.
terie des Galines, the Batterie du Ter
rier, the Batterie de la Chataigneraie
the Rebuilt de Verrieres and other sub
sidiary works in it's rear In the Bois de
Verrieres.
Fort Villeras, about a mile south oi
Jouy.
| Fort du Haut Buc, at an elevation OF
| 542 feet, two miles south of Versailles.
Batterie Bouviers-In rear Of this anc
OF Fort du Haut Buc are several works
including the Batterie de la Porte d.
Desert. the Batterie du Ravin des Bou
piers, &c. ... ....
Fort de st, cyr. And a mile to the
north OF it. .'...
Fort de Bois Arcy..
The system Of works in that part !,
the Fort de. Marty, between Marty Il
Roi and BA!lly, include the Rebuilt, th'