All persons in the possession of sulphur and phosphorus must declare to
the Commune the amount of each within three days.
La Cecilia has again undertaken the command at Petit Vanves.
Torpedoes are to be laid down at exposed parts.
The night has passed off quietly, and nothing of any importance has
transpired.
The Versailles troops are under the walls of Paris, and are exchanging
shots with the Insurgents on the ramparts from the Muette Gate to the
Issy Gate.
The Federalists have been driven out of their entrenchments between
Forts Vanves and Issy.
A battery is being erected in the garden of the Tuileries, from which
the Communists will be able to keep up a flank fire upon the Champs
Elysees.
There is no doubt of the existence of a serious conspiracy, possessing
wide ramifications, in Paris to effect the overthrow of the Commune.
The Garden of the Luxembourg has been closed, and is occupied by four
battalions of National Guards, as a precaution against the rising which
is apprehended.
MAY 15th.
The _Journal Officiel_ announced that the Column would positively fall
to-day at 2. A great concourse assembled. Bands played. The Commune and
their Staff, amounting to 200, attended on horseback. At 3.45 p.m. an
attempt was made, which failed owing to the breaking of a snatchblock.
The ropes slackened suddenly, injuring two men. Another attempt was
made, fresh ropes having been added, and the Column fell at about 10
minutes to 6. It broke up in the air as it fell. The concussion was
nothing like what had been expected. No glass was broken or injury done
to the Square, excepting that the Column forced itself into the ground.
The excitement was intense. The crowd rushed with loud cheers to
scramble for fragments, while speeches were made by members of the
Commune, mounted on fallen masses, and red flags were hoisted on the
pedestal. Immense crowds assembled in the streets outside, making it
almost impossible to leave the Place Vendome. It was forbidden to take
away any fragments, and people were searched before leaving the Square.
MAY THE 16th.
Two hundred National Guards entered the Grand Hotel last night. After
having searched every room, under the pretence of looking for arms,
they retired with a good deal of plunder.
This is on that subject a letter forwarded by Mister van Henbeck to the
_Figaro Journal_.
It has been spoken in different ways of the frequent searches made in
the Grand Hotel, since the occupation by the admiral Saisset and his
Staff, which had rendered the Hotel suspected by the "Commune" and the
"Comite Central."
The last visit of these _Gentlemen_, has been marked by many strange
proceedings:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account