The New York herald., 1870-10-05
OFF TO THE WAR.
A Floating Arsenal on the Way
TO France.
Departure Of the Steamship Vile do Paris-0ne
Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars
Worth Of War Munitions on Board
A Patriotic Party-The Gray
Haired Infant"

Romance and modern history have ever held up
to the view OF all nations the patriotic chivalry and
also the voublity ana exctability OF the descend
ants OF the ancient Gauls, but no romance ever pic
tured o more striking and touching scene than was
enacted yesterday afternoon on the departure Of the
French Transatlantic Company's steamer VILE dc
Paris from this port.
AT an early hour in the morning it was ascer-
tained that this vessel which had twice been delayed
by special kilograms from Havre with reference to the
cargo she was TO carry across the Atlantic, TO
start, ana tnat in addition to the ordinary
class OF passengers who patronize this line
number OF men who had been taken or the
steamer Lafayette fortnight since were 10 sat
upon this ship. The consequence was that an i'm
mense crowd assembled in the vicinity Of the pier
from which the steamer was to start, partly to viii
ness the embarkation Of the sons OF patriotic
France. but more especially, 1t was stated In order
to be present OF what was expected among them TO
be fight between the United States authorities and
the French, in consequence of the large
SHIPMENT OF ARMS
that had taken place. Among the crowd on the
pier were many Of the friends of the passengers on
board but the agents OF the line appeared to anti
cipate a general disturbance, ana had therefore
given strict orders to their manager the dock to
engage some ordnance policemen TO shut the gates
at the entrance 10 the wharf and allow no persons
TO pass to the steamer unless known have some
business or connection with the company.
Perceying that these precautions were not ut all
In accordance with the feelings and ideas of the
crowd, aud probaoly anticipating general rising
among them, The police secured the gates and then
retired inside the enclosure, In the same manner
| that one might expect criminal would do who
exposed to the view OF an infurated populace
through the bars or his prison. Many were the
treaties OF men and women, appealing to the feelings
and patriotism OF the guards OF The gate; now an
| entreaty, gently assumed, Tor admittance to see
friend 'only for few mlnutes;n chen came an ap-
peal In coarscr and more f0rclDle manner backed
the W 'y cers e sga n IN s9ee Bat
there TO keep outsiders from the vessel and they
were determined TO fulfil their Instructions TO tho
letter
| 80, che, er.Jant," shouted an old lady as she
rushed 20 the bars OF the gate, causing them to
| vibrate sensiby ~ she forced her hands through
and seized man Of about forty years OF age around
| the neck to kiss him. "I was afraid should not
see you again. account OF this barricade. You 10
\ now to light Tor France,
Fos GLORY AND LIBERTY.
See that You stand nobly forward In your country's
/ defence. Have iortltude ana confidence, and God
! shall give You success
y shall remember yonr advice, mo,her' SAID the
service OF France depend upon VIII sned my last
| drop OF blood for her IL necessary
| Thus parted mother and son perhaps forever.
TbIs nitle rote, however, was only the
I BEGINNING OF THE COMEDY.
| dozen pairs of hands could now be seen thrust
through the bars OF the gate, and despite the efforts
OF the officers the Intense excitement senslby In
! creased each moment; the words t0n sa,ite, bon
roydge, u.o.. paoure efsdat were uttered as IL In
"a chorus, and the weeping Of some oil the females
together with the feeble out forcible utterances Of
the OLD men present tspded TO make the scene deeply
| The Vile dc Paris Ia magnificent vessel of about
| tfoo tons burden. with displacement equal to
power and her average speed calculated "
| 6fteen Knots hour Her saloons are fitted
She was was built almost exclusively for passenger
fraiic; for although she mas so large displacement
J when loaded she does not take more than fifteen
| hundred tons OF cargo under ordinary crculn-
! stances.
Her present cargo however, exceeds this. She is
supposed 10 have on board now upward OF $500
tons; consequently she has never left New YORK so
low down 10 the water as she was yesterday. Her
draugnt OF water usually does NOT equal twenty
feet, but on tins trip 1t Is twenty-seven iee.
CARGO OF WAR MATERIAL.
The cargo she has TOW taken consists partly or
tobacco IN casks, rosin provisions and stores but
the majority q s is s composed sos Of munitions ala
o p"s and On a00p pe
! repeatcrs, 10000 short cavalry carbnes, 10000
pistols aud reyolgers, 80 cases OF angular sabres
1 3,So0,000 cartridges 4,So0,00O percussion caps, a
large number Of cases OF packed gunpo wder, and
other small rrnkeis for use In hospitals, 2c--tle
| whole being valued al $4,000.
lt Will doubtless be asked why IL was necessary on
,he part OF lhe agents to employ such means OF pri
could not be Satisfactorily answered. f''
! During the whole Of Monday night and yesterday
up 10 within ten minutes Of the time she moved our
Of the dock some forty men belonging to tine com
\ pany were engaged IN loading the arms and lmmu.
nltion above mentioned, aud not one Of these men
/ would answer single question with reference 10
tDe cases they were putting into the snip. There Is
little doubt that the agents had faint idear OF the
\ purpose for which these arms were Intended
ana having also in view the delay of the
Lafayette, occasoned by the interference of the
| Consul for the North German Confederation. and
the unpleasant publicity given 10 that AFFAIR they
adopted Inns Dan oi secrecy on Tue present. occasion.
At half past three O'Clock
THE PASSENGERS
were ordered on board. These about i50 IN
number, the greater part beng mechanics who were
returning 10 France r was stated, to prevent
! being ouliawed Among the saloon passengers
were N. NJ. Thicbaud, Secretary Of tue French Aid
Society II. Perth, Of the ArD,y and Norv Jou,n0l;
Nj j. Virolet and French naval engineer who has
been ordered TO Paris by the republican government
No sooner were The passengers on board than they
gave way to what may irnthfuily DO termed irenzy
of enihusiasni. The stee-age passengers rushed
up on the lore deck, shouting to eRch
| other and evncing state or unspeakable 10y,
least Of their demonstrations Those In ths SALOONS
were as delighted as their less fortunate compa-
triOts one gentlemen sat down TO the piano and
PLAYED number ol iDspirltlng pieces, IN some OF
which he had vocal accompaninlents that did not
tend 10 greatly Improve the harmony
kMERIUAH PATRIOTISM.
A HERALD reporter was allowed on board. and
Ia passing among the steerage passengers he was
accosled by M American woman who, having
learned his business, wished ~ make lew remarks.
She gave her name as Laura Lawrence, and stated
tnat having married 80 officer Of the Third French
regiment Of African chasseuis, VINO had Just been
re- Aiied by the government OF France, she was de
tclnined 10 accompany niib rs far as Paris, anu
then devote herself TO Tue work 81 attending To the
sick and wounded.
pose, and wished That many Of the American
ladies, vino, az yet had done but little 10 alleviate
the sunerngs OF tho wounded, would follow her
example.
kHit was sOon ascertaincd that many Of the men on
board were accustomed 70 military liie one old
veteran vas surrounded by y number OF MS fellow
passengers while he described tO them the taking OF
The Redau during the Crimean war. and OILS dis.
course was 50 pleasing 70 his hearers thai the old
man was called upon at the conclusion 10 tell AN.
other tale, y and 80 ou an ti0ttt0,.
The performance OF some OF the French officers In
the last French with Italy was atso f.eey dis
cussed by men who evidently had that which
they now affirmed. 10 was stated that the men
boaru the Vile de Paris would ado more than
hundred to the French army, though no
had been positively engaged Tor that purpose. Al
half-psst foar O'Clock the mails placed on
board. Thi, was the signal or another outbur5t OF
excitement. As
VESSEL B.CAN TO MOVE
from her moorngs The passengers gave ful Neut 10
their feelings. Cries Of "Vive Ia France ~ "Viye la