The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1918-04-11

L
and terrible weapon. These were Tor
tifications, and they began early with
fertilization which perhaps is as
remarkable as the invention OF the
cannon.
In the reign of Louis Philippe, the
great walls was built around Paris the
idea having been inspired by travel
er's reports OF the huge wall across
northern China. This served for the
conflicts which were enacted before
the terrible years of 1901, and was
conformed to the strategy of Constan-
thus who. twelve centuries before had
fixed his residence on the banks OF the
Seine for the purpose of watching the
ever menacing Hun The wall, a few
years previous to 1870, was en-enforced
by what was called bastions, which
are the things we of today know as
forts.
Modern Detsnses.
All the time cannon was developing
France was developing the defcnses
of her holy city. and today it is the
German high command itself that is
authority for the statement that Paris
if not impregnable. at least is imperv-
ious to any heavy piece now in exist
ance and this it may be taken in the
light of the apparent accepted failure
of the newest big gun. was an inclu-
sion the rs mile monster.
The two inner circle of forts, the
enciente and the circle, date from the
time OF Louis PHILIPPE, but the outer
circle is of recent origin and build
and have been extensively since the
fall of Antwerp, three years ago, also
considered an impregnable fortifica-
ton. The enciente is of plain bastion
trace, without raveling but with dry
ditch, and has SO bastions 81 gates
land railway passages. The greater
part of the enciente however has been
given up--as were the inner circle OF
forts at Antwerp by connecting up the
old detached forts. These Notifications
which endured the seige of 2S70-7l
have perimeter of about A3 miles
land each is designed as a miniature
fortress with ample easements and
high easements and high cavaliers
certain formations being omitted. On
the north side there are three forts
connected by parapet around St
Denis, one of them being arranged to
control an inundation should this
emergency ever become necessary
Next, to the right or eastward, comes
Fl. Aubervillers which commands the
approaches north of the wood OF
Bondy. These four works lie in rela'
lively low grounds,
! The eastern works are on higher
ground. and they consist of four forts
and various redoubts and command
the approaches from the wood OF
Bondy to Paris. In low ground again
at the narrowest point Of the great
loop of the Marine, there are two re
doubts connected bg5a parapet and be
tween the Seine anu the Marine, in adj
vance of their confluence, TT. Char
enton
/ On the south side of the city, hard
lily more than mile from the encen.
lite. is row of forts, Ivry, Bicetre
, Montroge, Vanes and Issy. These are
solidly constructed works, but until
they were reinforced after the seige OF
! 1870 and again recently, they were
practically useless, and with the eX
Iception of Bicetre easily might be de-
molished by modern artillery.
On the west side is the famous fort
iof Mont Velerien, standing $50 feet
above the sea and $50 feet above the
river. This one fortress alone is
considered as impregnable as Gibera'
tier. 1t completes the catalogue of the
inner line of defense but even it is
Strengthened by two groups of sus.
tanning forts, Hautes Bruyeres and
! Chantillan, the latter of which will
prevent access to the celebrated plat.
eau. This overlooks the city from a
height of 900 feet. and sweeps the
whole of the ground between Bicetre
and Mont Valerien.
The New Works.
! The new works, erected since 1902
and up to the present time form a
circle of rs miles circumference and
an army which attempted to invest
Paris without first demolishing these
: forts would have to be at least 1,000,.
600 strong, irrespective of all field and
covering forces. The actual defense OF
the line, apart from troops temporar-
lily collected in the fortified era,
would need to be some 10000 only.
! What information follows here nat
Iurally is matter of record previous to
the outbreak of the war, but even
these pre-war figures serve to give a
conception of the colossal resisting
power of the Notifications. The en-.
trenched camp falls into three sections
the north, the east and the south
west. Each fort has from "a to 60
heavy guns and 600 to 1900 men to
man them, and the redoubts, battries
and annex batteries generally 200 men
and 6 guns each. In the northern
section ridge crosses the extremity
! of the St Germain-Arsenteiu loop of
the Seine after the fashion of horse
shoe. and on this ridge is a group of