The Shasta courier., 1864-08-27
NUMBER 26.
Internal Machines.

The l4th of January, 1858, was made
memorable In France By an attempt at regi-
clGe, most diabolical in its character. and vet
the PROJECT Of man who appears to have
been by no means devoid Of virtue and even
benevolence. 1t was however the third timo
| that what the French call an internal ma
chine was used in the streets of Paris for reg
ieidai purposes within the present century.
The first was Bourbonist contrivance, d.
rected against the life Of the First Counsel
Bonaparte This machine, - SAYS Sir Wal
ter Scott, in his life of Napoleon, CONSISTED
of a'barrel of gunpowder placed on cart. to
which It was strongly secured, and charged
with grape shot, so disposed around the bar
rel rs 10 be dispersed in every direction by
the explosion. The fire was to be communi-
Gated by a slow match 1t was the purpose
of the conspirators, undetered by the indis-
eriminate slaughter which such a discharge
must occasion, to place the machine in the
street through which the First Cousel must
eoto theopera, having centrived that it should
explode exactly as his carriage should pass
the spot Never, durir & all his eventfuI
me- had Napoleon narrower escape than on
TINS occasion, on the 18th of December. 1900.
st. Regent applied the match, and an awful
explosion took place, several houses were
damaged twenty persons were killed on the
| spot, and fifty three wounded. including St.
Regent himself. Napoleon's carriage how
ever, had just got beyond the reach Of harm.
This atroclty led to the execution of st. Re-
gent. Carbon and other conspirators.
fieschi's attempt at regeide in 1885 was
more elaborate and scientific there was
something of the artillery officer in his mode
OF proceeding, although he was in truth
nothing but scamp. Fiesehi hired q front
room IN house IN Paris in street through
which royal corteges were sometimes in the
habit of passing. He proceeded to construct
weapon TO be fred off through the open
window on some occasion when the king was
| expected to pass that way. He made strong
frame, supported by four legs. He obtained
| twenty-five musket barrels, which he ranged
with their butt ends raised little higher
than the muzzles in order that he might fire
downwards, from the first floor window into
the street. The barrels were not ranged
quite parallel, but were spread out slightly
like fan; the muzzles were also not all the
same height; so that by this combined plan
he obtained a sweep Of fire, both in height
aud breadth, more extensive than he would
otherwise have obtained. Every year during
Louis Philippe's reign there were certain
days OF rejoicing IN July, in commemoration
OF the circumstances which placed him on
the throne. On the 2Sth. the second day of
the festival IN 1886, royal cortege was pro-
ceedins along hlsparticular street. the Buul-
evard du Temple. Fiesehi adjusted mis- ma
chine. heavily loaded with ball flour to each
barrel, and connected the touch-holes of all
his twenty-five barrels with train of gun.
yowder. lie had blind at his window. to
screen his operations from view. Just as the
cortege arrived, he raised his blind and fired.
when terrific scene was presented. Mar.
shal Mortier, General de Virigny, the aid de-
camp of Marshal Maison, a colonel, several
grenadiers of the Guard, and several bvstand-
ers were killed, while, the wounded raised
the number of sufferers to nearly forty.-
In this, as in many similar instances, the
person aimed at escaped. One ball grazed
the kings arm, and another lodged in his
horses neck; but he and his sons were in
other respects unhurt. Fieschi vas executed
and his name obtained for some years that
kind Of notoriety which Madame Tussand
could give it..
We now come to the attempt Of Orsini and
his companions. A Birmingham manufac-
turer was commissioned to make six mis- ;iles
according to a particular model. The miss
lie was of an oval shape, and had twenty-five
nipples near one end, with percussion caps
to fit them. The greatest thickness and
|
insure that it should come foremost to the
ground The inside was to be filed with
detonating composition, such as illuminate of
mercury concussion would explode the
caps on the nipples and communicate tho
explosion to the illuminate, which would burst
the iron shell into innumerable fragments.
Frenchman, residing in London, bought
alcohol. mercury. and nitric acid; made n
detonating compound from these materials.
and filed the shells with it. Then ensued a
very compilcating series of maneuvers to get
the conspirators and the shells to Paris. with.
out exciting the suspicion of the authorities.
On the evening of the 18th of January, 1858,
the Emperor and Empress were to 90 to tho
opera; and Orsini and his confederates pro
pared for the occasion. At night while the
imperial carriage was passing, three explo.
Sons were heard. Several soldiers were
wounded the Emperor hat was perforated
General Roquet was slightly wounded in tho
neck: two footmen were wounded while
standing behind the Emperor's carriage: one
horse was killed; the carriage was severely
shattered; and the explosion extinguished
most OF the gas lights near at hand. The
Emperor, cool in the midst Of danger, pro-
ceeded to the opera as if nothing had hap
pened. When the police had sought out the
cause Of this atrocity, it was ascertaned that
Orsini, Pierri, Ruddio and Gomez were all
on the spot; three of the shell grenades had
been thrown by hand, and two more were
found on 0rsini and Pierri The fragments
Of the three shells had inflicted the frightful
number of more than five hundred wounds.
0rsini himself had been struck by one of the
pieces. Ruddio and Gomez were condemned
to the galleys; Orsini and Pierri were execu-
ted. Most readers will remember the excl.
p0lifical events that followed this offa;- N
England and France, nearly.pIunrine tho
two countries into war.