Imperial Valley press., 1935-07-08
PARIS URGED
tn GlS-PR00F
ITS SUB-GITY.
Huge Subteranean Area Held
Ideal Place OF Refuge For
Millions In Var Time
By WAYERLY LEWIS ROOT
United Press staff Correspondent

Bv WAYERLY LEWIS ROOT
United Press staff Correspondent
PARIS. July "A vast subter-
ranean city stretches under the
streets Of PARIS, q haven for 100000
people during any air raid.
But 10 make this shelter more
iupregnable. Department Council
Tor LEapitault has urged that the
Cataoombs be made gasproof as
well as bombproof shelters. How
ever. the eitgs underground pas
Sages are not limited to the Cata-
combs. They form only 1-7O0th OF
Paris underground passages.
a subterranean map Of the city is
traced n yellow and green to pro-
vide the utmost safety for inhabi-
tants IN event OF emergency.
The yellow. denoting hard-rock
quarries. predominates. These sec
tions afford excellent anti-air pro-
lection. The green marks show
where gypsum has been removed
and denotes areas where safety
would be slight A small bomb
might shake down these soft,
crumblv walls.
Southwest Part Safest
The yellow areas cover almost |
all of the 18th. 14th and 18th ar !
rondissements, the southwest quad 1
rant Of Paris. and stretch well out
into the suburbs. Across the riv-
er. there are large yellow areas eX-
tending outward from the Troca-
dero. Under the Trocadero itself
are subterranean galleries from
which some Of the stone for the
building was taken.
In Montmartre. II Reuilly and
in Belleville. are frequent spots of
yellow. Crossing back 10 the other
SIDE of the Seine to the Left Bank
again is found tremendous areas
OF yellow whose outlines obscure
completely those Of the streets
above.
The fifth and sixth arrondisse-
ments tthe Latin Quarter and
Montpa1nasse) are almost all yel-
low. The cataconbs are in this
sector. and the isolated patches Of
yellow about the Pantheon, the
Jaroin des Plantes and the LuXem-
bourg represent sections Of quar-
ries once continuous with them,
which again could be connected to
the main body Of the underground
Eity by opening up disused passag-
es, providing Paris decided to move
entirely underground, and wanted
to maintain communications be-
tween all sectors Of her subterran-
can city.
Vast Area Under City
There are, altogether, 300 kilo-
meters Of useful galleries. Ninety
run under streets: A are beneath
the property Of the city or the
state Cnot including the vaults Of
the Bank Of France, where beneath
vacant lot lie tremendous
weights Of gold, floated on an arti-
ficial lake and protected by dead
" gases and 80 klometers are
under private properties.
The 18th reimbursement north
of the Seine to the east, is worst
served. with only $50 meters Of gal
leries. The fashionable residential
district Ct Passey. also on the
Right Bank. but to the west, has
seven kilometers.
On the Left Bank, east OF the
Bievre. are 25 kilometers Of tun-
neis And in the fourth quadrant,
that favored southWest-south cen
tral sector, the 5th, 9th, 14th and
18th ACCOMPLISHMENTS have respect
lively. g. y. 60 and y klometers Of
practicable. ready made refugees.
Most of these tunnels are on two
levels. the first so meters deep. the
second so. They are supplied for
the most part with sustaining walls
and beams, and open up often into
great subterranean halls. very
little needs TO be done to convert
them into modern bombproof shell
ters. All that is required IS nu-
merous entrances and a ventilation
system.
As for the famous sewers of Par
IS. they NAV be neglected. They
are not very deep, and they won't
be needed. Subterranean Paris has
room for all who need TO take re-
fuge there without them.