The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-07-13

ire
upon The ships engaged with Fort Meks.
he shots all fell short, and we took no no.
nee OF the attack. But Lord Charles Be-
r.>iord, commanding the gunb0at Condor,
stood IN and luckily engaged the fort with
MS httle craft. The gllnboat Beacon came
IN ana joined him, making excellent prac-
'Ico on the Tort, whose shots fell thick
around the boats and passed several times
DetWeen the masts, but never even touched
'nem. It's fire at lasi was silcnced by the
pluc&y little gunboats.
TIE COMBAT THrCKENS.
Meantime the ships OF other divisions OF
The squadron steadily engaged Forts Pha-
ros, Ras-el-Tin, and Ada, the Inflcxille
having gone to aid the Sultan, Superb, aud
Alexandra with her fire. The Egyptian
batteries replied steadily and rapidly, and
the roar OF the guns was almost continu.
Gus, while the rush Of heavy projectileS
through the air rcscmblcd the low rumble
OF distant thunder. The Egyptian officers
set Il capital example to their men. often
jumping upon the parapots to see the effect
OF their fire. Fort Pharos carly showed
signs OF the heavy baltcring TO which il
was exposed. one OF the towers was
Knocked down and the fort soon ceased
hiring altogether, while the fire from the
forts also greatly slackencd.
TIE KIiEDIyE's PALACE BURNED.
NJ hali-paSt 10 the khcdiyc'> palace, call
cd the Ras-cl-Tin, or the Elarcm Palace,
lying behind the forts, took fire. and at the
time | write is still burning. The fight was
nearly over all along the line by II O'Clock.
although the ships all continued to fire in
order 70 complete the dismantlcmcnt OF
the forts. Several small magazines in the
course OF the afternoon were blown up
by our shell, a large one in Fort Ada
being destroyed by lucky shot from the
lnfeNible. At O'Clock volunteers were
called for on board the lnyinciblc 10 20
ashore to spike the Guns Of Fort Nrks,
which the fire Of the ships had failed 70 dis
mount. The work was dangerous, for
troops might have been lying behind the
fort. However, there were plenty Of VOL
unteers, and twelve men were chosen for
the adventure, Lieutenant Bradford being
in command and Major Tulloch being lieu
tenant. Lieutenant Lambton accompanied
him. This duty was skiSuly ana rapidly
performed. To effect landing The men
had TO swim through the surf, butnO oppo-
sition was met as they landed. The guns
were burst with charges Of gun-cotton,
and the party returned on board ship with
out single casualty.
TIE FORT NEKS SQUADRON.
or the ships engaged with Fort Mcl,s the
Penelope was struck five times. and had
eight men wounded and one gun disabled.
The lnyinciblc was struck many times, but
only six shots penetrated her. The fore
ward WAS struck and the royal brace cut
away We had.siX wounded. The Monarch
WAS not bit once, probably owing to her
ability TO SHIFT ground. while. on the other
hand, she was i'm movement and practice
OF her Guns inferior 10 the lnyinci-
bic. Up til ; O'Clock The IRON
cladS kept up an occasional fire,
but the forts did not reply during the lat
ter part OF the afternoon. One wing OF the
palace is in ruins. This was inevitable.
Since the palace lies behind Forts Pharos
and Ada, those portions OF the town in the
line OF fire must also have suffered. The
Egyptian cunneTs fought their guns cX-
cccdingly well, sticking 10 them uutil the
forts were crumblng ruins. The party
who landed to destroy the guns OF Fort
MekS saw several dead lying inside. ana
the total loss OF the enemy must have been
heavy.
| have On'v been able TO write fully OF the
doines Of that portion Of the fleet with
which ! was present, and until | have
communicated with the ships Of the Other
souadrOn | cannot give the details OF thcii
action with the iOrt~ opposed 10 them
This evening the whole fleet drew OH shore
and approached each other, Their first Gay
work complete and The whole % the bat
terics outside the harbOr Of AlcXandit
destroyed.
FUTURE OPERATIONS.
Tomorrow We 20 in 20 engage the fort
within the halbor. Outside OF us are mel.
chant ship, and foreign waI-ycSSclS. most
Of whom will rcGntcr the harbor after We
have DESTROYED the last OF the Threatening
forts. over Alexandria lies the cloud d
battle. partly caused, no dOubt, by th'
smoke OF The guns. which the Wint
In, not vet blown clear OF the town
and partlv from that arising from ih'
burning palace. No message OF new
has reached us from the town, and We
know nothing OF what is passing there
what loss has been suffered, or what feel
inc, have been excited among the soldlerN
or Inc poDulacc by the events Of the day
The last news which reached Us before ne
fal,t commenced was to the effect that tn
Nationals were about 60 cut the wire WIN
India, and were considering inc auFlN"""'
tv of blocking the canal.
ARABI'S DETkRNINATloN.
The events Of to-day show that The dettr
minotion expressed by Arab and his part!
IN oppose the fleet TO the death has not 4
for been a vain boast. think they iough
thcir o,Ins TO the last, but the fire OF th'
Gcet was so crushing and the weight OF ouI
metal 80 slperior rs 10 make their resist
ance ineffective. They appeared 10 posses
no shells, which was wen ior US lor n'''
thov uscd these instead OF round sh0I
the casualties would have been iiluc,
larger. As 1t i, our success, althonS,
not hloodIess. has been achieved at mucl
'rnalIor cost than could have been expected
snein@ the formidable nature OF the work
,ro Rad TO attack. The most interesting
;ncidcnt was the fight between The gun
hoat Condor, commander Lord ChariG
Ucrcsford. with the Agent fort. HIS ii,'
'.olscl won't close under the guns OF III
| sort and opened tremendous fire, but wa
,'nailc TO silence it. The Admiral theI
sinnolled the other gunboats to assist III III
o,nn.,,,o',grment.-Nelo. York Herald.
INV Associated Press 70 the DiSp'teI'l
nvsrprrD rORTS-DURYING THE DEAD
1oxnoN. July ia correspondent
A.. i1S T;1oec ON board the Helicon, telegraph
80 NJ 10 O'Clock this morning. says III.
i ths Mex IL forts appear to be entirely desert
'i irhe weather is cloudy ana tie WIN WI,
ca. r,.en causing the ships to roll. Ia
h haS Of those killed in the action OF lr yes
tcrday were buried at sea i io-Ga{; l mer
asw "y anchored OF Breakwaser' IL , IN
o .i;nd rises the much smaller ones m ,
'vni''h anchor. 1t has been Impossible.
W. 70 communicate with the shore, h IT,
Tx that the European quarter quarter s hcr
hScn seriously damaged. seycIa ,,l snT e.,