New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-10-08
Ni9ht Before Strasburg- shot and Shell
Raining Upon the Devoted City.

Raining Upon the Devoted City.
Correspondence Of the London Times.
The readers of Longfellow's Golden Le-
gend" will remember well the first scene, in
which Lucifer and the powers Of the air are
busily engaged endeavoring to tear down
the cross from the exquisitely beautiful
spire of Strasburg Minister. Any one who
spent last night, as l did, at Kehl, would
imagine that all the powers Of the air and
If darkness had returned in renewed force,
determined to accomplish their fell design.
The German army, however, who are now
bOmbarning Strasburg are most anxious, at
almost any cost, to spare the cathedral,
although it furnishes a most admirable OBJ
servatory for the French officers, who from
it are able to see what their enemies are
about. The bombardment Of a fortress like
Strasburg, of the very first rank, is, it is to
be hoped, spectacle that Europe will not
see again during this generation
The old railway station is about One-third
of a mile from the. heart of Kehl, and fortu-
nately. the pointsman and his wife, who
had, like the rest of the inhabitants, fed
away upon the first bombardment of Kehl,
had returned the very day before; In their
apple loft soon enscOnced myself. Its win
dow looked right out upon Strasburg Min
ster, which must be a short two miles; about
500 to $50 yards in front of me was the
North Battery, little on the right about
the same distance, but on the left, was a
mortar battery. while the South Battery was
also on my left, but seemed behind me, as
the shells seemed to rush past at some little
distance. Some distance IN front, it may
have been mile, was the Schelgen Battery,
while much further to the right was bat
terry whose name do not know, which
throughout the night threw shells with fuses
burning, so that their course could easily be
traced through the sky. The other batteries
seemed to fire shells with percussion caps,
so that their course could not trace OF
the batteries on the Alsace side of the city
/ saw nothing. and, therefore, can say moth
ing. Before the sun set took a little walk
away from the town to see if anywhere the
interminable avenue of poplars would allow
me to get view of the citadel and town of
Strasburg, and took refuge from pelting
shower under the roof of a, for the time,
deserted tile mandatory.
Here some peasants came with the same OBJ
ject. They were inhabitants of Kehl, but
had taken refuge at Appenweier, a village
some five miles away. WespOke of the de-
termination of General Ulrich to hold Stras-
burg to the last extremity, and it was OBJ
served that he was of German race, born in
Phalsburg this wife and family are now in
Germany. One of the peasant women
Enthusiastically remarked: "Yes. if he
had been born Frenchman he would have
surrendered long ago." At halfpast six
dense columns of smoke rose from some
where in the citadel. The soldiers thought
it must be the explosion of a powder maya
zine; we heard also that an immense stock
of firewoOd was burning furiously. And
now, as the light faded, the cannOnade be-
came heavier. Lightning flashes from the
North Battery, and in q few seconds comes
the heavy boom. You hear the rush of the
ohol1 fI,ror,uh ha and vvhan vOlI ha va
had time to cOunt about thirty you hear it
explode in Strasburg. Modern Notifications
are always constructed some distance out
side towns. but Strasburg, though i'm
strengthened in modem times, is
an old fortress, and, unhappily its fortifca-
tons come right up to the houses. There |
are about 10000 peaceful inhabitants in |
Strasburg, who are not able in the slightest |
to influence General Ulrichs decision. Gen |
eral Ulrich is guided solely by what he re-
CARDS as his duty as = soldier.
The Germans have no unkind feelings to- |
ward the inhabitants Of Strasburg. Beyond
the determination to have sound. peace, |
one which France shall not again have the
power to disturb, have never heard them
express any unkind feelings toward the peo-
pie OF France. Still, if they mean to have
they must day and night fight at
its Notifications, and the shells, many of
go crash into the houses of peaceful citizens.
or burst in the streets. Even if the people
take refuge in the cellars, the shells often
crush and set fire to the houses, and the I'M
fortunate inhabitants only escape one
dreadful death to meet with another. A
lady connected with the court at Stuttgart
told on Tuesday that on Monday she dined
with gentleman who, with his three little
children, was shut up in Strasburg. Being
do, a |
him a pass to go out, as he said he was
1uite capable Of bearing arms, amt might
oear them against France. Matters stood
3hus when bomb fell in the street where
lie had his family, and killed and wounded
light women. He now determined at all
hazards to get his family through the lines,
md. by the assistance of a French officer,
happily succeeded. This is war. Is not he
LOUDLY accursed of God and man who wan
only commences it BY seven o'clock bat
cry answers battery, and the roar is unin-
ermittent. From all sides leap the tongues
If fame, and the rush as OF a steam engine
through the air tells that each one prOpelsa
messenger of death.
Occasionally the shells explode in the air,
out this is seldom, as the accuracy of the
lrlng is remarkable. Now there is a ter
Inc vomiting forth of flame in front of me,
% my left, with deafening sharp report,
md up rises, apparently right up to the
tars winch are looking SO quietly down up
N it ALL a flaming something which looks
ike rocket, and which, forming a vast
lipse, drops down into the devoted CITY, or
ather, God grant, into the citadel, and ex-
,lodes with dull thud. 1t is bomb: the
Mortar battery is getting to work. And
ow shell follows shell in rapid succession
rom the south battery at my left, and a
title behind; bomb follows bomb from the
,ortars; ali the other batteries are at
,ork. i sometimes fancy hear bell in
and even shouts and cries, but it
too irdistinct to be sure. Strange to say,
pom our side, which is all / can speak for,
Iere seems to be no reply, or very little,
ON the citadel. A. an honest man, am