The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-07-13
HAD ENOUGH OF IT.
NO RESPONSE TO YESTERDAYS FIRE,
But Flag OF Truce Was llolstsd and II0stllIties,
For the Time, csass-A Graphle DsIerlp.
tion OF the First Days Engagement.
Alexandria Deserted and In Flames.
LONDON, July l2.-A correspondent tele.
graphs as follows OF the first day action:

LONDON, July lo.-A correspondent tele-
graphs as follows OF the first day action:
On BoAHD ii. II. S. INvIScInLE, |
ALEXANDRIA, July II, In ". !
The great artillery contest which has
raged all day, ended in complete success.
The object for which We fought has been
obtained, the forts and batteries Oh the sea
face OF Alexandria being a heap Of ruins
Considering the extent and nature OF the
work, weight and number Of guns mounted,
anddogged pluck with which the Egyptians
fought them, the result has been, obtained
with surprisingly small loss Of life, the
total Of the casualties in the fleet being llve
killed and twenty.sevcn wounded. II is
difficult, so soon after the engagement, to
write n cool and collected narrative OF the
day. The dead calm which has succeeded
the tremendous roar OF artillery which llas
gone on for so many hours seems strange
and unnatural. l can scarcely realize that
the first great sen fight with artillery OF
modern size has been fought and won.
At twenty minutes past six the ships OF
the squadron signalcd: "All ready" bnt
still further delay was necessary 10 allow
the Egyptian officers carrying the Admiral's
reply to the Ministry 10 De sent ashore. At
halt.past six quiet order was passed
round the deck to load with common shell,
and gleam OF satisfaction shone OH the
mems faces. At seven o'clock Il signal
was made to the Alexandria 80
TO OPEN riIn BALL
by firing onn gun. The heavy boom came
across the water. Then there was an anx.
ious pause. Would the Egyptians answer,
or would they eyacuate the forts No
sound came from Fort Ada, but on bat
teries opposite VIC could see men loading
guns. They would fight. The order was
given to commence Independent firing,
and signal was run up for the feet to be-
gin 4 general engagement. A deaiening
salvo from five nine-inch guns went from
the side Of the Invincible, while overhead
ten Nordenfeldt guns in the tops swelled
the din which burst from all the ships.
The bank OF smoke which at once rose
like u wall from our side prevented
me from seeing the results OF our fire. Out
from the tops it was seen that the shells
had struck rather low, and sights were
raised from $50 to 1900 yards. The
Monarch and Penelope had both work
close ut hand, and the roar OF their heavy
guns and the ceaseless rattle OF their Cat
liugs aud Nordenfeldt machines and the
rush Of rockets which the Monarch was
discharsing, added to the sound OF our own
guns, made up deep continuous din
which is impossible TO describe, and was
most bewildering TO hear, In any monen.
tary interval the sound OF guns from the
other division of the fleet, told that they
also were hard ut work. The smoke from
the very commencement OF the engage.
ment was so dense that We could see
nothing OF the effect which our fire
was producing nor OF what the enemy
were doing. But soon after we began IL
SHARP SCREAM OVERHEAD,
followed by the upleaping OF column
Of spray to the seaward as the shots struck
the water, made it clear the enemy were re-
plying TO our cannon. Soon orders were
passed to cease firing until the smoke
cleared away. The wind and sun were
both in the enemy's favor, aud it was
sometime before the veil was lifted SUI
ficicntly for even a glimpse OF the shore
and this was lost in an instant. The guns
again opened fire and nothing could be
seen from the deck. Hardy, midslip.
man, posted i'll the main top, signaled the
direction OF the shells and the accuracy Of
fire improved; in the meantime the enc
ny's shots were coming thick and fast.
Twenty minutes after the first gun our
front royal braces were shot away, and im-
medlately after second shot penetrated
forward, a splinter wounding stokcr Sc
verely AT this time they appeared to
have gotten our range pretty accurately,
and round and conical shot whis.
tied thickly between the masts. | went
round the ship and found the men fighting
the mail deck guns, NIL stripped
to the waist. Between each shot
they had to sit down and wait until the
smoke cleared away. They were anxious
to know the result OF their fire, and asked
questions OF me rs TO what could be seen
above. The enemy were continually stick.
ing to their guns manfully, although amid
the hail OF heavy shells and Calling and
Nordenfcldt bullets. 1t must have been
hot indeed inside the forts But luckily for
us, their fire although good in direction
was bad i'll elevation, and VIC were seldom
hit.
BY So'clock the Monarch had silenced
the small fort opposed 10 her aud set fire
to the buildings and dismounted the guns,
and she now Joined us against the for.
midable works OF Fort Mex. The Egyp.
tians in that battery still replied brisEly,
but although several times struck, none Of
the shots penetrated our battery or water
or water line. but where no armor protect
ed her the shot scattered showers Of splin-
tiers through the ship. One shot struck the
quarter deck close 20 Lieut.. Lambleton.
BY 0 o'clock our fire had silenced nil guns
in Fort Mex, with the exception OF four
heays rifled guns, the sound OF whose conf
cal shot was easily distinguished. !,
1f MADE IT HOT FoR THEM.
These four guns gave us great trouble,
they were all under cover and tine gunners
stuck well to their work. The Tcmeraire
was therefore signallcd to come to the as.
sistance Of three ships engaged. It was
difficult to hit the exact locality Of thegu
seen MS they were dimly and occasionally
through the smoke, but by half.past ten
only three maintained fire. These guns
were concentrated on the Invincibe and
must have been worked by the best gun
ners, Tor they struck us every time, often
quite OH the water line. Before they were
silenced We had six men wounded, one
with foot taken oil by round shot, 9th.
ers by splinters. BY IL o'clock the fort was
in ruins with the guns all slenced. The
Monarch was signalled TO 20 close 10 shore
and dismantle the fort thoroughly at close
quarters. An hour earlier, Fort sIarabout