The Portland daily press., 1870-08-18

L
IS known, but great force will remaiu there
and cant understand the ncticn of tattlt
here under abe circumstances.
Gallons IS not defensible position against 9
superior 70 ce, being simply an immense leve
plain. The camp is not entrenched and there
are no other works in construction nor oficers
permanently commanding; but " hoover of the
generals sass:ng through happens to be senio,
IN 'ank IS comEarder viii he stays and
changes are made almost daily.
The same correspondent writes on Monday
that the Pont a. Mousol affair was serious
Six or eight trains were started from Cbalons
for Metz in rapid succession, CARRYING about
7oOO soldiers comprising three infantry regi.
ments and some artillery.
When.near Pont-a-Moussan they found the
ra'lway cot, and p ussian artille v opened on
the trains which moved back as rapidly as pos
sib'e, but panic begun, and though only two
men we e killed many jumped from the trains
whie moving rapidly. The trains finally got
away without much loss.
4, Dispatches received to-day at .be Prussian
Embassy in London confirm the p-ussian sue.
cesses on Sunday already reported, but do not
throw much light Oh subsequent events.
No kilograms were received in London up to
midnight Wednesday to explain clearly the
movements of the last three days. French &C.
counts are extremely vague, but indicates d.
1ided counsels, sod deranging plans have cor
| stantly embarrassed and endane cred the
French retreat.
On Sunday the Prussians found the Frer ch
III in great force under tho walls Of Metz :
Since Sunday no considerable battle is known
70 have been fought anywhere, but the French
reports of checks II the Prussiars west of the
Moselle, whether true or ia Sc, coincit with
Bazan IS retrograGe movement.
In the absence Of Prussian te,egrams there
is nothing TO show what forces either of Prus-
sian or F.ench REM in near Metz, but there c. n
be little doubt that Baza;ne. alter hes;tating
IL it was almost too late, has Withdrawn the
main body Of the French army westward and
that the Prassian forces have harrassed his re-
treat by unle hitting attacks on his farks and
rear. In such circumstances no general or de-
cisl'e engagement should be fought unless the
Prus slams have moved RAPIDLY enough to cut
eff the French retreat.
They seem to nave crossed the Moselle both
ABOVE aud below Metz, large force remaining
at 'ne same til before Metz, and there is no
know i basis for Pa';kao's statement IN the
Corps Legislatif that the PrCssian attempts 20
cut off Baza;ne had failed, for there is no ev,-
de1ce that it had been made in such force as to
compel Bazaine to choose between abandon ng
tie direct line to Chalons and fighting battle.
The latest accounts p'a 70 him at Elaine, but
the Ere ncn appear to have no information as
to the disposition or strength of the Prussian
columns t, reater;ng his march. # it is true,
as the French give out, shat Metz is held by a
mere garrison. it may be many days before II e
great battle can be forced by the Prussians or
accepted by the French at any point west of
Metz. In the meantime there is likely to be
as during the last three days continued sue
cession of encounters between the heads of the
Prussian columns and the rear guards of tn,
French.
Our special writes from Hamburg Sunday:
The second division of the French feet was
seen twenty miles west southwest of elisc.
lanX, steering ea3s. The German fie 1t at Cux-
haven and Wilhelmshaven put to sea- Cannon
aiding has since been heard.
French delays are unaccocntabIe. L.ey
mig 1T have taken C'-haven compile ,ly, com
mandiCg the en trarce to the E!be, but It is
now we'll fcrt' lied. E,oe is BOT be pg b oct I'd.
ed and vessels a. rive daily.
A merchant vessel in attempt ng to eater
We;telshsven in fog was sunk by torpedo
Prussia.
II ASSAULT ON sTRAsEoL &c.
Lo,OoN, Aug. ia dispatch from Carls-
rrhe, the headquarters of the Baden army
dated August 14th, says the people and garri-
son Of Strasbourg haze labor ed til zeal to
arm the ramparts, clear the glaces and ba i
cade the entrances, hut the besiegers have de-
ss'oyed much of their work. On the 18th
slight conflict took place with detachment of
Baden troops. They get fire to a railroad train
sta1ding in the station, and one of their bat
teries approached to wi hin PAGES of the
70 tess. They also fred on the ramparts. The
Baden 'roops lost three killed and seventeen
wounded.
FISANc A.
Especial to Tribune.] -Our srecial cores
poudent whites from Berlin Sunday as follows:
The attempt to raise national loan of 120,-
Cc0,0Co thalers has broken down. 10 to yes
to-day the subscription reached 5O, OOO,O,l only,
for investment. II was issued as per cent.
loan at a fixed price of So without provision for
a sinking fund, it being left to the option of
the North German Reichstag to redeem it by
yearly purchases on the market as the state of
the budget might allow.
The prospect of sucl redemption under pres
ent circumstances being worth very little, the
investment might be considered as one in per-
petual annuities. As such it would hardly
have brought 88, even before the war, when
brought into market to such an extent. Every
single subscriber has subscribed from pa
triotic motives. The King himself has SUBJ
scribed half million, and the velvet manu-
ficturers of Versen, near Aspen, a million.
At Berlin q 900, 900 had been subscribed and
at Hamburg 6,OOO,O Then follow towns
with SOC 1000, 2,O00,t 70 and 100000, and pro-
vincial cities of less than 10000 inhabitants
about one thaler per head. Most OF the sab
scriptions are of 100 thalers only. To very
many cases they are at ouce presented to char
liable institution or distributed or the orphans
which the war will produce in the parish of the
giver.
GEN. SIR D I " TIL TIE PRUsslAN ArN1.
FRANKFORT, Aug 17.-Gen. Sheridan, with
Consul Webster, Ihas, through the good offices
of Minister Bancroft, been cheerfully accorded
permission by the military authorities to follow
the campaign, with headquarters with the
King.
Grcs Br,tein.
THE worlds E. iysTIIoN.
Lor ION, Aug. 1.-THE exhibition of 1871 in
this city will not be postponed on account of
the war.
l. IoaM CO IAGE.
Mr. Mellenberg, an officer OF the Bank OF
Stock holm, and late member of the interna-
tional conference for fling uniform standard
of weights and measures, has written a letter
Urging the adoption of the twenty. five franc
pieces with fixed alloy of One-tenth as the
monetary unit.
DIsOFD DER AT FOL rICAL MEETING.
There was mt CHI dist rider at the political
meeting in Dublin yesterday, but no violence
committed.
Mitchell, formerly Attorney Gensr raj of Ire
| land, is dead.
The press urges the Government to take &C
| fences.
PEACE WITH Pr lAGUAY.
The latest advices from Rio Janero state
that peace with Paraguay has been formally
| proclaimed.
The Brazilian Government has made extern
sive contracts for the Importation of coolies fol-
ten years.
| ARR yAL OF STE NER :OM Gerry PORTS.
LONDON, Arg. 1.-THE steamer Sentinel,
belonging to TYNE Steamship Company arriv-
| ed in the Tyne with general cargo from Ger.
man ports. This is the tenth trip made by
vckno ut fI,nft o.