River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-07-20
A SHARP SCREAM OVERHEAD.

followed by the uIleaplng OF column
of spray to the seward, as the sho
struck the water, made it clear that the
enemy were replying to our iron sa-
lutte. Soon orders were passed to cease
firing until the smoke cleared away.
The wind and the sun were both in the
enemy's favor, and it was some time
before the veil lifted sufficiently for
even 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, a midshipman,
posted in the maintop, signaled the di-
rection of the shells, and the accuracy
of the fire improved.
Meantime the enemy's shots were
coming thick and fast. Twenty min
utes after the first gun our fore-royal
braces were shot away, and Immediate
, ly after a second shot penetrated for
ward, splinter wcunding a stoker Sc
verely. At this time they appeared to
have got our range pretty accurately,
and round and conical shot whistled
thickly between the masts. l went
round the s. ip, and found the men
| fighting the main deck guns all 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 eager questions of
me, as to what could be seen above.
The enemy were certainly sticking
to their guns manfully, although amid
the hail of heavy shell and Calling and
Nordenfeldt bullets it must have been
hot indeed inside the forts. Bnt luck
lily for us their fire, although good in
direction, was bad in elevation, and we
were seldom hit
BY s o'clock the Monarch had silenced
the small fort opposite TO her, and set
fire to the building and dismounted the
guns, and she now Joined US against
the formidable works of Fort Meks.
The Egyptians in that battery still re-
piled briskly, but although several
times struck, none of the shots pene-
trated our battery or water line. But
where no armour protected her the
shot scattered
SHOWERS OF sPLINTERs
through the ship. One shot struck the
quarter deck close to Lieutenant Ham
ilton.
BY 8 o'clock our fire had silenced al
the guns in Fort Meks, with the ex-
ception of four heavy rifled pieces, the
sound of whose conical shot was easily
distinguished. These four guns gave
us great trouble. They were all I'M
der cover, and the gunners stick well
to their work. The Temeraire was
therefore, signaled to come to the as
sistance of the three ships engaged. 1t
was difficult to hit the exact locality of
the guns, seen, as they were, dimly
and occasionally through the smoke,
but by 1890 three only maintained
their fire. These guns were
concentrated ON the Invincible, and
must have been worked by the best
gunners, for they struck us every time,
often quite on the water line. Before
they were silenced we had six men
wounded, one with one foot taken of
by a round shot, the others by splin-
tiers.
BY IL o'clock the fort was in ruins,
with the guns all silcnced. The Mon
arch was signalled to go close to shore
and dismantle the fort thoroughly at
close quarters.
An hour earlier Fort Marabout, ly-
ing two miles away, had opened fire
upon the ships engaged with Fort
Meks. The shots all fell short, and VIC
took no notice of the attack. But
Lord Charles Beresford, commanding
the gun-boat Condor, stood in and
puckily engaged the fort with his little
craft. The gun boat Beacon came in
and joined him, making excellent
practice on the fort, whose shots.
FELL THICK ROUND THE BOATS,
and passed several times between the
masts but never touched them. Its
fire at last was silenced by the plucky
little gnn-boat.
Meantime the ships of other divi
sions of the squadron steadily engaged
Forts Pharos, Ras- e,-tin. and Ada, the
Inhexible having gone to aid the Sui
tan, Superb, and Alexandra with her
fire. The Egyptian batteries replied
steadily and rapidly, and the roar Ell
the guns was almost continuous, while
the rush of heavy projectiles through
the air resembled the low rumble oil
distant thunder. Fort Pharos early
showed signs of the heavy battering TO
which it was exposed. One of the
towers was knocked down, and the
fort soon ceased firing altogether, while
the fire from the other forts also great
~ slackened.
About half-past 10 O'Clock the khe-
dives palace, called Ras-el-tin, or Har-
EN- Palace, lying behind the forts, took
fire, and at the time | write is burning.
The fight was nearly over all along
the line by II o'clock, although the
ships all continued to fire in order to
complete the dismantement of the
forts. Several small magazines in the
course of the afternoon were
BLOWN UP BY OUR SHE'LL,
the large one in Fort Ada being de-
stroyed by lucky shot from the In
flexible.
EGYPT's METROPOLIS RAzED.
ALEXANDRIA, July 13.-The flames
reported yesterday are consuming the
city. In addition to this, robbers and
convicts are committing the most nor
rible atrocities. The army has evacu-
ated. The flag of truce was but blind
to give them chance. The army is
reported demoralized and pillaging the
country as they go. 1t is doubtful if
even vestige of the prond city of Al
exandris will remain. The European
quarter of the town, including the ex-
change ana telegraph Office, is utterly
destroyed. The city was set on fire
by released convicts, who committed
horrible atrocities. The telegraph
ship Chiltern is crowded with survivors
who fought their way to the beach,
from whence the boats of the fleet re-
moved them. They report having
passed a dreadful night. defending
themselves desperately. One hundred
Europeans and other Christians in the
Ottoman bunk and adjoining buildings
were massacred. Part of the fleet is
now leaving for Port Said. The
whereabouts of the ex-khedive are I'M
known. The Europeans who fought