Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-07-12

across the water. Then there was an anxious
pause. Would the Egyptians answer, or
would they evacuate the forts? No sound
came from Fort Ada, but in the batteries OBJ.
posise we could see men loading the guns
They would fight The order was given to
nal was run up for the fleet to begin
general engas ement. A deafsning salvo from
the five ninsinch guns went from the side of
the Invincible, while overhead the ten Wor-
denfeldt guns in the tops swelled the din
which burst forth from all the ships.
The bank Ct smoke which at once arose like
a wall from our ship prevented me from see
ing the results Of our fire, but from the tops
it was seen that the shells had struck rather
low, and the sights were raised from !, $50 to
j, 600 yards. The Monarch and Penelope had
both work close at hand, and the roar Of their
heavy gus to the cease!ess rattle of their
Gatlings and Nordenfeldt machines, and the
rush of rockets which the Monarch was dis
charging, added to the sound of our own
gum, made up deep, continuous din which
it is impossible to describe, and was most be-
wildering to hear. In any momentary inter
val the sound Ct the guns from the other
division of the feet told that they also were
hard at work. Hardy. midshipman, posted
in the maintop, signaled the direction of the
stroke of the shells, and thsir accuracy of fire
improved. Meantime, the enemy's shots
I'll ~ hair aip ha;po
directed chiefly against the Penelope and
Infexib,e. They were firing principally round
shot. Twenty minutes after the first gun our
fort royal braces were shot away. Immedi-
ately after g shot penetrated forward, a
splinter woundipg a stoker severely. At
this time they appeared to have got our
range pretty accurately, and round and conf
cal shot whi.ted thickly between the masts.
went rcuad the ship, and found the men
fighting tie main deck guns all stripped to
the waist. Between each shot they had to
sit down and wait until the smoke cleared.
They were very anxious to know the result
of their work, ard asked eager questions Of
me as to what could be seen above; but
could tell tsem little, for the smoke hung
like veil between US and the shore.
Tomorrow we go in to engage the forts
within the harbor. Outside of us are mer
chant ships and foreign war-vessels, most Of
whom will re.enter the harbor after we have
destroyed the last CT the threatening forts
Over Alexandria lies a cloud of battle, partly
caused no doubt by the smoke of the gum
which the wind has not yet blown clear o.
the town. ard partly from that arising from
the burning palace. No message of news hal
reached ns from the town, and we know
nothing of what is passing there-what losi
has been suffered, or what feelings have beer
excited among the soldiers or the populace by
the evt nts Of the day. The last news which
reached US b.fore the fight commenced wal
to the effect that the Nationals were going Il
cut the wire with India. and were consider
ing the Availability of blocking the Sue;
Canal.
The events of to-day show that the deter
mination expressed by Arab and his party
to oppose the fleet to the death has not so fa
been vain boast. l think they fought thei
guns to the last, but the FIRE Of the feet wa
80 crushing, and our metal so superior, as Il
make their resistance Ineffective. They APP
peared to possess no shells, which was for
tunate Tor us Tor mad they used THESE instead
of round shot, the casualties would have beef
much larger.
GENUINE AND BOGUS SPECIALS.
New YORK. July 12th-A. M.-The abov
are all the genuine specials printed here
The other papers have so-called special dis
patches, ard some have been transmitted t
California ; but they were manufacture
here to order, aud contain no word of new
outside Of the regular Associated Press dis
patches.
AT OUR OWN CAPITAL.
WASHINGTON, July 11th.-The situation
in Egypt has attracted much attention at tt
capital to-day. especially at the War an
Navy Departments. At the State Depart
ment no information could be obtained rea
tive to the instructions given to Minister
Lowell and Wallace, although full instruc
tions have been sent to each. At the Nav
Department it was stated that the remar
attributed to Admiral Nicholson, that if tn
forts should fire on him he should return tn
fire, was. a cablegram from him has sta ed
entirely false. The Admiral was not author
lied to open fire under any circumstance
Whatever, and should he allow his vessel
within range or attempt to open fire. he woul
at once be court-martialed.