LATEST MAIL NEWS.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1128, 22 August 1882, Page 2

LATEST MAIL NEWS.

(By Telegraph.) [PER UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION]. BOMBARDMENT OF ALEXANDRIA The “ New York Herald’s” Special, datedon board the Invincible has the following details. At half past six a quiet order was passed around the deck to load with common shell, and a gleam of satisfaction shone on the men’s faces, At seven o’clock the signal was made plain to Alexandria to open the ball by firing one gun. A heavy boom came across the water, then there was an anxious pause; would the Egyptians answer, or would they evacuate the forts ? But at the batteries opposite we could see men loading guns—they would fight ’ The order was given to commence independent firing, and the signal was run up for the fleet to begin a general engagement. A deafending salvo from five teninch guns went from the side of the Invincible, while lO Nordenfelt guns in the tops swelled the din which burst forth from all the ships. A bank of smoke, which at once rose like a wall from our ship, prevented me from seeing the result of our fire, but from the tops it was seen that the shells had struck rather low, and sights were raised from 1350 to 1,500 yards. The Monarch and Penelope had both been at work close at hand, and the roar of their heavy guns, and ceaseless battle of Gatling and Nordenfelt machines, and shrieks of rockets which the Monarch was discharging, added to the sound of our guns, made up a deep continuous din impossible to describe and bewildering to hear. In any momentary interval the sound of guns from the other division of the fleet told that they also were hard at work. A hardy midshipman posted in the main-top signalled the direction of the shells, and the accuracy of the fire improved. Meanwhile the enemy’s shots were coming thick and fast, their aim being directed chiefly against the Penelope and Inflexible ; they were firing principally round shot. Twenty minutes after the first gun was fired from the Fort the royal braces were shot away, and immediately after the first shot penetrated her forward, a splinter wounding the stokers severely. At this time they appeared to have got the range pretty accurately, and round and conical shot whistled thickly between the masts.

I went round the ship, and found the men who were fighting the main deck guns all stripped to the waist. Between each shot they had to sit down and wait until the smoke cleared. They were anxious to know the result of their work, and asked eager questions of me as to what could be seen above, but I could tell them little, for smoke hung like a veil between us and the shore. The events of the day show that the determination expressed by Arabi and his party to oppose the Fleet to the death has not so far been a vain boast, and they fought their guns to the last; but the fire of the Fleet was so crushing, and metal also superior, as to make their resistance ineffective. They appeared to possess no shells, which was fortunate for us, for had they used these instead of round shot the casualties would have been much larger. As it is our success, although not bloodless, has been achieved at much smaller cost than could have been expected from the formidable nature of the forts we had to attack.

The most interesting incident was the fight between the gunboat Condor, Commander Lord Charles Beresford, with the Agorni Fort. This little vessel went close under the guns of the fort, and opened a tremendous fire, but was unable to silence it. The Admiral then signalled other gunboats to assist in the engagement. A correspondent, who was aboard the Condor, sends the following account of the plucky feat performed by this little gunboat:—“At eight o’clock the Tcmeraire got afloat, and the Condor made straight at the second strong fort, that is the Marabout. The Condor only carries three guns, two 64-poundcrs, and one 7-ineh Woolwich rifled gun. The fort had at least four very heavy pieces of artillery, which were annoying the Penelope, Monarch, and Invincible. Running within 1209 yards of these guns, a single shot from one of which would have sunk her, the Condor managed, before the signal was given to cease firing at one o’clock, to silence two, if not three, of these great guns. The Admiral ran up the signal, “Well done, Condor !” and later on sent the Bittern and Beacon to assist in the word. The fire from the Marabout Fort was by no means contemptible. Our vessel was a small object on the water, and was only hit once by a round shot, but heavy missiles fell thick and close all around us. The Inflexible was enabled to shell Mens Fort with one of her turrets, while she pounded Ras-El-Tin with other accurate practice which she was making with her four monster guns at this time called forth repeated bursts of applause from everyone on board the vessel. Every shell seemed either to burst right over Ras-El-Tin Fort, or to pitch on every parapet of Meks Fort, up on the Hill, the Lighthouse has not escaped un Scathed. One shell I saw burst half wayup the tower and two larger holes are now visible to the naked eye at two miles distance. The ranges at which the Inflexible was firing varied from 5000 to 3000 yards, according to the account of persons who remained in the city. Bands of murderers, during and after the bombardment, forced their way into every house. Plundering and burning began on the 12th. Scarcely any European dwelling was spared, stores of petroleum were sent to Alexandria, a week before the bombardment, specially to set fire to the city. Incendiaries state that they received instructions to fire houses. The second visit to the town showed that many houses which yesterday were intact, are to-day in ashes, among them the British Consulate. Eye witnesses relate that Soldiers, and others, after plundering houses, heaped up bedding | saturated with petroleum, then set the pile on fire. The sister of the Khedives wife died from premature confinement, during the bom bardment. During the massacre the soldiers set fire to the house of a timber merchant, the maid servant escaped to the garden where she remained surrounded by fire, the soldiers laughing at her agony, and firing at her, but purposely avoiding infliction of fatal injury, preferring to see her burn to death ; finally she rushed through the flames, ami though wounded by bayonet thrusts, succeeded in securing refuge in some ruins where she was found by the marines and handed over to Americans.

Along the line of Arabi Pasha’s retreat from Alexandria arc several villages, the people in which are starving. The soldiers rob them of everything. The entire route was lined with dead horses and carriages. It is

reported that the Bedouins harrassed the soldiers during their retreat, killing 200 of them, Several huge pits have been dug as graves, and into these most of the doad have been thrown as the fell. It is estimated that in forts alone 400 of Arabi’s troops have been killed. All sorts of reports were circulated as to the number of Christians killed (from 200 to 2000) and massacred, but there does not appear to be any re’iablc data as the forts were in a complete state of ruin. The effect of the exp’osion of the great shells must have been terrib’e, the strongest walls had crumbled. It is marvellous how the Egyptians fought with their guns so long. The Khedive’s Palace, lying behind the fort, is terribly knock.cd about. Several rooms were destroyed, while fragments of shells were scattered broadcast. In the court-yard; near the entrance of the gate of the fort whose magazine first exploded, we found a sentry lying dead. The first battery we entered contained two 10-in and rifled guns which were dismounted by our fire ; the ground was torn up ; walls shattered; and the whole place dismantled. The gun which had been dismantled was tilted backward and made a complete somersault falling upon a crushing the gunners who still lay beneath the gun.