Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1870-12-02
A story Of StrasbOurg.
WHAT BErELL A CITIZEN WHO TOOK REFUGE
IN Ills CELLAR


IN HIS CELLAR
A French paper gives the following accoun
of the experiences of ono of the inhabitants
OF Strasbourg during the siege:
"l had been established in Strasbourg fo
many years, and my affairs had never been Sc
prosperous as they were when the war broke
out. On the approaoh of the enemy | sent
away my wife and family, tut could not leave
my warehouse and shops, lest when the town
was taken they should be given up to pllagc
The first eight days all went well, the quar-
ter | Inhabited seemed to be spared but on
| the ninth day q shell exploded iii front Of my
house and broke all the windows on the
ground floor. I thought it prudent from
that time to take refuge in my cellar had
some provisions there, so that seldom mcnt
out oft l spent my days and evenings in
reading, little thinking what was about to be-
fall me. On Saturday, the 10th, about mid
day, while I was taking meal, l heard a
tremendous noise overhead. ran to the
stairs to ascertain the amount of damage
doubtless caused by shell falling into my
house. drew back terrified. The entrance
o. tho cellar was stopped up by portions of the
wall The house had fallen in and was
buried alive. What passed through my mind
in the first hour of my captivity can not
adequately describe. I Ihad fits Of dumb aguc,
to which general exhaustion succeeded. BY
degrees 1 came to myself, for must confess
[ completely lost my head; l collected my
ideas, and thought remembered having dur
ing the day brought down a petroleum lamp.
| felt my way to the piece of furniture on
which believed had placed it, and by good
fortune there it was lighted it instantly.
1t was then that realized my true situation
all round INC there were ruins; the staircase
no longer existed; | could no longer dccicvc
myself; the house had fallen in, and
y is cellar was to be my tomb. 10
clear the rubbish on that side was my only
hope, and began it with the fury of despair.
Every brick / took away made others fall
the walls crumblcd continually, and was
from one moment to another threatened with
destruction by the ruins. Then my lamp
went out for want of oil, and for time gave
up all hope; but the instinct of self prcscrva.
tion prevailed, and [ set to work again in a
sort of rage. had been working, as it seem
cd to me, more than two days, when the cell
ing suddenly fell in; brick struck me on
the head and | tainted. How long remain
cd in c,siblc can not tell. When reopen
cd my eyes | perceived an opening above my
head; the stars were shining; it was night.
| suffered horribly and dared not move for
fear of producing fresh fall Of masonry.
waited for day in mortal anxiety AS soon
as could realize my position, hope returned.
| made heap of the rubbish all around me,
and, clinging to beam of the ceiling, rails
cd myself out of this cellar which had so near
ly been my grave Oncc out of it, again
gave way. When came to myself once more,
| crouchcd down among the ruins of my
abode and wcpt for more than two hours. /
had spent four days in that cellar. | went
into it without one gray hair, and now it is
quite white have aged more thun twenty
years in four days. As for my shops, all are
burnt. l had worked for ten years to set up
my family in tolcratlc comfort My wife and
[ looked for an old age exempt from care
now all must begin over again, and sec no
prospect of anything but misery for our fu.
turc days"
TIE CoMING MANN FRANCE The "com.