The New York herald., 1871-02-07


children exnblted the slightest iear rhe inhabi-
tants OF the district seemed to proud OF exhibiting
the dany ~hca on Ie,s woMass aa sony Saefed
"There, sr,n said an OLD woman IN rags pointing
gash down the front wnica exposed the interior,
"the shell came in there. at the corner OF the roof
and passed out at that hole 10 the left. Nobody
was Kied.n Every window m the house was
shvered. as. indeed were all IN those sur
rounding 1t. ! saw woman In the room
making her bed. ''She intends 10 sleep there said
the ragged old lady, who had taken me as stranger
in the nelghborhood under her wing. "In room at
the back OF the house the vivandi re or the l46th
battalion OF the National Guard was killed. she was
in bed with her husband ana children; but II you go
round into the next street yon will see beter.1 AID
away she hurried. The smiling old lady had a few
sous worth Of that horrid cooking grease IN her
hand TO which have before alluded IL was melt
ing. Al the back OF the house everything was in
confusion, the windows smashed 10 atoms. In the
street were some people cartng away their bedding,
as Their houses were no longer habi able; while
others, probably unable to tina refuge elsewhere,
were busily engaged In patching up rher windows
or stopping tem with rags or their wretched furn-
ture. nany were pastng strips of paper over un-
broken panes TO save them from future conclusions.
AL the window OF
THE POOR vIvANpiERE
her military trousers, with broad red stripe, were
hanging. piopaoly placed there by herself when.
fatigued by having been out during the whole day
with the battalion, she retired to the bed IRON which
she rose no more. Her head was split open and death
was instantaneous. Her husbands head and face
was dreadiully accraed; he Is not yet dead. Tue
Children escaped unhurt. Further on In the same
street, which was crowded. were signs OF destruction.
In the court yard Of one house OF unusual height
smell had ftllen exactly in the centse as II by
measurement. Every window IN that house was
shattered, buJ no more serious damage appeared TO
the windows talking To the crowd In the street and
WATCHING TIE FIRING OF THE FORTS
and that OF the PrussIan batteries on the heights OF
Chatlllon, which were plainly visible. Every win-
DOW was dellsely packed with human heads OF men,
women and children, who appeared to be Ieve In
spot. In the Rue Saint Jacques "a narrow, old-iash-
toned street, there Is scarcely enire pane glass.
stroyed wnmn q hundred yards of each other by two
Prussian prolectles The front OF the first shop is
completely smashed, with the exception OF the
looking glasses forming the SIDES of the entrance.
when remain intact, and row OF absinthe and
shelves. me second shop, which forms lne corner
near TO the church OF the Val-de-Grace, Is COM
pletey gutted. Whether the Prusslans teetotal-
lers and desire to force the enemy TO SIM lar absn-
ence, or stray shells have wandered on their own
account IN search OF alcohol, IS difficult TO deter
nine; but In other streets several VINE shops have
suffered
TIE FIRE ON THE PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
BY the marks LEFT on the walls 1t is evident that
the Prusslans have fired al great elevation. But
few ards inrter and their projectiles would have
S4 @ f esSa sp4d aae s s Bsb Il N ss
erected by Anne OF Austria, TO thank God Tor tine
birth OF Louis XIV. The dome Is very handsome
and executed with remarkable care, and greatly re-
semoes that OF st. Peters, at Rome, although ON a
very reduced scale. II is probable that The enemy's
neghbornood, Tor the Vade-(irace, but lor The PAN
,heo1, which, on examining the map appears to be
IN the same line, but farther than ne Nal-deGrace
from The encmy's batteries. wounded Prussian
officer, when taken TO an ambulance in The neigh
boIhood, some days since, expressed great alarm,
ana declared that his couutrymen, believing the
Pantheon TO have been converted into magazine
1or powder and c0moustlbes had determined to
shell IT, This certainly a more charitable eXplana-
ton than the accusation that they had selected for
aim the Nai-de-Srace from the summit OF which
noats the ambulance flag. In some OF tlo houses
Inc shells nave visited the upper stores, which ex-
hiblt enormous holes, anu have penetrated to the
cellars.
unnoNed Nv the cannons' roar and totally regard
less of danger, III expectation OF seeing another
crash. One smell entered the ear5h with such force
lhai. although IL has been searched for the depth
Of six jeet IL has not yet been extracted. Shell
Quarter Latin 10 the Jarsiid ues Luxembourg l
iound consideraDle crowd waiting IN tAe nope or
fallen III the garden; when they burst the specta-
tors expressed their astonsnment win a subdued
''onp' III the same manner as at display of ire
WORKS. Prussian py1oiechnics are not considered
Al About 0ae III u oil the shells which have
visited does not explode. Several hundred sight.
seers were stalloned near the Cioserie des I.acs
lBuIers,-you know IL, the rival Of Mabnle, where
students formerly consumed on a good night 100
bocks OF beer, besides mnumeraDIe bottles
OF VINE and spirits, where tney danced for
dancnss sake in all the wild eXuberance ol youth.
with griseues raised their ltmbs by lar 100
high for moral eyes Everything now IS wonder
fully changed. The students books are closed, the
O.settes are saivering with cold and hunger Stras-
bourg or Bayaran Deer is not to be mad, and the
gates Of Buiiier are closes until the piping
peace shall again allow debauchery To hold high
revelry.
RarkAcISG NY STEPS TOWARDS THE RAMPARTs,,
found The parapcs OF the railway bridges crowded
with persons. Every available spot from which
glimpse oi the irng could be obtained was occu-
pied. Old women struggled, young woraen clam
percd and children were held alon. The caunona-
ding between the iorts OF lssy. Vanvres and Mont
rouge and enemy's batteries on the heights OF
Chatillon, Clanart and Meudon was fast anu furi-
ous In the midst of all was an old market
gardener TRANQUILITY occupied with placing glasses
over hoIhed. y was a fine evening and the clear
blue sky was unsullled 10y clouds except few hor-
zontal pale yellow streaHs, brilliantly lighted by the
last rays of the SUM- watch was sink ng behind the
enemy's position. The hillside and the plain were
already visible in the shade, which, as it grew
deeper made the hastings Of the Prussian guns
more distinctly visible. IN the Heavens IL was calm,
! on the Earth a storm.
The pAgrisANs OF THE COMMUNE
The oomoardment was an opportunity TOO good
nope OF inlurlng the government they had issued a
red poster, which was profusely placarded through
compiers, it dsgusted the public, ana before mid
day nearly all the posters were torn down. The gen
| gage in political dissenson after the war
shall nave terminated, and that whatever
Paris and the provisional government botn should
4 III the present emergency be supported 1he "r ed"
poster commences thus:-"Has the govern ment
/ which on the 4in september undertook the national
defence fulfilled its missions No. We are 5oo,OoO
combaiants, anu $1,000 prussians encircle u.s. on
whom rests the responsibility IL not on those who
/ govern usy they have only thought OF negotiation
instead Of casting cannon and fabrcating arms.
! They have refused the levy en- masse. They nave
left Bonapartsts in Office and put republicans in
prison. They only decided, after TWO months, 10 act
against tile Prs;ians. on the day after the 3lst Oc
tober. BY their slowness theIr ndecsion their IN
| dolence, they have brought us To the brink Of the
| abyss. they have not known how TO admlnistrate
| nor 10 fight, when they had under hand all the re-
sources. provisions and men. They have not under
stood tnat III y besiegcd town all VINO sustain the
struggle order 10 save the country have the right
TO receive subsistence; they have foreseen nothing;
| where abundance could exist they nave made
| misery; people dle OF cold, already they have
nearly done OF hunger; the women suffer- the chill
dren langulsh and expire" Tue placard then an-
nounces that the military direction still more de-
poraDlc-a repetition Of failures. "Tne government
replies With threats to the reproachcs OF public
opiulon. III declares 1t VIII maintain order-like
| Bonaparte before Sedan" II the men at the Hotel de
Niie nave stu any patriotism they VIII retire. The
| municipality or the commune, or by Whatever name
II may be called. IS the only safety for the people
The retention or the present government In Otice Is
| capnua,on. Metz and Rouen nave shown that