The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-12-09
The Ruin in Strasbourg.

The following letter was received from
q gentleman who, after several years
residence in the United States, has gone
into business in Strasbourg, and has
passed through the phases of its recent
siege by the Prussians. No comment is
necessary-it speaks all for itself:
STRAsBoURG, Oct. 20.-Not intending
to dwell on the unfortunate events that
have taken place in France since the
date of my last letter, as they are un-
doubtedly sufficiently known to you
through the columns of the Sun, / Will
try to give a true account of the terrible
b~ombardment our unhappy city had to
undergo. 1t was the 10th or 18th
of August when the Prussian and Baden
soldiers commenced their firing against
the ramparts, leniently in the be-
ginning, but increasing every day in
measure as they could bring up their
heavy seige guns. But on the nights of
the oath and 18th of August, bombs
filled with ignitible material-some say
petroleum-were thrown into the place.
Whatever it may have been, it had the
desired effect, which was disastrous to
the Alsatian metropolis. A sheet of
flames seemed to be spread over it
from rampant to rampant, while bombs
and bullets were raining down as thick
as hailstones.
The creams of women and children
flying from their burning homes, the
noise produced by the falling of the
houses and the bursting of shells, the
cries OF the helpless wounded and dy-
ing, are sounds 1 shall never forget dur
ing my lifetime. The fire was of such
extent that it could be seen forty miles
IN the round, as 1 am informed by in
habitants of the country on both sides
of the Rhine. Thus wa were treated by
men whose nationality our ancestors be-
longed to.
They think it an easy task to convert
of King Grapeshooter. The future viii
show how far they are mistaken. Our
s~ympathies viii always gravitate toward
the great and generous nation which is
spiIling her last heart-blood for the pre-
servation of our independence. Ger
mans who were boasting to fight for
freedom and the integrity of the father
land trample to-day on the first and
most essential principle of iberty-the
will of the people of Alsace and Lor-
raine. The most beautiful metropolis
on the globe may perhaps be destroyed,
because France refuses to give up for
ever her truest children to the oppres-
sion of a man who has always disregard
ed popular suffrage.
Returning to the siege, there remains
little more to be said. Thousands of
people were hiding themselves in the
''egouls" of the Broglie and the Rue des
Salt provisions and bread
were our subsistence. After seven long
weeks of deprivation and constant fear
for the lives of those dear to us, we had
surrender in order to save the city
from utter destruction. On the 18th of
our spike-helmeted friends
the fortress to view their work.
one-third of the city is a heap of
ruins.
Two thousand civilians are killed or |
wounded, and ten thousand inhabitants ]
are without a home. Prussification has
commenced by translating the
French names of streets into German. j
For the present all our hopes concen- |
trate In the expectation of again seeing,
or later, wave from the ancient
cathedral the glorious ~tri-color instead ]
Of the detested black, white and red. !
A letter from Versailles in the Stats {
Anzeiger describes a Jete chdmpetre re- )
GENTLY got up by the officers stationed !
1t Arnouville, in Count Choisevl's pic /
;uresque park. A theatre was erected
the open air, and patriotic plays were
performed, spiced with political aIlu-
lions to the present war. Napoleon s
vas introduced as paying his addresses =
the Virgin Germania, a damsel rix s
'eet high. Before she could reply to 7
lis offer two grenades were launched F
rom ST. Denis and exploded neal the v
pot, but everybody being accustomed @
o such Interruptions the piece proceed g
and the officers and privates enjoyed B
N agreeable afternoon. I