The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-03-24

released without applying to Mr.. Wash
burne. 1t is rumOred to-day that Roche
fort had been arrested, and is now prs-
oner at Versailles. 1t is also rumored that
Gen. Rossel has been captured. There
is an incessant musketEy and mitrailleuse
firing in the Place de la ConcOrde. There
is fighting going on in the neighborhOod
of the Hotel de Vile. Shells are flying
over our heads.
U. s. Legation, May o, 1S71.-Last
exploding shells and the continuous mus
kerry fire. The red flag still remains aver
the public buildings. l hear that there
was immense slaughter last night. 1t is
reported that GOO Of the Versailles troops
were killed. We are still under fire Of the
guns from Montmartre. The Commune
troops are fighting with the courage of
desperation. Barbados are being built
in Belleville and Montmartre. They are
being erected chiefly by women and chill.
dren, and are made Of carts and wagons,
furniture and bedding. A great many
women have been arrested. One way the
Versailles troops have Of furnishing their
prisoners is not to allow them to sit down
they keep them standing all the time. No
one is allowed to leave the city. All the
streets in this vicinity are filled with ar
tllery wagons and cannon. Mr.. Wash
burne is perfectly cool, and has been so
all the time. l am writing at the Lega-
ton, in the same room with him. The
Communists are now at the Tuileries, and
we are again under fire. The Legation
has just been struck, and a piece of shell
fell into the court by the window of the
room in which l am writing. A shell has
just exploded in the house on the corner
of the street and Mr.. Washburne keeps
on writing. DIR. Peet has just come in,
and says that the Tuileries is on fire.
May "a, 1871.-Last night on hearing
the news that DR.. Peet gave us we all
went out and found that not only the
Tuileries is on fire, but also the Minister of
Marines Building, in the Place de Ia Con-
corde, was in a blaze, and likewise the
headquarters Of the Legion of Honor.
Soon after the Hotel de Vile was in
flames, and also the Palais Royale. Can
you imagine the deravity and folly these
Communists are guilty Of? They are de-
termined to destroy as many monuments
in Paris rs they can. The women are
| fighting with the men, and are more
| fendish. They throw boiling oil on the
| Versailles troops as they pass under their
windows. l have just heard that Gen.
| Cluseret has again been put in command
Of the forlorn hope Of Communists. We
made gallant charge when they entered
| the city they would have captured every
| thing. 1t is rumored that the Commu-
nists have undermined the Pantheon, and
intend to blow 1t up. All the people down
in the city have not been able to leave
their houses: An English gentleman
looked out of his window, and was shot
through the heart. The Versailles troops
captured the barricade. or rather FORTH
cations, in the Place de Ia COncorde this
morning. Mr.. Hyde had a narrow es.
cape-two pieces OF shell fell within a
foot Of him and a bomb exploded SO near
that he was almost blinded by the smoke
L
up all night, but 1t was some distance off
We now consider ourselves out Of danger
in this locality. The fire has extended ur
the Rue ROyale; nearly all the buildings
between the Place de la Concorde and the
Madeline are destroyed, and SO nre the
public buildings in the Place Vendome
The Tuileries is entirely burned down
We heard that Notre Dame is on fire
The wretches are bent on destroying the
city. We counted $50 prisoners at the in
tersection Of Boulevard Mulesherbes anG
Boulevard Hausman. An the prisoner,
were bareheaded. One OF them put or
his cap. and refused to take It off. An
officer drew his saber and cut off not only
the cap. but the entire scalp OF the pris
oner. Two prisoners tried to escape
when they were not only sabered but shot
Fifty Of the prisoners were women thai
We're arrested for throwing boiling oil or
the Versailles troops. The only clothing
} that one poor old man had was a shirt
These prisoners were being marched ou'
to the Bots de Boulogne. where suppos,
they will be shot. All the air is filled
} with burning paper. We picked up sew
eral pieces that we found in the garden OF
the Tuileries. You write of Professor
Ranzi, who was connected with the Amer
lean Ambulance, and OF having seen il
! print that he was killed outside OF Paris
! when on duty in the Ambulance service
He belonged to my party, but he was no,
J killed then. He was really killed las
evening. He was in the Rue de Rivoli
when a piece Of shell struck him. killins
) him instantly. This morning Cratic,
Washburne and Mr.. Haines went dowr
! town with some ladies. They were
stopped. and had to say Eau revoir' Il
their fair companions. Then for two
hours they We're forced to join the chain