The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-10-23

the great bulwark of tyranny. Men, wo-
 men and boys were mingled in the fight. Priests nobles, wealthy citizens and the ragged and emaciate victims of famine were pressing in the frenzed assault side by side. The French soldiers were now anxious to surrender but the Swiss, shel- tered from all chance of harm, shot down with deliberate and unerring aim whom soever they would. Four hours of the battle had now passed, and though but enc man had been hurt within the fort ress. a hundred and sevehty-one of the citizens had been either killed or wound ed. The French soldiers now raised a flag of truce upon the towers, while the Swiss continued firing below. This move ment plunged De Dauney into despair. One hundred thousand men were be- leaguering his fortress. The king sent no troops to his aid; and three-fourths of his garrison had abandoned him and were already opening communications with his assailants. He knew that the
 people could never pardoned him for the blood of their fathers and brothers
 with which he had orimsoned their streets-that death was his inevitable
 doom In a state almost of delirium he seized a match from cannon and rushed towards the magazine, determined to blow up the citadel. There were a hundred and thirty-hye barrels of gun
 powder in the vaults. The explosion
 would have thrown the Bastie into the air, buried 100000 people beneath its
 ruins and have demonished one-third of Paris. Two subaltern officers crossed their bayonets before him and prevented
 the accomplishment of this horrible de- | sign. Some wretches seized upon a young lady whom they believed to be the gov ernor's daughter, and wished by the | threat of burning her within view of her father upon the towers to compel him to surrender. But the citizens promptly res-
 cued her from their hands and con- veyed her to q place of safety. It was | now o'clock, and the assault had com
 menced at 12 o'clock at noon. The French soldiers within made white flags of napkins, attached them to bayonets
 and waved them from the walls. Grad ually the flags of truce were seen through the smoke the firing ceased, and the cry resounded through the crowd and was echoed along the streets of Paris, ''The Bastile surrendersi" This fortress, which Louis XIV and Turenne had pro- nounced impregnable surrendered not to the arms of its assailants, for they had produced no impression upon it. It was conquered by that public opinion which pervaded Paris and which vanquished it's garrison.
 The massive portals were thrown open, and the vast multitude, living deluge, plunging headlong rushed in. They clambered up the towers, penetrated the cells. and descended Into the dungeons and oubliettes. Appalled, they gazed upon the instruments of torture with which former victims of oppression had been torn and broken Excited as they were by the strife, and exasperated by the shedding of blood. but one man in the fortress, a Swiss soldier, fell a victim to their rage. The French and Swiss soldiers took the oath of fidelity to the nation, and under the protection of the French guards were marched to places of safety where they were sup piled with lodgings and food. Thus ter minated this eventful day The fall of the Bastile broke the right arm of the monarchy, parayzed It's nerves of ac- tion. and struck it a death blow. The monarch of France, from his palace at Versailles, heard the distant thunders of the cannonade and yet inscribed upon his puerile journal "Nothingi'