Omaha daily bee., 1882-09-08
ALEXANDER AS RUINS.
The Story of an Eye-Wi ness
Who Saw the Bombsrd-
mept From Admiral
Nicholson's Flag
ship.
How the Mnguihcont City Was Ro-
ducsd IN IA Fow hours By Brit
fish Guns and Native
Iuoendiaries.

duoed IN IA Fow Hours By Hrtt-
fish Guns and Native
Iuoendiaries.
New Yors World.
Daniel Lyons, paymaster's yeomsn
in the United States navy, who WAS
on the Lancaster, Admiral Nichol.
sons i'gship, at Alexandria during
the bombardment, has given to a
World reporter III interesting account
of the affair a. seen from the Ameri.
can vessel. 1--WE had returned to Lie
bon from the coast of BArbary," said
Lyons, ''where the admiral received q
telegram from the secretary Of the
navy to proceed to Alexandra. We
were to have gone to the Englioh
channel, and this change of orders
caused some an icipation on board, az
we knew of the difficulties existing be-
tween England m Egypt and were
not sorry to have an opportunity of
seeing some fun. When we reached
Alexandria the bay was full of men,
of.war. l should think there were
forty, representing most of the Euro.
pesn nations. There are twelve or
fourteen English vessels. The Ian.
cas- or, Nipsic, Quinnebaug and Ga.
lena formed the American fleet. On
the 4th of July there was quite a Gel.
ebration. We, of course, held high
holiday. All the other vessels dressed
with flags, and the stars and stripes
were hoistod on many of the build.
ings on shore. At IL o'clock salutos
were fired from all over the place, and
what with the noise of tho guns and
tho music of the bands l think l
never heard such q din in
my life. The day before the
bombardmeut DULY 10y we Jaw
the telegraph steamer leave the harbor
and the ramon ran around that mat
tiers were coming to a climax. The
same evening, according TO notiiica.
ton received from Admiral Seymour,
we all weighed and stood out of the
inner harbor, accompanied by all the
merchant vessels in port at the time.
We were the last feet to leave.
Probably some sixty or seventy sail
anchored in the outer harbor. You
may guess there was no little excite
ment on board at tho prospect of a
bombardment. Early next morning
we saw the Termerairo get aground
and the Condor go to her assistance.
About Z o'clock all hands were wash
ing decks on board the Lancaster,
when Mr.. Goodrich, the executive
officer, came forward and said:
Hurry up, boys; jump into the top
and see what you can. The balls
going to begin Well, you may be
sure we didn't lose much time, and in
a few minutes all hands were scurry.
ing aioft. We saw that the Alexan-
dria, the English flagship, which was
about half a mile from US nearer the
shore, had hoisted her jlb and almost
at the same moment the drums beat
and the guns began to boom. There
were men in the tops of the English
vessels, and putis of smoke announced
that the machine guns were in play.
AS far US l a judge several minutes
elapsed before the fire was returned
from the forts.
We lay alongside the Monarch at
the beginning of the bombardment,
but when the shots began to drop
around us and whistle IN the rigging
we thought 1t was about time for us to
move. We anchored just outside of
range. All work was suspended on
board. Officers as well as men cared
only to see as much as they could of
the COMMANDMENT, and from the
cheers that occasionally broke forth
from the men with whom the rigging
was crouded, and the holiday aspect of
everything on board, You would have
thought there was some big regatta
going on. Opera glasses were at a
premium, and there was Il spirited
competition for places. When n ship
fired we would watch for the ball TO
take effect, and presently there would
be a little cloud of sand and we knew
that it was among the gunners at q
fort. The shells that every now and
then fell over the earthworks exploded
and could be distinctly heard on board.
The smoke hung in clouds Yer the
ships and shore, but did not shut out
our view.
"The Galena of our fleet left at
noon for the South American station.
The Helicon was busting to and fro
all day with dispatches, and in the
midst of all the firing a brisk trade
was driven by some bumboats laden
with fruit from some of the merchant
vessels. The bombardment continued
all day, and the eager watchers on
board the Lancaster barely allowed
themselves time for meals in their
anxiety TO miss nom of the sport. The
first question a man asked when he
rushed up from the mess table was:
'Where aid the last shot striker To-
wards the afternoon bets were freely
given and taken upon the destinations
of the Rhots fred from the ships.
There old not appear to Va to be any
OF the vessels struck and the fire from
the forts seemed weak.
''The little Condor attracted most
attention, the very idea of a wooden
cockboat like that engaging a fort all
to herself and blazing away SO do
terminedly, speaking much for John
Bulls pluck. Lord Charles Beresford
stands high in the opinion OF every
body who wa present. Ono of he
Condor's officers afterwards said thai
Fighting Charlie, as Lord Beresford
ia called had all tha man aft and