The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-07-12
EGYPT.

The bolnbardment of Alexandra
by the British Admiral Seymour
began early on Tuesday morning, as
threatened by the admiral, and was
continued without cessation until
last evening. The Egyptians re-
turned the fire, but with little
effect, and soon several Of the forts
desisted and were dismantled, while
all within range of the British guns
were much battered and consider
ably demCralized. The terrible
music will start up again this morn
ing and continue through the day
unless the rebelliOus leaders inside
the city shall sooner see the folly Of
permitting the destruction to 60
ahead. There will be no sense in
holding out against the inevitable.
England has engaged to conquer,
and that fact should be enough to
satisfy even stubborn Arabs that il
is useless to attempt to prevent the
success of the undertaking. The
FIRST days fighting resulted in no
casualties worthy of mention on the
British side; it is not known
what were the Egyptian
casualties, though they must
have been many. Great destruction
of property can be seen from the
war vessels, and flags are flying
from hospitals in the city, indicat-
ing that the surgeons and nurses
have found something to do. Prob
ably there will be capitulation to-
day, and British troops be landed
1t is hoped the Egyptians will not
long tight against fate, for such q
course can only result in senseless
loss Of life and destruction of prop
erty.
Alexandria, the scene of this
trouble, is one of the ancient and
famous cities of the world. 1t was
founded by Alexander the Great
more than three centuries before
the Christian era, and was the cap
ital of the Ptolemies, under whom
its population numbered nearly hall
a million souls, 100000 Of whom
we've free. It was for ages the Chief
seat of learning, and the home Of re-
ligiOus excitement and enthusiasm.
many sanguinary conflicts taking
place in its streets on account OF
differences of belief and opinion.
During the early wars and from the
century before Christ down to the
beginning of the present century il
suffered severely, being the frequent
scene of battle and human butchery
The city is situated On the Mediter
ranean, about one hundred mile:
northwest Of Cairo, and unlike mOst
of the European cities is regularly
laid out, the streets running NORTH
and south and east and west, inter
secting at right angles. The prin
cipal streets are broad and wei
paved, and there are many public
squares and small parks, the chief o.
the former being Mehemet Ali
Square, one of the handsOmest in all
the Orient. The city to-day is thor
Oughly modern in appearance,
its architecture being chiefly Euro
pean, and its people to a large de
gree cosmopolitan. The population
before the recent hegira was esti
mated at 800, 900, one-third being
Arabs and Turks, the remaindel
being made up of Copts, Persians
Armenians, Jews, Greeks, of whom
there were $4,000, Italians, (25,OOo)
French, 10000; English, Levan
tines of European descent, Germans
and Swiss, 10000; Americans
q, 900, etc, There are railway
connecting the city with Cairs ant
the Suez Canal, and with Ramleh
and the steamers to and from In
dia, the Levant and the Mediterra
mean all stop there and contribut
to the maintenance Of the city. ]
is said that 100000 people annual.
visit Alexandria, on the 1900 steam
ers and $500 sailing vessels landing
in the port. The forts mentionc
in our kilograms as returning tn
fire of the British men-of-war, are G
quite recent construction and ar
Insignificant affairs.