The New York herald., 1870-08-15


streets are led with carts, bedding furniture, ana
military trains, all In inextricable confusion. The
Prussan advance guard, 10000 strong, Is approach
ing the city. The cnemy's movements are COM
petely covered by woods which the French failed
TO destroy.
A special writes from Paris, Saturday, that the
Eastern Railway Company removed all their rolling
stock and portion OF track from Strasburg. the
administrations are all In confusion and disorganiz.
alton Cash payments are virtually stopped. People
surround the Bank OF France waiting to obtain
specie. VIZ e-tN
Marseines and Bordeaux are under martial law.
THE FRENCH FLEET.
writer from Hamburg, Thursday, says:-"The
French fleet is unlikely to erect anything. Their
iron-clads draw too much water to approach the
coast Prusslan vessels are prohibited from leaving
any port between Warnemunde ana the
frontier OF Jutland. Neutral nags not included
General Falkensten has Just returned from tour
Of Inspection OF the coast deences and is confident
Strausburg has nothing to feae from invasion.
Eighty millions OF the federal five per cents war
loan Of q 1oo,OooooO were subscribed in two days.
SWEDISH NEUTRALITY.
special from Stockholm writes Monday last
The oficial government organ denies the report
that large camp OF observation Is to be formed In
schonen. Swedish neutrality is nevertheless TO be
effectively maintained. Treasury bonds are to be
issued to the amount Of forty millions Of rx dollars
The Swedish press disagree on the point whether
sweden's neutrality shall be armed.
IN IRELAND-CURIoUs NAVAL ACTION.
special. correspondent telegraphs from Dublin
Sunday:-A mob, 600 strong, headed by band
playing French airs attacked a Prussian vessel
lying at KingstOwn, Friday evening. and threw
stones at her. They failed in trying TO board the
vessel and left, threatening return the next night
and 'cut the throats of the bloody Prussans"
The police now guard the vessel. Bands of people
parading the streets this evening with the French
dag were stopped by the police.
riot IL threatened.
PRUSSIAN PLANS.
special writes from the Prussan headquarters
Monday:-The engagements of Saturday were both
far in our front. But few details have been re-
ceived besides the Official summary already sent
All letters and messages hence are delayed.
What has really happened Is in perfect
accord with what have foreshadowed more than
once. The design Of the German authorities was,
firstly, to prevent Germany from being made the
theatre OF slaughter and. secondly, to attack the
French army in three places simultaneously. The
programme has been carried out as far
as the left flank OF the French army
are concerned; 1t but remains for the
German centre to advance against that of the
enemy. This advance was necessarily delayed until
the result Of the nank movement had been learned
Now that Mcmahon and Frossard have both suffered
severe defeat, general engagement Is immi-
nent. During the whole OF to-day the arrival OF
dispatches announcing that great battle is In pro-
gress, or has ended, been looked for with fever
lsh impatlence.
FIRST FRUITS OF VICTORY.
Though the engagements at Weissenburg and
In reality Of the highest importance.
Instead OF a few hundred prisoners having been
captured at Wissembourg the number amounts to
nearly two thousand. Both struggles were stub
born. The French soldiers stood their ground
well and their rites proved terribly de-
structive 1t was downright hard fighting
which enabled the Germans to claim tho
honors OF the day. wounded French prisoner
avowed that his countrymen could not Withstand
the weight of the German attack the fight being
not one Of bullets only, but OF bayonets also. 1t
was decided at last by the actual strength Of the
! respective combatants Physically the average Of
the German soldiers is heavier than the French.
| IL was supposed that the introduction Of the new
weapons would alter the mode of warfare and
der the old style OF hand 70 hand combat obsolete.
This engagement proved otherwise The Zouaves
did what they could to check the advance of Ger
man regiment by pouring In q voley OF fire from
a concealed position. They had posted them
selves In pits dug for the purpose and not
until the advancing regiment had suffered from
concealed fire did the German soldiers know that
their progress was to be contested. They saw no
sign Of troops IN their front. They bore themselves
with extraordinary valor; men were struck down
by hundreds, yet the regiment never wavered.
The Zouaves were driven from their places OF con-
cealment, and the ground they had occupied was
ut
forthcoming, and IL Is impossible learn, even ap-
proximately how many fell; but 1t Is quite certain
that the German loss has been prOpotionately enor
nous.
THE WOUNDED
During the day and night the wounded have been
arriving here. This afternoon all the beds in the
hospitals were occupied. These hospitals Will
contain about thousand men, The field hospi.
tails also FULL and hundreds OF wounded men
have been sent on to Frankfort. where
there Is accommodation for about five
thousand long strings of stretchers, ON which
lay wounded soldiers and officers, have been
passing through the streets to-day SO great is
the slaughter that the arrangements have proved
insufficient. Wounded men have been for
twenty-four hours on the battle field, before
discovered a private despatch from military sur
| ge0n confirms this.
MACMAHoNs ARMY.
Dispatches from Worth, the place where
| Mac1lahons army was beaten, state that While
the victory was complete and the number
OF prisoners takeut amounts to six thou
| and the losses on botn sides enormous. These
losses killed ana wounded and In prisoners can
be III Afforded by the French To replace those
who killed, wounded or missing is hardly poss-
bic. The Germans, on the other hand, can I'll up
all blanks in the course OF a few hours. They have
superabundance OF trained soldiers ready
to join their regiments at q moments notice.
Should the Germans be defeated IN general en-
gagement they would be ready in the course OF
IL week to light again. A movement Is in
progress which viii greatly strengthen the army
now encamped on French soil. Two hundred thou