Year: 1870

never surrender, whereupon the commander of
the garrison dismissed him with the words,
"The people have given you my reply" A day
or two later, according to reports
from Paris, the course of the river Ill, on both
sides of which the city is built, was changed
near Ernstein, town some distance above, in
order to stop the supply of water. Tue latest
news we had was TO the. effect that the gar
rison bombarded and destroyed Kehl a few days
ago, and with that item the history of the
siege of Strasburg is brought to a close for the
time.


The following account of the city and its
defenses is interesting, embodyiDg as it does
facts based upon the latest intelligence


Strasburg is the centre OF the defense of the Rhine
frontier, and is usually spoken OF as one of the
strongest fortresses in Europe. 1t has figured in
was Louis XIV, however, who first gave it the I'm
portance rank has so long held among the for
Of it when it was free city of the German empire,
by lawless attack during the time OF peace. Nearly
200 years after its union with France, Strasburg
still retains the appearance of a Prusslan town. The
situation Of Strasbprg at Q distance OF about one
and half miles from the Rhine, on the river III, is
has circuit Of six miles. 1t is surrounded by a
wall, strengthened by bastions, bitches, and bull
warks and has at Its eastern extremity towards the
Rhine, a citadel of five bastions, constructed by
Vauban, the outworks Of which reach to the river.
Its defensive system is completed by sluice, by
means OF which the surrounding country can be
inundated. For the defense OF the town and citadel
900 guns are required, that Is the besegers are
pertinacious Me alleged weakness OF the garrison
may prove serious The ordinary garrison OF Stras-
burg Is 5000, but there is civil population OF 4OOO
and in case OF a blockade every one of them will be
doing the work OF the besiegers by his daily
consumption of the strictly limited store of pro-
visions. The only side of the fortress whi; IN can
not be laid under water by means of
the sluices where the Ill enters the town is the
Porte des Mines, and on that side the glacs Is
mined. The safety Of the place depends too much
upon water to satisfy those who wish to see t hold
out. After four months drouth the river Is now
low; at the landing place Of the destroyed boat
bridge the standard post showed week or two ago
but 20 centimeres or two feet of water while it is
constructed to reach 10 feet. The works are OF
somewhat antquated type. The old-fashioned
bastion enceinte which eDgirdles the town is
in many points approached by woods, by
which would probably afford excellent cover
to a besieging forces; while, as it's works
were planned long before rled cannon were thought
OF, its siege wonld afford an excellent exemplidca-
ton OF the relative values Of old engineering and of
modern artillery. The Germans before SLrasburg
have the advantage, denied to some besiegers OF
knowing well what obstacles they have to overcome.
Hundreds of their countrymen have had to leave the
place within the last five weeks after living and
working there for years. They evidently also know
precisely the number of troops within. Since with
this knowledge they have undertaken to capture the
place, it is probable that they their way doing
so without loss of time,