The Sun.
London, England, 1866-07-07 00:00:00

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROII OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, Friday Evening.
From an analysis of the various accounts, some
of them very contradictory, of the great battle of
Sadowa between the Prussians and Austrians, I
glean a few facts of interest. The battle, which
took place as it were under the walls of Konnig-
graetz, lasted more than eight hours. The Prussians,
whose centre was at Sadowa, had placed in line all
the military force of which they could dispose. The
Austrians having their centre at Lippa, with the
fortress of Konniggraetz at their rear, also brought
up all the available soldiers of the Empire, with the
exception of those forming the army of Venetia.
The Austrians, suddenly attacked both in front and
rear, in spite of their courage and their success, at
first wavered, were seized with a panic and fled with
precipitation ; the bridges of the Elbe scarcely
affording space for the thousands of fugitives. The
officers, generals, and princes of the Imperial House
in vain set the example of desperate courage. Three
Archdukes were wounded, and many general officers
were-killed, wounded, or taken prisoners. Accord-
ing to the Prussian reports they captured 14,000
Austrian prisoners and 116 Austrian guns. The
Austrian army before the battle had taken their
position on the right bank of the Elbe. They were
violently repulsed to the left bank, that is to say, to
the east. There is no doubt that Pardubitz and all
the line of railway branching towards it have been
abandoned by Benedek. It remains to be seen
whether he will be able to protect the grand route
to Vienna, and whether he will be more fortunate
than he has been in defending first the junction of
Josephstadt and then that of Pardubitz. At all
events Bohemia is entirely delivered up to the
enemy, and the Prussians are free to do what they
like there. There arc vague reports of movements
towards the Upper Maine, on the part of the
Bavarian troops on one side, and on the
other of the Prussian troops in face of them.
Some accounts estimate the number of
Austrians killed on the field at Sadowa
at 10,000. Other accounts say it was double and
even treble that amount. The number of prisoners
is at least 15,000. Among them are Princes Lich-
teinstein and Windissvaetz. Counts Festeties and
de Thun were severely wounded. Field Marshal
Benedek, in his telegram to the Emperor of Austria
announcing his defeat, attributes it to the flank
movement of the Prussians upon Chium. This is
the cause to which the victory was assigned yester-
day, and turns out to be the correct one. Sadowa
is situated thus—opposite the line of the Elbe, in
parallel with it is Bistrica, the outlet from which is
by Horsitz and Sadowa. The Prussians, marching
from Gitschin, carried this line by the extreme left
of the Austrians to Sadowa, thus reaching Konig-
graetz. The course taken by the Austrians on their
retreat is not yet distinctly known ; but, as was
supposed yesterday, the idea of marching towards
Prague is now out of the question.
The Paris papers seem to be all startled by the
announcement in yesterday's Moniteur. It meets
with almost unanimous approval, and seems to have
had the best effect everywhere. A prospect of peace
is anticipated with delight. La Liberte, however,
regrets that something was not done to produce
that happy result before so much bloodshed had
been allowed. It says :—" If we could even cease
to hate and despise war, the grand fact, the glorious
fact (the deliverance of Venetia), would reconcile
us to it. But how pardon the war for all the blood
which has just been shed when it would have been
so easy to have prevented it ? It would have sufficed
that Austria, who had accepted the idea of a Con-
gress, should not have changed her opinion at the
_ _

risk of being forced to do, without fighting, that

which after fighting she has just been compelled
tardily to do by defeat. What a rude lesson for
the Austrian Government."

A military paper of Vienna, the Camarade, ex-
presses a fear that the Prussian army will be able
to force Benedek back upon Olmutz, and thus pre-
vent him from reaching Vienna.
A letter from Vienna states that, before the army
left that city, there was a grand procession of the
priests with banners to the Cathedral, which was
splendidly illuminated, where a solemn blessing was
prayed for in favour of the Austrian cause.
The Empress has returned to Paris from Amiens.

It is stated that there never was an occasion when so
_ _

much enthusiasm was displayed in that town. Many
persons were affected to tears. This was the case
with her Majesty, who literally cried with joy at
the sympathy which her heroism had elicited. The
Empress has adopted two of the orphans. Her
Majesty went to every bed, took the hands of the
patients, and spoke words of consolation.
The immense, not to say exaggerated, rise in the
funds yesterday, has not proceeded in the same
ratio as yesterday. The French are peculiarly a
people of impulse, but their ardour has been a
little checked by a suggestion that Prussia,
flushed with victory, may not agree to an
armistice.

The foolish practice of playing with firearms,
which has often led to fatal results in England, has
made another victim here. About nine o'clock on
Tuesday a young servant girl was sewing in the
lower room of a furnished hotel, in the Rue du
Pon ceau, when a young man, who lodged at the
hotel, came back from his work. He began a con-
versation with the young girl, and seeing a gun in
the room he Wok it up. Of course, not knowing
and
was
itl
a laughingly
hesa
said
pointedh he
would the
care," said he. She told him to desist, but had
hardly spoken when the gun went off, and she
rceived the charge of small shot in her face and
head. Assistance was immediately called, and Dr.
Beclat, who attends the patient, says the injuries
are of a very serious character. The girl has
been conveyed to the hospital of St. Louis, and
there are but faint hopes of her recovery. Hip-
polyte, the foolish author of the mischief, is in a
very nervous and despairing state. He is in the
custody of the police.
The needle gun, which has done such wonders
for the Prussians, was invented in 1831. by Dreysa.
Experiments were made with it at Vincennes in
1856, but they were not considered successful.
Prussia made experiments with it in 1835, and began
to arm her troops with it in 1848. It is distin-
guished from other guns by the mechanism of the
receptacle for the cartridges, which opens and shuts
with great rapidity, as well as by the mode of
igniting the powder. The ignition is caused by the
friction of the needle against the fulminating por-
tion of the charge. This fulminating powder is a
composition of a special kind. The little needle is
moved by a spiral spring, which is set in motion by
the pressure of the finger. Before the present time
sufficient solidity could not be given to the mecha-
nism, and it would not work after a few discharges.
Some skilful Prussian engineers, however, have now
made the mechanism perfect and durable.
M. de Condamine, a descendant of the celebrated
astronomer, has just died in Paris at the age of 65.
There was great excitement, joy, and enthusiasm
last evening in Paris. All the great thoroughfares
were unusually crowded, particularly the Boule-
vards. Even in the morning, soon after the an-
nouncement in the illoniteur was known, Sags were
suspended from many of the houses, and tradesmen
closed their shops, with the determination to make
a fête day of the occasion. A general illumination
is spoken of. To-night there will be partial ilium-

nations.
A night or two ago the Duke do Mouthy, who
has a hotel in the Rue de l'Elysee, was awoke by a
noise in his bed-room. He called out " ho
is
there?" and a person said, " Do not stir, or you are
a dead man." This was not very reassuring; hut
the duke, who is not easily daunted, instantly
lighted a candle, and saw a man dart out of the
room. The duke could not catch him, but he called
up his servants. The hOuse was well searched, but
the intruder managed to escape. Some jewels are
missing. The police, however, are on the alert.
The works of ornamentation and restoration at
the Hospital of Val-de-Grace are now finished.
The front entrance has been tastefully repaired and
ornamented, and the dome also. Next to the Pan-
theon and that of the Invalids this is the most lofty
dome in Paris. It was under the auspices of Anne

of Austria that the church and abbey of Val-de-
Grace were erected. The celebrated Francois
Mansard was the architect. The abbey is now
transferred into a military hospital. The court-
yard is ornamented with a statue of the eminent
surgeon, Baron Larrey.

There have again been frequent showers during
the day, which are likely to be very beneficial to the
crops and to vegetation generally. The tempera-
ture at three o'clock this afternoon was as nearly
as possible that of the same hour yesterday.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

THE WAR IN GERMANY.

BRESCIA, July G.

Two Austrian gunboats have opened fire on
Gorgnauo, Lake Gardga, but were repulsed. It is
rumoured that an Austrian gunboat has been sunk