Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1914-09-02
PARIS READY FOR
GREATEST SIEGE
IN ALL HISTORY

Washington, Aug. 31.--The fortified
ions of Paris and their ability to re-
sist a siege is receiving the close at
tentfon of military observers now that
IF the German forces, and the French
ministry of war has adopted urgent
means of strengthening the city's de-
lenses to the utmost.
While the city's detailed d%efenses are
surrounded with secrecy by French
character and formidable strength are
1nown to military experts, who recog-
1ize them as among the strongest for
tifications of the world.
These Notifications consist of three
distinct circles sweeping around the
.ity, first the olid wall of masonry, 18
'eet high extending for % miles around
The old sections of Paris; second. the
system of IL detached forts arranged
1T intervals. two miles beyond the wall
and making a circuit of the city "a
miles Ions. and third, AN outer girdle
IF forts IS miles long on the heights
commanding the valley of the Seine.
Covers 400 Miles.
Each of these circles of masonry and
steel is a complete defense in itself, the
forts being linked together with re-
doubts. bastion and glacis. which per-
nit a cross fire against approach from
any direction.
I'm vi LIN y0ISlI -
shown by it's area which exceeds 400
square miles.
The wall around Paris and the IL
detached forts two miles beyond the
wall were built by Louis Philippe. They
sustained the German siege of 1901,
and the outer forts ave since been
greatly strengthened. The third line of
forts on the hills of st. Germaine, Cor
meilles n Villiers. are of modern
construction with the latest types of
batteries and heavy guns.
The inner wall about Paris sur
rounds the best known and most inn
%portant sections of the city, including
the business sections along the grand
boulevard, the residence sections on
the north and west of the city and the
Latin quarter and other sections on
the left bank of the Seine. On the
outside of the wall a circle of suburbs
extends for many miles, including Ne
uilly, Argentiene, Versailles, VincenneS
and many cities. The forts of the sec
ond and third line of defenses are dot
them and the approaches to the capt.
tai. The wall contains SO bastions and
81 gates. Some of these. have been
abandoned. owing to the pressure of
modern construction n trade But
recent advices received here from
Paris state that all the gates still ex-
listing are nov closed at 8 p. m. with
rigid regulations against movements
from within or without.
The second line of forts includes the
famous fortress of Mont Valerian
which was the center of attack in the
German siege of 1870. 1t is strength
ened by w group of works-Hautes
Bruyeres and the Chatillon fort and
batteries. South of the city is the row
of forts at Ivry, Bictre Mont Rogue.
the city are three great forts around
Vanves and 1ssy. North and east Of
ST. Denis and two others at Fort Au-
bervillers and Fort C%harenton, COM
handing the approaches fl om the great
wood of Bondy.
The outer circle of forts which are
of the most modern type nave from "a
to 60 heavy guns and 600 to 1900 men
each In all the three lines of defenses
require 10000 men to operate them,
not counting troops assembled in the
city. According to military experts it
would require a force on 500, 900 men
to invest these defenses.