The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-09-19
KNOCKING AT THE GATE.

AUGUST 24-Early morning.-The agitation.
of heart we feel at this moment cauuot de
scribe The story of the Judgment of Solomon
is repeated What is Strasburg to the French?
IL is no bone of their bone. flesh of their flesh;
therefore rather than the other one should have
il let il perish. We. however feel Alsace very
near to us, aud strasburg has sound we cherish
deep down in our hearts. We would save the
life OF the fair and, spite of ALL the German city,
not destroy it, and yet must we aim at 1t our
deedly SCATTERING cannon balls. In this frame
of mind, in good companiouship, I passed the
foreposts. The heavens were obscured with
clouds. In side road, artilerymen
with low voices were practising the
service of the guns. Higher up, we mount be-
tu cen the vineyards; on the horizon flashes are
seen, leapiDg forth in quick succession, like
Simmer lightning; the wind blows from us, and
yet we continually hear the dull, deep sound of
The cannonade. There goes mighty knock for
admission. In Strasburg many lights were kin
died, but in no long time extingulshed. Be-
meath us, at the foot of the hill the roadway,
the movement of carts and horses went on un-
interruptedly. 1t was like the strange rush of
torrent, and between whiles one heard the
frequent cry of the wagoners, and the call of
commands. From Strasburg flash, report
made frequent reply, but of no observable
accuracy. Silently we turn back 10 our
quarters. In the hollow of the road
heavy gun had struck against n boundary stone,
and stood fast. Mysterious figures stand in the
under the cry 'steady." A troop of Uhlans
come out of the village. ponderous mortar
gun is set afoat and proceeds crashing, crack
ling, shaking the foundations of the causeway
Another gun follows. The soldiers, who have
thrown their grey jackets over their uniforms
and have weird spectral aspect ride away
from the remountiDg of the cannon, nimbly
leaping on their guns and ammunition as they
proceed along eXultingly. So through the
night do our fellow-citizens join in the service
of the Fatherland. In the village a
lantern is hung out at every house to light the
soldiers on their way.
BEFORE sTRAsBURG.
AUG. 25 - Before Strasburg, morning.
Strasburg burns In this word are crowded all
the horrors, terrors anguish of heart we expert
enced in the past night. My eyes yet smart from
the fire flashes, my hand trembles still. SO was
it to be Again there is night of St. Bartholo-
mew-for such was the one just passed-with
detestation to be craven in history, but not
through fault of ours. On those who must needs
deck their heads with glory, on their heads alone
lies the blame. The worst injury an enemy can
infict upon man, upon people, is to force
them to acts from which they recoil with aver
sion. We are in the position of man who
declines duel and yet is compelled to
shoot down his adversary. Unhappily it must
be done. But yesterday we made offers to the
commandant of Strasburg to come out or send
trusty officer, to convince himself that resist
ance was in vain, aud that we could only with
the utmost pain briug ourselves to fire even
part Of Strasburg. He replied, an inspection Of
our position would be construed as a first pro-
liability of his surrendering the fortress. He
had, however resolved to defend it to the last
man and the last cartridge. 1t was said yester-
day that the broad pillars of smoke testified
that Kehl was again set on fire by the French.
We kept quiet until the break OF even
ing. The columns of flame in kehl
flared up wide, mounting heavenward, and
incessantly were fire-balis hurled thither
from the citadel. Now began on our side
the fre-fash for flash, blow for blow, they
were returned with interest There, the citadel
blazes up; the fast falling night revealed every
ire-fame. Bombs scared alott ard descended.
Now the city was on fire north from the cathe-
dral. 1t must have fallen on infammabe mate
rial, for instantly the flames shot heavenward
From this point who can paint the scene! Here
and there it blazed up; we saw four, five confla-
grations; two united, and presented q vast roar
ing furnace. The wind blew from the west,
and famed the flames they darted up forked
tongues of fire. spectator cried out ''See
there how the cathedral towers aoft above the
clouds of smoke, how venerable as II
mutely threatening and reproving the men
who hurl reckless flames against each other.
IF the cathedral does but remain unharmed, y
was the cry that ran from mouth to mouth, aud
meanwhile feelings of deep compassion were
expressed for those within the city. In spirit
we are transported among those now wailing in
vaulted cellars, as they heard the thunder of
the guns, ignorant where the fires were raging,
perhaps even their own homes And in the
streets the fires must be left to rage unchecked.
Who could strive to quench them while each
minute further discharges are falling How
many cry out to their own, dear ones,
seek them and are like beings
bewildered in their own homes. What
shrieking, what misery If Que could
but compress together the heart-throbs Of
the people; far louder, quicker, mightier must
be the stroke than the deep roar of the guns,
which, necessarily discharged, lit up the gloom,
here-there-till the eye could no longer follow.
Midnight had set in before we decided to &c
home. We could see each other as in full moon
light. The fields, the vineyards, were Iii
up; the church of Mundolsheim, with
| its white grave-stones; suddenly the ligh
grows still brighter. Now that we ha(
not seen the flames for a time, they ap
peared broader, stronger, more yoracious:: I
| was difficult to tear oneself away from the fear
fully grand spectacle, and yet II must be. Tht
villagers we met professed to know which par
OF the city would be saved from the flames. w,
strove to believe their assurances that the pre-
cincts of the cathedral, above all itself, woulC
remain uninjured. And yet for a moment i
| seemed to us that the cathedral terrace, whicl
! had been the observatory of the enemy, was ol
| fire. 1t was, however, an illusion. The flame
illumined our homeward way. The sky wa
overspread with light clouds Of a blood red
The fire must have been visible beyond tn
Rhine, far back into the Black Forest.