Year: 1870

A correspondent of the AUgemefne Zeitung, writ
ing rom before Stras6urg, August 25, says:-


conviction, as towards O'Clock A. M. we turned
from the sight OF the flames, as if stunned by
silence. No sound escaped US, each was possessed
by grief for the loss of personal friend, the
faithful and revered of many long years, and was
bewildered If his higher thoughts sought vainly
their long accustomed resting place The sleep
into which one sank at last from sheer exhaustion
was no shelter from those words of woe. In the
watches of the night 'The Minister burns! !" sounded
OF oer Se 1terance e than, again. e Minister baTns no
But to my story. We had been informed that the
cannonadng was today to be increased in force
1t was after O'clock when, once more our way
TO the Mundolsheimer Hohe, we found some diff
Guilty in the darkness in avoiding the trains of
wagons carrying huge trees and munitions to the
fortress difficulty to which these in turn must
have been subject from strong body of Uhans
which they encountered At length we stood on
the ridge of the hill near the bench erected there
for the Grand Duke of Baden. The ruins of yester-
day were glowing and smoking still. It was 10
O'Clock when the signal-fires on side sent up
their flames at regular intervals.


The Thomaskirche in the city stood out from the
flames behind 1t as from background of gold. On
OF pitch, by the light of which men were working at
the defenses A colcentrated but changing light
showed large building, probably lazaretto. In
lightning and-such is maintaining come here to
see the continuation Of this spectacle Of horror, we
grew impatient as 10 and IL O'Clock struck and all
was yet calm and SILENT Some Of our party retired
homewards. "There will be nothing to see tonight"





the surrender Of the city.


west vigorous cannonading began, which was an
swered from the fortress. Shells rose in the air,
ling fresh ones. But these 1ames-streaming high
into the ar-they must come from a lofty building.
1t is the nave OF the Minister! Hther and thither
1y speculations. doubts, hopes, assurances. The
broad and heavy cloud OF smoke prevents all
an ., one me rab an at rse 1ae Minister Is distinctly
equal energy that he can see 1t on the left. The
Officers of higher & rank are assembling on our HIN
with intense gaze fixed Hpon the mighty names
whose merciless tongues stream ever higher and
must have been his feelings at such mo
ment? Furious, and yet more furious, grow the
crack and roar OF the batteries, their boom accom-
panied by kissing noise, ana producing a strange
and heaTt-strring sound. The fires and the firing
doubt whether indeed the Minister was on fire. At
length all hope is at an end. The flame is already
licking up the side Of the tower. A throb of pain
thrills through every heart we look at each other
III dead silence The expression OF each face is to
flames, clear almost as that of day. The thunder OF
the artillery is ceaseless; rockets fly hither and


Wna t Keeps us nere pae S deep 81 wa eS
urge return homewards, but to stir from the spot
is Impossible, From a tree near us owls 1y forth
and fit hooting over the vineyards. What a
cry Of mourning viii arise from the days to
come, sounding onward through all history, over
the work OF this night! Presently an ordnance
oficer brings word that hand grenades are falling
in our immediate neighborhood, and we turn
tOWdIu JUL Quhibcis. WIN HcdNy uedrtS we pdTteu
from our companions; the feeling that we must re-
main together together bear this new sorrow, pos.
sessed each mind but at last we were compelled to
separate. What spectacle will be that Minister
in ruins! How melancholy, beyond power OF words
to picture, the coming entry into Strasburg! The
reunion OF Alsace with the German Fatherand, ac-
companed as it is with difficulties of no common
kind and needing for their conquest the utmost care
and caution, will be rendered incalcuably more diff
cult by the destruction of this Minister and that this
great event. this great restitution OF the booty OF
well nigh two hundred years. should bear so black
marx as the sacrifice OF such building is horrible
10 think upon.


Afternoon-I have just returned from the Num-
dolshemer Hohe. At the first glance / drew freer
breath There lay Strasburg with it's various burn
ing ruins but the Minister stood yet uninjured the
tower yet rose Dravely as OF old up into the sky
Ny joy was Of short duration. Through good tele-
scope it is plainly 10 be seen that the nave OF the
church is totally destroyed. How wide spread and
complete may be the destruction is not TO be seen
from my position perhaps it is not calculabe in
Strasburg ITSELF Thus the fearful fact to which one
has resolutey refused belief is clear the day
light which reveals it. Into what nsignhcance
sinks now the destruction of a hop-store of bar
racks Of much hay and straw, and OF the Hospital
for Foundlings All these time and money may re-
place; but the Minister!


The fire is beginning again. BY day it looks less
awful than in the darkness OF the night And 1t is
by night that men are lying In walt to slay and to
send IRE into the dwellings of their fellow mortals
work at this crisis We are at war; at war for Ger
q man town, The autumn casts brilliant yellow
light over the town and the clouds OF smoke making
them shine as though they were OF gold. What new
ruins will 1t rise upon tomorrow?