The Sun.
London, England, 1870-09-24 00:00:00

THE BESIEGED FORTRESSES.

With regard to Strasburg a French official telegram
asserts that on the night of the 17th-18th the Germans
attempted an assault, which was repulsed with enormous
loss to the assailants. We doubt this, for, as we announced
in yesterday's "Diary," we had news from the camp
of the besiegers, which was to the effect that a breach
had been made, and a lunette captured, and made
no mention of an assault. On the other hand we are
inclined to view the following Lombard-street telegram as
equally untrue. It is dated Cologne, 22nd September,
and asserts that_" the commandant of Strasburg is confined
to the citadel, the only place of refuge now remaining," and
adds that "the surrender of the town is hourly expected."
How can the commandant, by which is, we suppose,
meant also the garrison, to be shut up in the citadel
if the town has not been taken ? The attack, moreover,
seems to be directed against the citadel, so that portion
of the fortifications would fall first. The French flag
has, notwithstanding, to all appearances, very
few days more to wave over Strasbourg. The
besiegers- are looking forward with great interest
to the employment of the monster balloons which are to
be used to drop shells filled with nitro-glycerine on the
magazines. We suppose, hewever, that they have either
proved a failure, or are not yet ready, for they were to
have been tried a day or two ago, and we should
have heard .of the results had they been im-
portant. The fire of the garrison is reported
to be spasmodic, which is attributed to the want of
trained gunners. Some marine artilleristi belonging
to the Rhine gunboats are, however, in the
fortress to the number of 300, so the probability is
that the fire is intermittent because General
Ulrich wishes to husband his ammunition. The
mud in the trenches appears to have been terrible,
inflicting great suffering on the besiegers, and impeding the
progress of the works. The information from the be-
siegers' camp before Metz states that the German soldiers
are badly off for provisions, and that there is a great deal
of fever, cholera, and dysentery. There seems to be
no immediate prospect of Marshal Bazaine's capitu-
lation, and in spite of all that has been said he
does not appear to be reduced to extremities.
Prince Radziwill, a chaplain in the German army,
who was taken prisoner about the time of the
battle of Gravelotte, declares that there was an
ample supply of everything in Metz except sugar,
of which two lumps only were given. It was said in the
town, he informs us, that there were provisions enough
for a long time. Since then the army has been greatly
diminished, and even allowing for considerable exagge-
ration, we can well believe that a town which was the
principal depot of the army contained enough food to last
a three months' siege. As for ammunition they seem to
have plenty, for the latest telegrams assert that they
keep up a fire' all day. The Prussians are threatening
Orleans. They have occupied Pithiviers, and as they
appear to contemplate an advance, all neighbouring de-
tachments of soldiers have been summoned to Orleans.
At all events the railway traffic beyond Blois has
been suspended. Pithiviers, we may mention, is twenty-
three miles north-east of Orleans. Toul still caused the
Prussians great annoyance on account of its obstructing
the railway traffic. We have received a confirmation of
the intelligence that the assaul,t made on it on the nights
of Sunday and Monday last were repulsed with great loss
to the assailants.—Standard.