The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-10-31


for all were on hand. On the morning of the
Goth five soldiers lay dead of starvation At Mon
tigny while the staff still INDUCED in luxurious
to the entire army that morning (55th),
but for two days previous they had re-
ceived none. No beef nor pork had been
obtainable at any price for week; but on that
morning, before anything had arrived in town,
the shops had plenty thereof, which goes to
prove the charges current in the town that
spectators had seized a quantity of food, and
that rational system of apportionment such
as existed duriug the last ten days, if intro
duced at first, and combined with acquisitions.
would have prevented much waste and enabled
the fortress to hold out month lsnger.
HIGH PRICE OF PROVISIONS.
The staff used at first to feed their horses on
bread. Recently prices had reached the follow
ing maximum:-Sugar, SO a pound; salt, So
pound; one ham, $50; one potato, 9 cents; one
onion, 12 cents. A little pig, caught near
Gravelotte, sold for $3.50. During FIVE weeks
amputations have been performed without chlo-
reform or ether, and wounds dressed without
carbolic acid.
DISEASE AND DEATH.
There are more than 5000 sick and wounded.
During the siege 35, 600 persons have died in
the town alone, the greater part from lack of
proper care. The prevailing diseases are vario-
loid, spotted typhus, and dysentery. Scurvy
has not prevailed, though even the sick have,
for over three weeks, received their horse
steaks and horse broth without salt. The re-
ported discovery of a saline spring at st. Julien
was hoax. contrived by putting salt into the
spIing to encourage the army.
Yesterday was closeted with the Mayor and
the City Council during two hours, while they
detained me as the first stranger that had en-
tered the town, to ask all manner of questions
some childish in their uncertainty and terror
as to what the Prussians would do, how they
would do it, and how they must be met 1t
was as if they had never. seen or
known a Prussian They demanded to
know whether their already destitute larders
must still supply the troops, aud
whether they would be personally maltreated if
unable to furnish what was required. They
were relieved by hearing that thousand
visions hther, and also that there are funds in
London ready to be applied to their relief, in
response to the appeal of the Mayors of Briey
and other communes, published in English and
American journals, saying, Help is needed
quickly"
GERMAN SOLDIERS GIVE THEIR RATIoNs TO THE
FRENCH.
The entire besieging army voluntarily gave up
their bread rations yesterday to feed their
French captiyes. This deeply touched the
Metzians, and did much to relieve their fears.
At noon Prusslan railway inspector made the
trip by rail from AIRS to Union Station, situated
| mile south of Metz, and to-day perfect CON-
| munication by rail exists between Saarbruck,
| Metz, and Nancy The road was little in njured.
But few German prisoners were found in
| Metz; the French had not kept those they had
| taken when they were in a condition to be re-
| turned. On leaving Metz, last night, noticed
on the faces of ali the German soldiers look
| of quiet notwithstanding more. Not one
| of the French officers and soldiers who swarmed
all about, even when intoxicated was
| surprisingly unfrequent-wore any other ex
| preston than u look of sadness defiance, the
latter not being common and occurring chiefly
among the younger officers.
| DECENTRALIZATION.
am informed that the French loss in killed
in the various affairs since August 49, added t.
| the deaths from sickness in the town, wer,
| 1900. Bazaine himself declined the Prince
generous proposal to let all the troops la.
| down their arms outside of the works in vieV
| of their conquerors, instead of laying then
down in the arsenal, saying that he could no
guarantee their behavior The Imperial Guard
alone had preserved discipline sufficiently to b
| trusted to pass in armed review. The inhabi
tants had never ceased to hope for the appear
ance of Bourbaki's army from Lille, or of tn
Army of the Loire, or of some other relieving
force; but the troops themselves during the las
few weeks could no longer be deceived, as the
got better information through the Germa
| outposts.