Year: 1871




play against the Versailles troops as to frghten the
besiegers and show them that it will not be sufficient
TO carry the ramparts by assault but when that
task shall have been successfully accomplished desper
ate resistance will still he offered in the interior OF the
city, This take IT, Is the secret OF great many OF the
acts Of the Commune they hope by showing what they
capable OF doing IL pushed TO extremes TO force the
Versailles party to come TO terms.


March l6.-At length after many delays, the column
of the Place yend0me has fallen to the ground We
were all assembled yesterday TO witness the fal OF
"Casar" but somehow another Cesar was not ready
to fall, and lost three or four hours In wandering
about the Place vend6me and wondering when the col
umn would come down. However to-day the journal
Or1eie announced in due form that the column would
come down at o'clock precisely and to the Rue de Ia
Pax accordingly "a Paris" the saying is found Its
way Long before two O'Clock the street so crowded
that It with the greatest difficulty that
and two friends elbowed way through the
densey-packed masses Of people. However, was not
sorry TO 60 slowly, I was anxious TO
hear the general opinion as TO the destruction OF OF
the proudest tributes to French Most OF the peo-
pie spoke with seemed TO be quite Indifferent as to the
work Of destruction. They hated Napoleon, and ap-
peared TO think they really doing something to
hinder the return-now only too possble-of "Badin-
guet to France by overurning the statue of his uncle
No one was admitted the Place Vend0me itself with
out a special ticket issued by the Committee Of Public
Safety Furnished with such ticket was able pen
citrate the Place Vend6me and observe the prepara-
tions which had been made for the fan of the
famous column They seemed at first sight totally mad
equae for so vast an undertaking. large cable had
passed around the top OF the column just below the
statue this rope Tor rather these ropes for there were
of tem) attached TO anchor and capstan in
the Rue de la Pax. But the anchor and capstan were
both exceedingly badly fixed In the ground that IL
was evident the most inexperienced observer that
unless the column fell OF its own weight, something was
to give way in the tacking The engineer however,
like most Frenehmen, wonderfully selfconndent,
and assured every one who chose TO listen TO him that
the column would fall whenever he gave the word for
the ropes to tightened At about o'clock We in the
Place all driven back on to the sidewalks by line OF
guards while squadron Of the newly organized Cav
airy Of the Commune drove back the anxious crowds
| in the Rue de la Paix.


Col Mayer who commanded in the Place Vend0me,
then ascended the column in full uniform of the National
| Guards with small trcolor flag in his hand. After
walking around the gallery at the top OF the column and
waving his flag to all the quarters OF the heavens, Col
| Mayer then tore the bunting and proceeded to tie


it point downward to the rails surrounding the crown


ing gallery. Having accomplished this feat he took OF
his cap shook his fist the statue of Napoleon above
! him. and cried out Tige la Commune He then came
down and the order TO tighten the rope was almost
| Immediately given by q member Of the Commune
standing in the balcony Of the Ministry Of Justice
Just above where stationed. Rapidly the big ropes
became rigid bars of steel all eyes were turned
| towards the column and all thought its hour had
come, especially because rapidly passing cloud
made II look it already rembed on its base. But
the capstan turned without effect when suddenly loud
crack heard, and block attached TO the capstan
gave way knocking several sailors. Nobody, how
I ever, was badly hurt but were told that nothing
could be done for two hours, block must be OBJ
! tained. ~ssss.=aT --r,,,Sr~->.


There were no less than three bands the place and
aaoha "a time IN
appointment the Cavalry Of the Commune proceeded


to caracoe the place. TO the no small amusement OF
the spectators. One two horsemen were very near
kissing mother earth, but by dint OF great gymnastc
ability cOntrived retain their seats. The person most
10 be pitied at this moment poor Col. Mayer who
looked very small indeed What dreadful thing for the
poor Colonel IT, after all his acting, the column were to
decline fall About O'Clock 1t was announced that all
ready and two ropes were attached to the top OF


the order 10 shake 1t so as TO add to the steady


tension Of the ropes already described AT 500 the six
ropes began to tighten amid breathless expectation
from the assembled thousands. For nearly five minutes
no effect whatever seemed to be produced on the maes
tic column which still against the bright blue sky


AZ bold and majestic as ever and seeming to defy fate
and the Commune. The men at the capstan strained
weated and the engineer ran about from capstan to
column and from column to capstan like demented.


band played the MarSeidise at the rate of two bars
TO a second. Suddenly there was cry of "N tombe"
and surely and slowly the huge bronze mass bowed
and fell toward the Rue de Ia Paix, and
fell ON it's bed of faggots sand, and dung.
Strange to say, as it fell 1t burst into three or
four pieces before it touched the ground. Striking
the bed with loud report it hurled the faggots and
even pieces OF the bas-reefs right and left. huge
cloud OF dust once but the crowd rushed mad
forward TO relics Of the fallen monument Like


flies Oh carcass all busy in ten seconds after
the column had fallen in securing pieces of its remains
Before the dust had fairly cleared away Mayer and
several members of the Commune TO be seen fran
tcally waving red flags from the empty pedestal, and
shrekng Wire Ia Commune. Bergeret scrambled upon
the PROSTATE column, and made speech
abusing the First Napoleon, whose statue
lay broken and PROSTATE before him. Rochefort also
attempted to make himself heard from the top OF the
pedestal but the dust seemed to have got into his throat
and no could hear what he said Slowly the crowd
dispersed and, Quilted the Rue de la Pai1, heard
bystander say" Ab is awaystrue of us Gau that Vac
Viots is ever motto. Had Badinguct but won
victory the Rhine they would have gilt the old column
and put up a bigger than to the man they now
despse." Perhaps he not far from right Nothing
succeeds like success" is true French saying.


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