Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1914-11-04
PARIS FOR SIEGE;
GORDON Of TRAPS
Horrors of 1871 Spur Pop
ulace to Precautions
Against Famine.

Marine valley leads to the deep open
ing between the Ardennes and the
northern Vosges, while the valley Of
the Disc is the logical highroad from
Belgium
History has emphasized repeatedly
how all roads along these valleys make
naturally relatively easy paths for ap-
proach to Paris from the east and
north, and the military problem is, ac
cordingly, that of defending these
somewhat narrowed lanes by which
the traditional foe must come.
In 1910 NJ. Theirs planned the advance
Notifications Of the capital, then sup
plementing the battlements girding the
city by belt Of sixteen detached forts
on the northeast and southeast ap-
proaches to Paris. How we'll he plan
ned was amply proved during the win
ter of 1870 to 1871, when Paris was in
a state Of siege for 1872 days, and since
then the government has added third
belt or zone Of defenses covering a
much wider arc and therefore necessi-
tating the employment of a greater
force on the part Of a potential foe.
Old Defenses and New.
The defenses Of Paris today, COM
pared with the forts of 1870, are as
much Of an advance as the modern
magazine rifle is upon the old muzzle
loading muskets of century back. The
circle formed by the forts of 1870.
lying beyond the walls of the city at
distances ranging from one to three
miles, then had an arc of something
like forty miles, and within their COM
bined zones they sheltered an area of
about 100 square miles, of which quite
half was Overspread with fairly thick
~ populated suburbs. Then the region
had in the neighborhood Of 100000
Inhabitants including the soldiers
present for the city's defense Be
yond this enceinte of forts, at ju-
diciOus distance, lay the investing Ger
mans, and allowing 5000 men per mile,
and the arc one Of about fifty miles,
that meant a permanent force On the
firing lines of $4,000 troops.
| Today Paris has a population Of
quite 100000 souls, and the outermost
! fortified zone covers more than double
the distance Of that embraced by the
! detached forts of 1870. Indeed, the en-
virOns Of north, east and south Paris
are divided into three great intrenched
camps, with their margins protected
by many new permanent batteries and
i forts.
Much of the system of Notifications
about the capital is secret. The space
between and in advance of the main
! forts is dotted with small preserves
| forbidden to the public, in which bat
teries are mounted. Vast lines Of field
works are designed for the intervals
between the forts
Traps For the Enemy.
While formerly the big guns were all
fought from within the fortress, it is
necessary in modern warfare to place
them where their positions can be
changed as the fortunes of the battle
change. For this purpose there is
about Paris a military belt line rail-
road which connects with all the forts
and has spurs connecting it with The
places designed for field Notifications.
But it is one matter for the besiegel
to pass through the intervals and take
the city and another to take the forts
They are as a rule protected by barbe(
wire entanglements, intended to delay
the charging infantry, and to hold i
under fire from the fort and from
trenches Immediately protecting thu
fort. After the barbed wire has beer
cut or blown up by land torpedoes
built especially to smash such obstruc
tons, the charging columns have t.
pass over mined ground. The usua
mines are fOugasses, explosives fire.
electrically from the fort. which throw
tons of rock or other missiles into til
air. If these barriers are surmountet
the charging troops must face coun
ter charge from infantry held il
trenches Immediately protecting tn
fort.
If the enemy's soldiers finally get a
close quarters with the fort they fin
it surrounded by a deep ditch, thirt
feet wide, filed with water, and dc
Tended by machine guns-trained length
wise along the ditch, and infantry fir
from positions along the ramparts il
side the fort
While the fort is powerfully equippe
to protect itself from direct assault. ii
fall is a matter of time when it is ist
lated and besieged. The ring of dt
tached forts is supplied by the belt lin
! railroad. and. if this is in the hands {