FALL OF KHARTOUM.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 82, 10 March 1885, Page 2

FALL OF KHARTOUM.

(Per San Francisco.)

,PREi»B ASSOCIATION.) * The War Office_ ißsued the following telegram ,at 12.30 p.m. on February. 5 : — " A telegram from Lord \V6lseley announced that the fall of Kharfo'uni t;ook place on Jauuary 26. He says Colonel Wilson arrived at Khartoum on January .28, and was greatly sarprijjed^, to find the enemy m possession of that place. Colonel Wilsou immediately started on his return down the river. • ■• Despatches received from Korti state that, the natives report that 60,000 men m the vicinity of Khartoum .and that he introduced a number of -emissaries into < the city: These cjiuissaries mingled freely with. 'the native troops under General Gordon, and by bribes, threats, and working, oft tkeir religious . feelings,, induced. ,|nßjUj> to mutiny. Seven thousand of the garrison deserted to itbe ; rebels', << leaving General Fbrdon only 250£'faith?ul Soldiers. W ith this small force he attempted to hold the city against the Mahdi's great army, bat, after severe fighting, ! m which a large number of the- rebels were killed, he was cpmpelled ■fo% surrender. When Sir Ovaries reiched Khartoum, he found that' the Mahdi's f orceS ( occupied both tbwii and' ; citadel. He tried to land and ascertain; the ' fate of General Gbrdbn, but this Uie j fbund impossible. The enemy's ; ; guns -were turned upon him. and he j was. therefore compelled to turn his jback. , -upon, the fallen city and return to Gubat without finding out whether General Gordon .was dead or alive, "" '"' '.">■«»& The first news" Of the fall of Khartoum, received by General Wolseley, w as 'brought by a 1 messengei! who left the island where Col, Wilson was stranded, and came on foot to/}ubst*f*£Two messengers were despatched, to Korti, viVAbuklea aria Gakdai:' They reached their destination, ".which is probably Cowing tbHhefactthat'the'n'eWsVofKJflartoum's tall was not known m the district. Intelligence of the disaster,, however* has since spread far and wide, and some tribes that have hitherto professed friendship for England have, declared for ( The Arabs still hold Metemneh. The garrison there receivied 'newri Of the fall of Khartoum, with; repeated salvos /of artillery. When Colonel Wilson's flotilla approached Khartoum it was compelled to run the gauntlet of \a heavy fire from both branches. The rebels had four Krupp guns on the rivervbanks at Wady Haifa to bombard the steamers. When the British iorce reached Omderman, numbers of rebels continued the fusilade Things looked worse, when it was dis. covered that the enemy were m posses•sion of thje island of /Tufctii Amt -outside the city. The English stuT •pushed ahead, but were dismayed to, find that the "garrison had commenced ifiring upon thfini. No^ flags wer'eflyirig^ from the public buildings, and the town appeared m undisputed possession of the enemy. The. palace seemed^ gutted.4 I^indintrij -impessiblo'to landyin *h^ • faoe. |>fVver. whelming numbers of rebels, the British (Were .obliged to retire., „. ' Bumors cbticferningihe 1 i^^of Gordon are, many and .varied, ,bu|,alL agree that the '• Mahdi ' captuWd 1 ' 'Enartoum by treachery. ! ' The nidst 'Reliable reports point to one Foraz Pasha as the traitor. . 16 is said that he, being left inijenjutee of the.rampartSj.ppened the gates on January 26 and admittetl the "enemy. Some rumors Sjtate that the Mahdi,- together wii-li a tevf of his' follower^, o are* ' cooped I up m a church: OMeri say that Gordon 1 was seen wearing the Mahdi's uniform.' r The -majority ' agree* •.••-howeveiifi* that i General Gordon is killed. ! A despatch from Cairo r - February 5 says that news had reached there that 2000 men were massacred at Khartoum. The excitement m London on the receipt of the news of the capture of Khartoum was tremendous. The War Office I was besieged, with, army officers tender- ! ing their services for active duty, and telgranis were.^eoeiVed Irom officers throughout the colony asking assign, mentto the .rescue expeditions, should Government conclude tp take such action. The papers were furious m their attacks on the Mmistry, and declared. "the, 1 sole responsibility' Tor, v th4 "disaster * rested with them, as they refused to al- 0 low the relief expedition to start m time. A council at the War Office m the even* ing decided to desjtafeh ,"3000 troops to Siiakim immediately^ and 'orders have been sent to Portsmouth to begin fitting out troopships. • .