Paris in flames as communards vanquished - archive 1871
25 May 1871: The fighting throughout the day has been desperate and bloody beyond precedent
ST. DENIS, WEDNESDAY.
Severe fighting continues round the Hotel de Ville. At 5 p.m the cannonade was loud and incessant. It is reported that the Tuileries, the Louvre, with all its works of art, and the Conseil d'Etat, have been fired by the Federals.
German officers confidently state that the Commune will be vanquished, and communications with Paris restored tomorrow evening or the following morning. The police surveillance has been redoubled at all the railway stations. Strict orders have been issued to prevent any but passengers entering the stations or having access to the platform on the Northern line. Passports are demanded, and the few passengers are narrowly scrutinised.