Daily Republican., 1882-08-01
FOREIGN LETTER.
BOMBARDMENT OF ALExAN.
DRHA-DESCRIPT ION OF THE
SCENE-BURYIMG DEAD.

-
ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT, July -, 1882.
From our Regular Correspondent.
In the afternoon of the first day Of
the mbardment vast clouds Of smoke
hung drifting over the city of Alexan.
dria and flames we're rising from onC
wing Of the Khedive's Palace as well
as from the buildings under the Pharos
The forts on shore we're replying with
only an occasional gun but Gabara and
one or two others had not been silenced.
Suddenly the two ironclads ceased
to send from their sides those thick
rings of whirling smoke with the fiery
centre, and q strange quiet ensued
which was followed by the slow depar.
ture of these two war ships from the vi.
cinity of the shore.
They had seen and answered signal
from the Admiral to cease firing. Thus
practically ended the work of those
terrible nine hours, during which for
the first time. England's mighty artil-
lery had spoken forth in anger. None
then knew on board the feet what ha.
voc Of life and limb lay behind the crum'
bled masonry and shattered earthbanks
which could be seen. The Egyptians
had stood up gallantly, and must, as all
knew, have paid heavily.
Egyptian darkness now settled upon
the scene of wrath and destruction.
The great warships were one by one
withdrawn from their positions,
feeling their way with the utmost eau
tion through the shoals and narrow
passes Of the harbor and its approaches.
Arab had of course extinguished all
guiding lights, and only the CLEAN of a
f0w lamps marked the city. The ves-
sells of the feet were eventually ranged
in a line with an offing of about three
miles, aud all night long, bright, search
ing beams of the electric light played
along the water from the main top of
each ironclad, falling sometimes in
patches of sharp radiance on the low
lying coast. There must have been
fresh terror for Arabi's men in those
piercing midnight rays of mysterious
glitter which lit up the sea Ia quest of
boats or torpedoes and then suddenly
flashed and tlickered along tho land.
The morning dawned dull and cloudy
and the sea was leaden-Colored. In the
stiffness of this heavy unusual weather
the flags of all the feet were seen 10 be
lowered at half-mast, and one OF the
gunboats presently was observed steal
ing round among them collecting the
dead. These were only hveor six in
number, and did not include a single
officer. The losses on Tuesday were
really very light considering the length
of the engagement. This was Chiehy
due to the fact that Arabi's men had
moving targets to aim at, and could
hardly get off two consecutive rounds
without moDstrous shell breaking like
q volcano amidst them or hail from
the deadly Gatlings scourging them
away from their platforms.
When the funeral ceremony had Teen
completed the ironclads and their
pluCky little cOnsorts once again ran
their fighting flags up to the peak, and
rode 10 their anchors, or slowl y forged
ahead, all stripped for action and in
fighting order.
Those nearest shore could new dis.
tingush with their glasses dismouuted
guns, parapets crumbled to dust heap,
timber and masonry and munitions OF
war in confusion-the result of Tues.
days terrible work-while not only
the palace behind bat portions of the
city, as say, smoked and tlared.
The Egyptians have fought much bet.
ter than was expected. They have well
earned the honor of being the first to
face throughout long day the most
tremendous artillery fire ever opened in
any warfare Nor can it be said that
ignorance made them bold, for the first
few rounds from the heavy guns pro-
duced effects positively frightful to
witness even from point of safety,
while to have stood under such ava
lanches of iron without hinching proves
the Egyptians to have some good stuff
among them. 8.