Year: 1870

remain indissolubly united as powerful Germany,
and thus realize the aydreams OF visionary patriots


SAARBRUCK BEFORE THE FIGHT.


SCENES ALONG THE PICKET LINES OF THE Ar


MIEs-AFFAIRS BETWEEN THE VlDETIES'


IRON OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE


SAARBRUCK, July 26.-Saarbruck is probably


household work by this time. / will only say that 1t
lies on the south side Of the Saar which, rising ar sou


in the yosges just here about east and west put i
ther westward turns toward the northwest tll IL
reaches the fortress OF Saar Louis eleven or Twelve s
from here Its above saarbruck Is from South 10
north saareguemines the next town you go up the
river is about eight miles south OF saarbruck and
within the French frontier Saarbruck s united with s
suburb st. Johann, on the north side OF the river by
two bridges. Taking your stand on the new Druge DC
tween St. Johann and Saarbruck, and facing south,
you have before you the town OF saarDrucK, con-
ssng Of two three very long straight streets parallel
to the river and slightly rising, the houses In no way
remarkable or picturesque OF two stories mostly, wlth
windows in their high pitched tile roofs broad hill
rises Immediately behind the town, and the street
branching the right slopes upward for some way
Then the cease and the road goes on Win turn
TO the top the hill But leave this for the present anu
look from your station the bridge toward the rgh''
that is westward, down the river. You see long
bck railwaybrdge crossing the river this the rail-
way from Saarbruck into France, Forbach l5 the
first station, and the line continues TO Metz. NO"
leave the bridge and walk into SaarDrucK, turn
TO the right and follow the road up the hill.
From the top Of the hill you see all that there
is of the war in this quarter. You look out
over broad valley bounded to the left and in front by
swelling wooded hills to the right you see the railway
bridge mile lower down the river ana the railway
running toward Forbach up the valley OF little stream
with lakes at right angles to the valley Immediately IN
front Of you The hills down In thick wedge sep
arating the two valleys and these hills on clear
akp mt n
camp with tents and horses standing Its thought that
there is SQUADRON OF cavalry there But this Is not our
only sight OF the French While the railroad TO Forbach
goes far away the right the road runs along the left
side of the valley below u.s. and by the side Of this road
under two white houses, there is French
picket, with videttes across the valley toward
their camp. In this valley you
Prussan yidettes single cavaryman riding round and
round circle the function OF the yidee being TO watch
the enemy's movements, and convey information by
hnovng at walk trot canter from left to right OF
from right TO left each motion signyng the nature OF
the enemys advance, except the walk from right to e
which continued long the enemy shows signs
OF motion. Between and the ydettes there be-
leve, small detachments of infantry but they are
hidden by hedges the nature Of the ground 1t Is be-
tween the Prussans here and the French picket that
shots have been exchanged ALL therefore that we have
yet Of the French consists of the cavalry camp with
it's and vdette But at FOrbach whose spre alone
is visible from hill, they said to be 1900
strong 1 am not at liberty TO state the strength OF
the Prussian force in Saarbruck, do know what
forces may thrown into it in the course OF the next
few days but there to be immediate probability
OF severe fighting here The French at any rate,
not very ready after ALL Let give you in detail
the events OF the last few days There interest in
the OF the who struck the first actual blows
In such this will be- 1t is something rare for
any individual action to be dscernable at ALL the ee-
,Inat ts,ntl nharp


ultpcatons OF mechanical force that one cannot but
welcome the opportunity OF recording few single ac
tions and individual on Thursday, the 21st,
Fuseer OF the 9th company shot the first French
man. Sergeant (Unter ODizier) Globke, 18th company,
brought down a Chasseur On Friday shots were ex-
changed with French patrols one Of the Fusleers
slightly wounded; the French, believe suf-
fered more severely On Saturday French cavalry
about company strong, advanced upon the Burbacher
Werk, factory this. They met by sergeant
with few fusileers and retired with the loss OF Off
Ger and Is men. The same morning they approached
VOklngen, but were Immediately checked, and made
fight. Prussian patrols made an incursion some way
the border without meeting any one the advanced
posts however unchanged But the most substantial
achievement has been the destruction OF the French rail
way at Bitche along which 1900 French troops, 1t s
said, to have made their way from saareguemnes
TO StrasbOuTg Twenty Ulanen rode into the French
territory, destroyed the line and blew mp yaduct. My
maps DO not extend south OF Saarcguemines, and
not very clear TO the connection Of the latter place
with the main strasbourg line. You have probably
maps at hand than we have here.


There have been two false alarms Of French attack.
VIII only add two pieces Of information in you
have not received them before one is that part of the
Prnssian forces have new and much lighter gun, the
barrel being much shorter and firing a much smaller
bullet than the old needegun, the needle cement
tIan IN which was at Coblentz had this gun The other
If tha the Bayarans tried the ehassepot in 1861 and
gave III up In favor Of the needlegun because, after
certain number OF rounds the chassepot grew 80 hot
that they could not aim with IT, was told OF this at
tfahH0rt by BaVaran who was then in the army, who
OF the chassepot. That IL my only authority. In
the nring OF the last few days, the Prussians, It
IT. SAID, were able to fire quicker than the French
Inc cavalry mere are spendldly mounted; everything
seems To be at its best As the general spirit OF the
country You have probably had abundant information
Wherever have been without exception, have found


that the idea has taken the deepest possession OF
the people, namely, that this war is war upon
heln without cause and that cost what 10 may 1t is


er uuty To make II impossible for the French to commit
such an act again. ave must now make peace certain
Tor our children and cldren's children" Is the express
sion which seems to have up spontaneously every
where The more victorious the French the first
the strcter will be the measure OF which Germany will


ete out To them at the last The possibility of differ
eht ultimate result hardly finds admittance into ones
uonal movement as this.


DESTRUCTION OF THE RAILWAY AT BITCHE-


DETAILS OF THE AFFAIR.


IRON OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT


SAARBRUCK, July 27-Night.-The destruction
or the railway viaduct at Btche is In eyerybody's
mouth, ana deserves fuller account than I
able to make out last night. The railway is
mat which runs from FOrbach and Saaregue-
mines To Haguenau, from which place their ia "a
direct line to strasbourg II lies entirely in French ter
rtory 80 long ago the night OF Monday tho ish