The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-05-18

Place vend0me.
A Paris dispatch OF Tuesday evening gives
the following description Of a remarkable scene
at the fall of the column in the Place Ven-
dome: sHU1fa
At half mast 2 o'clock this afternoon all the
balconies in the Place Vendome were throng-
ed with ladies. Rues de la Pax and Castig-
lone were crowded. Three bands of music
arrived while the workmen were chipping the
base of the column. nj. Rochefort next an
peared and the people crowded around him
giving loud cheers. Soon all arrangements
were completed and the bugles we're sounded
as if the column, like the walls of Jericho. was
to fall from the blast The cables were stretch
ed and frightened; the column stood firm The
windlass broke and the pulley flew into the air
and then descended, striking a sailor aud
wo9ndlng him. After this accident M. Abadie
declared that he needed two hours in which to
repair tho tackle. Odds were offered that the
column would not fall.
AZ quarter past five il was given out that the
col1mn would not fall before Z clock. A gen.
eral expression of disapprObation went through
tue crowd. M. Abadle was accused of oompli-
CITY with the Versailles government and was
threatened with gullotine. sH-.f
AT twenty minutes past the cable was again
stretched. Suddenly, to the surprise of the
spectators the vast column moved and swayed.
1t next swept magnificently down bursting
into fragments as il struck the earth. Il fell
lengthwise in the Rue de la Paix exactly on
the manure cushion they had prepared for it,
splinteriDg with dull, heavy numbering sound
while thick cloud of dust and crushed and
powdered masonry rose in the air.
The crowd, as soon as the column fell, gave
tremendous shouts of "Vive Ia Commune" and
the bands played the Marseillaise q
When the dust cleared away there lay the
glorious column shattered to pieces, its bronze
and masonry in two masses together in the
middle, and the statue of the Emperor several
feet from one end of the column with tbs head
Knocked off. Tho crowd rushed forward to
collect fragments as relics and the guards were
unable to resist the rush.
Next tho orators commenced their speeches
INDUCING in all sorts of extravagaHt language.
The statue OF the Emperor was treated as If it
were the Emperor himself The National
Guards spat into its face and struck it with
their rifles. After the ceremony was conclud-
ed the crowd dispersed and the soldiers moved
OF waving the red flag and giving expression
to their joy by continual shouting. The ex-
element was tremendous and it is even now
high. The Place Vendome will hereafter be
known as the Place InternatiOnale.
VERSAILLES, May 16-The tradesmen of
Paris who escaped yesterday say that thousands
of men OF their order In that city demand
fearful revenge on the Red Republicans when
the forces Of the Theirs government enter the
city. The Reds have made them fight the YER
sriles troops against their will.
The soldiers belonging to the Versailles gov
eminent when taken prisoners by the insur-
gents are tortured to death. In Fort Vanyres,
before the capture of that place, captain of
McMahOn's army was taken by them and i'm.
mediately shot. The troops are indignant and
swear vengeance.