Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-10-12
B0mbardiBg Strasbourg.

Auerbach, the German novelist, ha
turned newspaper correspondent, and la
written description of the beginning G
| the siege of Strasbourg, from which W
extract the following descriptive of th
| first bombardment:
August rs Before Strasbourg, morning
-Strasbourg burns In this word ar
crowded all the horrors, terrors, anguish
OF heart we experienced in the past night
My eyes yet smart from the fire flashes
nay hand trembles still So was it to be
Again Is there night of ST. Bartholomew
--for such was the one just passed
detsstation to be craven in history, but
not Though 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 indict upon a
man, upon people, is to force them to
acts from which they recoil with aversion.
We are III the position of man who de-
cllnes duel and yet is compelled TO shoot
down his adversary. Unhappily it must
be done. But yesterday we made of
fers To the commandant of Stras-
bourg to come OUT, or send trusty
officer, to convince himself that resistance
was in vain, and that we could only with
tho utmost pain bring ourselves to fire even
part OF Strasbourg He replied-an in
spection Of our position would be construed
as frst probability of surrendering the
fortress. Ue had, however, resolved to
defend it to the lnst man and the last cart
ridge. It was said that Kehl was set CD fire
by the French. We kept quiet until the
break OF evening, the columns Of fame in
Kehl fared uD wide, mounting heaven
wards. and incessently were fire-balls hurl-
ed thithef from the citadel. Now began on
oar side she fash for flash, blow for
blow they we're returned with interest.
There, the citadel blazes up; the fast-falling
scared aloft and descended. Now she CITY
was on fire north from the Cathedrsl It
must have fallen on infammable material
for Instantly the flames shot heavenward.
From this point who can paint the
scene9 Here and there it blazed up,
we saw fots- or FIVE CONGREGATIONS, two
united, and presented vast roaring
furnace. The wind blees from the west.
and famed the flames, they datted up
fOrked tongues of fire. A spectator cried
out. etsee how the Cathedral towers aloft
above the Gletsds Of smoke, how venerable,
as if mutely threatening and reproying the
men who hurl reckless fa1ties against zach
was the cry that ran from
Month to mouth, and meanwhile feelings
Of deep compassion were expressed for
those within the city. In spirit we were
arnong those nov waiIing in
gaulted cellars, as they heard the thunder
d the guns, ignorant whore the fires were
raging, perhaps even their oHn homes.
And in the streets the fires must be left 60
900 hn vi %.>i
faench them while each minute further
discharges were falling? How many cry
out to their own dear ones, seek them, and
are like Beings bewiIdered in their own
homes. Wha. glrieking, what misery
Il one could but compress together
,he heart-throbs of the people,
ar louder, quicker, mightier nlus6 be the
stroke than the deep roar of the guns, |
which, incessnntly discharged, lift up the |
gloom, hsre there till the eye could no
onger follow. Midnight had set in before
We decided to go home. We could sac
each other as in full moonlight The fields, !
,he vineyards, were lit up. The church of
With it's white gravestones
the light grows still brighter. |
Now that We had not seen the flames for o
time, they appeared broader, stfonger,
more yoracious. 1t was difficult to tear
oneself away from the fearfully grand spec
tacle, and yet it must be. The villagers we
met professed to know which part of the
city would be saved from the flames. We
strove to believe their assurances that the
precincts of the cathedral, above al itself,
would remain uniniured. And yet for a
it had seemed 10 us that the ca
thedral terrace, which had been made the
of the enemy, was on fire. 1t
was, however, an illusion. The flames IL
umined our homeward way. The sky was
)yerspread with light clouds of blood red
The fire must have been visible beyond
he Rhine far into the Black Forest