The Sun.
London, England, 1870-10-05 00:00:00

been breached in two places. After I had passed through
the gate the spectacle of destruction which I witnessed
was one I shall not soon forget, On the right as far as I
could see the whole quarter was a pile of rubbish. There
were few marks of fire. Cannon shot and shell had re-
duced house after house into its original ele-
ments. When the space between Temple Bar and
Carey-street on which the new Law Courts are to
be erected was being cleared of houses the appear-
ance presented was not dissimilar, but there was
this difference, that in the case of the houses removed from
that sight there were signs of regularity in the midst of
the destruction, the walls were systematically removed,
whereas in Strasburg the ruined houses were literally piles
of rubbish, and unless I had known that houses had once
covered the spot, I should not have supposed that
the rubbish had ever taken the form of shapely
dwellings. In front of nearly every shop window were
sloping planks arranged with a view to ward off the
falling shot. All the openings made to admit air and
light into the cellars were covered over with a mass of
earth and straw. In some cases the straw had evi-
dently been taken. from the most offensive,
though not the least useful, part of the farmyard.
The deprivation of light and air, and the presence
of noisome smells, which those who occupied the
cellars must have had to endure must have been not only
a severe trial, but also most detrimental to health. One
house standing at a corner was propped up lest it should

topple over. A cannon ball had swept a large piece out
of the corner, and had cut through one of the beams which
supported the two upper floors. On reaching the Place
Kleber, one of the largest and finest open spaces
in Strasburg, the signs of destruction were most striking.
The handsome building which filled the north-eastern side
of the square, and in which was a valuable museum of
ancient and modern works of art, is now represented by
empty walls. Nearly every house has been pierced with
shot or shell. The hotel in which I write this, the
well-known Matson Rouge has been struck more than
once. Being one of the first civilians who arrived here,

I succeeded in getting one of the few rooms which the
German officers had not taken possession of. Wishing
to breakfast, I called for the bill of fare. It was as
long and elaborate as usual. I came to the conclusion
that although the city had been severely injured by
the bombardment, yet that the inhabitants had been
able to procure not only the necessaries, but also the
luxuries of life. But I was soon undeceived. The
bill of fare was a relic of pre siege days. I could get beef
or ham or pate de foie gras. Towards the end of the
siege, when provisions became very scarce, pate de foie
gras was one of the most common articles of food.
Large stores of it intended for exportation had accumu-
lated. Coffee and wine could be had in abundance,
but milk was unprocurable, and butter could not be
purchased under five francs the pound. I had not
been many hours in Strasburg before a change took place
in all these respects. Carts laden with vegetables entered
the city. Butter was again placed on the table. It was
announced that milk would be obtainable on the morrow.
I lost no time in visiting all the points of in-
terest, and the Cathedral among the first. To all
external appearance it is uninjured. The spire is
as attractive a spectacle as ever, but the spire has
been struck n more places than one. The cross on its
summit appears to have been touched by a projectile. It
leans to the one side. Some of the ornamental work has
been carried away, and in one of the side towers a portion
of the stone stair has been destroyed. The outer roof of
the nave has been burned ; the windows have here and
there been pierced with balls, but the famous clock has
escaped destruction, and the Cathedral is on the whole
in excellent condition. To this place the German
soldiers hastened as soon as they got here. They
ascended the tower, they explored the interior.
The officers were as eager as the men not only
to see the renowned Cathedral, but also to learn
the truth as to the damage done to it. All with
whom I conversed expressed their satisfaction at
the comparative unimportance of the injury inflicted.
They would have lamented the destruction
of the Cathedral quite as sincerely as the Strasburgers
themselves. It is the belief of the latter that the destruc-
tion of the Cathedral was one of the designs of the
besiegers. More than one German artillery officer
assured me that orders were daily given not only to spare
the city, but also carefully to avoid firing in such a way
as would either damage or endanger the Cathe-
dral. Other public buildings, however, hays not
escaped. The Prefecture, the theatre, and the
church, whereof the world-renowned library formed a
part, are now represented by bare walls. I have de-
scribed the appearance of the quarter which I saw
when I entered the city, but this is not a
more lamentable spectacle than that pre-
sented by the quarter adjoining the Porte des
Pierres. Indeed, the demonstration of what can be
effected when full scope is given to human industry of
destruction is obtainable by anyone who visits Strasburg
at this moment. The spectacle is the saddest I have ever
beheld. I have no desire ever again to be present at a
siege, or to be an eye-witness of its results.
The statement that General Uhrich was compelled to
capitulate by the pressure of his troops and the inhabi-
tants, is contradicted. One account says that the garrison
on marching out of the town, tried to throw away their
knapsacks, and vented their rage at the capitulation, ex-
claiming " Nous sommes vendus," "Uhrich est un
coquin." They broke and flung away their swords.
General Uhrich issued a proclamation, stating that, as
the enemy had effected two breaches and he could no
longer hold the citadel, being also threatened with a storm
within 24 hours, he was compelled to surrender. This,
he added, would save the town from a great misfortune,
and he urged that nobody should shew hostility towards
the German troops.
The Carlsruhe Gazette says that many of the inhabitants
regarded the capitulation as a shameful treachery. Francs-
Tireurs wanted to pull down the white flag from the
Minster, and several shots were fired at it. Happily, the
mob had no leaders. Some of the streets are heaps of
ruins, but the bombardment made less havoc than might
have been expected. Thousands of the inhabitants had
lived for weeks in wooden huts along the canal, the houses
being unsafe. The German troops marched into the town
quietly, through a silent multitude, and made a good and,
to some extent, imposing impression. Fraternisation has
begun in the public-houses. A feeling of thankfulness
that the siege is over will soon prevail. General Mer-
tens is appointed commandant. It is rumoured that on
the 29th several shots were fired by Francs-Tireurs, that
a German soldier was murdered, and that a proclamation
has been issued, forbidding more than two persons to stand
together in the streets.

A traveller who passed over the ground round about the
siege, writes :—" I found Kehl itself in a neat and orderly
condition, and unlike a town engaged in exchanging the
rude compliments of war. It was, however, nearly de
serted by its inhabitants, inns, shops, and houses having
their shutters fastened and bolts drawn. Here and there
some house was in use as an office or for some military
purpose. A good many houses had been burnt, and a
good many more bore traces of the danger of living within
fortified places. The church, too, had shared in the
rough fortunes of its humbler neighbours, and though not
seriously injured it had been struck in many places by
splinters of shell. From Kehl I returned to Appen-
weier, through Kork. It was a beautiful evening
and my path led me pleasantly enough, if not through
summer belts of wheat and wine.' yet through a country
of rich and varied produce. The present moment is one
of the gladdest and busiest of the many glad and busy
seasons which belong to the southern plains of the Rhine,
Many of the good things which the soil yields are now
coming into store. As I passed through the fields I
found the men busy in cutting and bringing in the second
hay harvest, the women were beating out the flax, the
children were helping to relieve the trees of their ripe
burdens of apples, and pears, and walnuts. Every-
where around me were plenty and happiness. As I
watched the cheerful labour of the people I could not help
thinking of, the storm of invasion which had once
threatened this district, and of the terrible picture of
want and suffering which I had seen in those parts of
France which have been traversed and fought over by the
two armies."