The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-08-06
WARS INHUMANITIES.
sufocating the Enemy in Caves Two Par
allel Incidents.

Few Incidents In modern warfare have pro-
-yoked such extended acrimonious discussion
MS the Algerian affair 81 the Caves OF the
Ouled Rialls, which all readers OF kinglakes
History will remember. In june lS45, the
Oued Riahs, closely pursued by Pelissier,
Saint Arnaud and De fAdmraut, took refuge
in one Of the caverns with which their conll-
try abounded. Peissier, surrounding the
convince the Arabs that the French could
smoke them out at pleasure, and then threw
III letters demanding surrender. The Arabs
Offered to surrender IL the troops were with
drawn. The condition was deemed inadrnis-
Sibe and more iagots were lighted. TIRE
mendous cIamor was heard within Of the
hundreds OF wretches iii despaifing council.
There were two parties, but the fanatics pre-
vailed, and the French terms were again re-
fused. Some Of the minority escaped, and the
wives and daughters Of all endeavored to fly,
but were shot down by their husbands and
fathers, resolved to impose as we'll as to en-
dure martyrdOm. Still another cartel was
sent In by The really Mortified French but the
officer was fired on, and on the ninteenth,
s'Ioosing all patience and no longer having "a
hope OF otherwise subduiHg these fanatics,
who formed perpetual nucleus Of revolt II
the country, the fire was rendered more in
tense than 1T had yet been. During this time
the cries Of the unhappy Wretehes who were
being suffocated was dreadful, but gradually
nothing was heard beyond the cracking ct
fagots. The, troops entered and found 59o
%
terrific cutlery in England against French n ?.
humanity, md yet after all, wherein did 1t
differ, except as to the magnitude OF the scale
on which II WAS conducted, from 70, TINS. Whleh
we find reported in the Cape WdtchmnnE
s'Some dynamite that had been sent 1or ar
rived. and the Colonel decided to try its effect.
Sergeant Jones, who thoroughly understands
Its use, was sent with a small party 70 cross
the river higher up and came round TO the
great cave. AT great risk TO himself, ne
leaned over the top Of the rock and threw IN
q charge OF dynamite, with q fuse attached.
We heard great cOmmOtiOn IN the cave, then
an explosion, and then all awful yell. We
have since heard what happened. nephew
of Letsika picked up the packet and handed
1t to the chief, who, not liking the looks OF it,
threw it down. just then it exploded, shat
tariDg Letsikas hand and actually ripping his
nephew open from the waist to the throat
Several other charges were thrown in, doing
more or less damage. Subsequently the cave
was smoked. A fire WAS Lit in the en- rance
and fed by dropping fuel down on it from the
first step. The fire was kept up till every one
began to think that the enemy must have cs-
capped by some underground passage. How
ever, just as we were thinking OF giving 1t up
piled up the fuel. In few minutes the enemy
hailed us, and intimated that they had enough
and We're willing to surrender. We put out
the fire as quickly as possible, and, after some
delay, four men and a boy came out, giving
UP one old gun and Q few assegaes. Then
there was pause, and the others called that
they were so stupid with the smoke that they
could not get out. Some Of our men volun-
teered to 20 in and help them, which when
they did the treacherous brutes inside fired
on them. This was a little too much. We
piled up the fire again and kept it going till
shutdown, the consequence being that nine
men and ten boys were killed in the cave. and
three escaped in the night. but have since
J been taken. One OF them died from the fleets
OF the fire, and the other two are still very
bad, but likely to recover"