The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-06-28
Horrors Of Victory.
H0tU tile Palaces and Pirate Residence,
of Paris Werc Fired.

Paris shall not exist, II Paris does
not belong to the Commune Such
was their helIish resolve, and they
proceeded to carry out their threat of
destroying the capital which they could
not retain. They set to work in three
distinct ways. In the palaces and
public offices which they commanded
they disposed at regular intervals,
sometimes bottles, sometimes pots OF
petroleum. When the vessels of pc
troleum were arranged at proper dis
tances, one of them would be over.
turned and ignited; the flames would
rapidly spread, and the whole building
would soon he past salvation. 1t was
in this way that the Tuileries, the Pal
ais Royal, the Hotel de Vile, the Pal
ace OF the Legion of Honor, and 9th
or celebrated public edifces were set
in flames. This arrangement was ali
made in the Ministry of Marine, but
the wretches engaged in the work OF
destruction had to fly before they could
set fire to the pots of petroleum which
they had planted in the most likely
corridors. There was a second meth
cd adopted for the destruction of pri
vate houses. When it became neces-
say 70 retire from a particular barri-
cade, the Guards tore to pieces the
beds which formed part of the barri-
cades; took the tow out of the beds,
dipped it in petroleum, and loaded
their guns with it. Then they fired
the tow into the windows If the
houses. 1t was in this way that the
block OF houses in the Rue Royale,
facing the Madeleine, were set on fire
Still q third method Men and wo-
men were going about Paris with bot
ties of petroleum in their pockets, or
hid about their dresses. They threw
these bottles down into the ground
floors of every dwelling they could get
at. If tn re was no room for the bot
tie to get through, the neck of the
bottle could get into certain air holes
which belong to the construction of
English houses; the liquid would be
poured in, and a lighted match would
be sent in after it. In this way very
many private houses were set in flames;
AID many hundreds of women were
taken in the act all day-some of
them shot upon the spot. All day,
toe, the inhabitants, apprised of what
WAS going on, were engaged in stop
ping up all the skylights, gratings and
air holes which connected their ground
floors with the p~avethents. Wherever
you turned, in every street, you saw
the inhabitants busy, plastering, brick
ing, or shutting up with planks the
two feet of their houses next to the
pavement. Not only were women ia
ken, but the hremen also in great
numbers were arrested. The fact is,
that many adherents of the Commune
entered the ranks of the fremen,
partly to disguise themselves, and
partly to spread the fire instead of ex
tinguishing it.
You have heard, doubtless, of the
vivandieres Of the National battallions
who have marched brightly and brave
ly to the combat with the corps, Oh
with the men who claimed their wilC
and more than half unwomanly devo
ton. One woman of this class, straight
tall, spieHdidfy SCI, with sigor IN hel
face and beauty in every limb-sht
could not have been more than 25, anc
she was perfectly made-I saw suf
fer a frightful fate. Captured,
know not how, she had killed with {
revolver, before her hand could bt
stayed, a Versaillist officer and three
of his men. She looked tout and out
a fury /; her handsome face was black
with powder, her: lips especially made
livid by hasty biting OF cartridges
her hair hung in disheveled tangle;
about her handsome but ferocious face,
and her eyes, cleaning with an over
strained courage that mounted ever
to madness. Blazed defiance on the
red-breeched crowd who had her al
their mercy. L will not linger on the
scene. Her hands were tied, and
with her back against a wall,
she died, pierced through and through
with shots from Nj. Theirs troops.
could not blame them, but 1 could moi
help being deeply sorry for her.-LOn
don News.
I'M ~