Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1871-02-10
THE sHEELI.vG OF P.sHIs.

tanned in marvellous manner. On the 9Th |
ult. shells began dropping in the city from |
the Prussian batteries on the south, and |
every succeeding night the southern quar-
tiers of the city were bombarded. The ia
nous Quarter Latin-in which the bulk of |
the colleges and the great scholastic institu- |
tions are situated-the Val dc Grace, the |
LuXembourg-the two latter are ambulan- |
ces, full of wounded-appcar to have offered |
special attractions to the Prussian bombs. |
Schools and charitable institutions shared |
alike. Curses cloud and deep" fill the air, |
invoked upon the head of an enemy who
kills little children in their sleep; and,
most assuredly, the French ever gain the
uppe rhand of the Prussians, the war will
assume the phase of one of determination.
The projectiles, picked up whole, were of
various Dimensions, the majority weighing
about 20 kilogrammes, or about $50 pounds
English; but nine reached PA pounds.
TRAGIC SCENES AND INCIDENTS.
The night of the 18th was very calm in
| spite of the crowds which gazed into the
sky, and in spite of the crowds hurrying
by with their household goods in bundles
or in small hand-carts-the people fleeing
in safety to the right bank of the river-one
could yet hear the murmur of the Seine.
Hundreds of the curious were there gazing
into the southern sky, n subdued cry of
warning making all eyes turn in that direc-
ton. A visible but transient flash of light
upon the dark southern sky told that gun
was fired. From 10 to 20 seconds later one
heard the report of the gun, with its dull
and well known boom; five or six seconds
later n loud whistle, MS the shell came over
the houses-a whistle so distinct that the
eye followed it rs if the shell were visible;
| lower and lower it came; five seconds pass,
| perhaps and then one could hear the heavy,
sick ening crash, as the bomb entered some
unfortunate house, the crash being quickly
| followed by a loud and terrible explosion.
When near one heard worse still, for it is
| even more sickening TO hear the crashing
of glass and the pattering of pieces of shell
and stone, sent hundreds of yards away.
There is then moment of silence, in which
the heart almost ceases to beat, followed by
| the piercing shrieks of frightened women,
who have, perhaps seen their children torn
| in pieces before their eyes. Sometimes
| there is the cry of fire, and rush of men,
and few moments later a sad cortege, fol-
| lowed by crying women-the men carrying
the wounded to the hospital. Near the OBJ
servatory a bomb has fallen. The people
do not appear frightened; only little scar
| ed. No wonder We see a small crowd
advancing. Every one stretches out his
neck. 1t is pteous sight-a poor woman
with dead child. She has both thighs
smashed, and the baby big wound over
the nose. One eye is burst out, and the left
check is laid bare. No description could
convey an idea of the dreadful expression
on the countenances of that crowd.
COURAGE AND FoRTITUDE OF THE
PEOPLE.
Nevertheless, these victims of the bonn
bardment do not finch. They clench their
teeth and suffer; but no surrender is their
last word A stranger who should be drop
ped upon the Boulevards, say from a bal
loon, would not realize he is in the midst
of Paris, leseged. He would, if previous-
~ acquainted with it, observe a difference
in its aspect. He would see shops closed;
the large thoroughfares thinly peopled few
omnibuses and hackney-coaches circuat-
ing and five out of six adult males, in al
most every variety of military costume;
but he would discern no symptoms of un-
easness, still less of terror. He would re-
mark motley groups besieging, in long files,
the butchers and the bakers shops, and
the cantines municipales, early in the
morning, often at midday and in the after
noon; but he would be unable to record
any sign of impotence, still less any Of re-
bell ion or revolt, even in the poorest neigh
borhoods. He would see people going about
their ordinary business much the same as
usual; the cafes still thronged; the ire
pressible absinthe, vermouth and bitters
being imbibcd; the everlasting dominoes
and cards, chess and Backgammon, afford
ing the amusements of the hour; well
dressed ladies promenading; children play
ing in the mcagre sunshine.
THE MORTALITY AND DESTRUCTION.
Yet in the nine days from the night of
f the 9TH to that of the 18th, inclusive, the
Journal Ohiciel reports lS9 victims-5l were
killed, Is being children and II women, the
, | remainder, 1873, were wounded, of whom 81
were children and 45 women. The area
; | bombarded embraces the entire southern
suburb Of the city. The shells have fallen
in every direction, spreading out like fan
+ from the Prussian batteries, and tending to
. the conclusion that the object has been to
a cover as wide space as possible. 1t may
not be the result of calcuation-alt although
the facts are in favor of this conclusion
that the hospitals, schools churches and
public buildings over which floats the white
0 flag with the red cross, have been the chief
@ objective points of the Prussian shells. The
$ Pantheon was shelled as alleged because the
n Prussians thought it storehouse for am
A munition, but though Trochu disabused
g Moltke by messenger of this notion, IL con-
= tinued the target for Prussian shells. II
n is said that in consequence of the lombard
IT ment of the Val de Grace, which was full
Il of French wounded, Gen. Trochu ordered
IS their removal, and the substitution of Prus-
sian sick and wounded and prisoners, and
If informed Gen. Moltke Of the change. The
II physicians and surgeons protested against
@ the Smelling of hospitals and asylums fol
70 women and children, the Curator of thu
n Jardin DIES Plantes against the wanton de
= struction of the rare collection of orchids
n and the consular and diplomatic corp,
d against the outrage upon the rights of neu
Is trails, but all in vain. Shells fell in the cour
v yard of the Invalides, crashed through tn,
m roof Of the Western railway station, ant
4 ruined houses in the heart of the Faubourl
~ st. German. The splendid and rare libra
he ry of st. Genevieve, adjacent to the Ecol
= de Droit, has not escaped the Prussial
g. bombs. Every precaution has been takel
4. 10 preserYe the bnildinp and its content