Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-08
GORD0N'SFATE UNSOLVED
NATIVES VERY CONTRADIC-
TORY IN THEIR REPORTS.


and His Wrecked Companions in
Dangerous POsition-The Whole Eng
Iish Force in Considerable Danger.
LONDON. Feb. "A Metemneh dis
patch says that five natives, present
at the surrender of Khartoum declare
that the rebels were admitted by the
treachery of two Pashas, who had been
formally punished by Gen. Gordon.
1t is reported that the officers commanding
three steamers which remained at khartoum
took FL Mahdis troops to the main gate OF the
city, where they were admitted under the
darkness of the night. Two OF the natives de-
clare that Gen. Gordon has been killed, while
the others are equally positive that he took
refuge in the fort with the faithful. There is
no doubt whatever that the main portion OF
khart0um is occupied by rebels. Col. W ort-
ley saw them thronglng the streets, Coult- cunt
less flags were flying, and there were many
signs of rejoicing. On the route down the
river by the English steamers several men
| narrowly escaped capture. At the sixth cat
aract they were compelled to parley with the
( enemy under preteuse of surrenderlng.
\ message has been received from Ell Mahdl
stating that Cen Gordon mas become NUS,
/ selman, and that all the English officers had
| better follow his example. FL Nahdi said
/ that he had no desire to fight the English, but
/ unless they embraced the true faith he would
! not leave one in SOudan.
4 WoLsELEY ISSUES A PROCLAMATION.
8
/ day: ,,o-
! ''Gen. WOlseley has issued the following
/ proclamation:
! ITO the VOtables and Inhabitants Of Soudan:
/ England has sent me.with au army to restore
peace, not to collect taxes or injure any one
/ l Will pay you for all supplies and guarantee
to execute Gen. GOrdon's promises. Only
! those deserving punishment at our hands VIII
receive 1t. | call upoG yOu TO submit and not
/ listen to evil advisers Come into my camp
and see my officers. 10 one shall harm you
/ either coming or returning
''Gen. Wolseiey reports to the government
that although El Mahdl's lrregulaTs are re
ported 10 be gathering around the point where
the English are wrecked, no suspicion Of
treachery Is entertained.
CAUSE OF THE WRECK.
''1'he wreck Of the steamers was due to the
! hurried retreat in the night and the altered
1 current OF the river. which had fallen two feet
IN one day. Some of our marksmen say that
4 the enemy are erecting works on both sides
/ of the river for two miles north of khar-
/ tOum They number altOgetlnr about 5000,
| Of whom 200 arc Indifferent riflemen. -Four
. good shots from the Sussex regiment repeat
I edly siienccd one OF III MahdiS hrUpp guns.
1 During the darkness the steamers Hpped past
/ the rebels, shot the rapids and arrived within
! sixty miles of the fort, when one of them
/ grounded The second stranded twenty miles
/ lower down, where Col. Wilson and the Sus-
/ sex detachment still remain Col. Wort ey,
/ with three English soldiers and q party of ma
tives in a boat, reached here at 8 O'Clock this
| morning (Feb. g.. Sir Charles BeresfOrds
steamer. with twenty picked marksmen from
! the Royal Rifles. started this afternoon 10 at
tempt to relieve them. Col. WOrtley had
rowed forty or fifty miles during the night.
I All Of Col. Wilson's stores, guns and ammuni-
tion are in deep water and beyond recovery
No lives were lost by the wreckipg Of the
I steamers
WILSON EETRENCHED.
"Col. Wilson's party have entrenched them
/ selves on a sandy island. The steamers while
going up the river Travelled principally dur
ing the night, in order to avoid the exceed
| ingly hot fire, which ceased when man ad-
I Vanced with white nag bearing q letter
from the Mahdi to the English officers, in
which 1t was stated that Khartoum had been
| captured without the 1ring of a shot. The
city and Gen. Gordon are now IN El MahdTs
hands. Col. Wilson has ascertained that
KhartOum fell on the night of Jan. q. Farez
Pasha and other Egyptian commanders en-
to get all the Egyptian Troops one side of
the city while the entertainments would at
/ tack the boats and another would open the
! landway. On the third day of the journey up
| the river the natives shouted from the bank
to Col. Wilson that Khartoum had fallen.
The enemy were found well entrenched on
the river bank"
GORDON'S PREMONITION.
There is a strong opinion at the War Onice
that Gen Gordon was killed. 1t is stated on
| good authority that same time ago Gen. Cor
/ Don warned Lord Wolseley that he Gordon
/ was in danger Of treacherv. 1t was on this
account that Lord Wolseley expedited the
small force across the Bayuda desert with
! orders to make all possible speed in reaching
/ khartOum,
/ DANGER OF THE MEN NEAR NIETENINEH.
! Dispatches from Korti received o-day in
/ dlcate very scrlous state of affairs q the
/ British position near Metemneh. Lord VOL
/ seley tel graphs to the War Office that q
( courier Just arrived from GOubat reports Col.
( BOSchOWer, the commander at that place,
seriOu-ly i'll, and that FL Mahd's forces are
preparing to attack the British camp. The
Arabs haye several heavy guns, which are
being gradually moved up so as to bear on the
British camp, and other field pieces are being
manGuvred for the same purpose. The
natives report that FL Alahdi has 10000 men
scattered between Berber, Shendy and Me
tenneh, and that the force at the latter place
[ is daily receiving reinfOrcements.
EARLE's TARDY PROGRESS.
a dispatch says: THE Black Watch and
StaffOrdshlre regiments have passed the Ba-
hami cataract. On their way they destroyed
the houses of Suleiman Wad Gamz, who per-
petratcd the massacre OF Col. Stewart and
party. The rebels abandoned ShahOOz pass,
| and much ammunition and grain was found
there. The Cornwall Regiment are now pass-
ing the cataract"
Ell GAHDTS GORDON IMPLICATIONS.
The Telegraph has received a dispatch from
its special correspondent who is at Abu Kru,
on the Nile. a place not far from Metempeh
The dispatch is dated Feb /, and says: ''Coi.
Wilson's party state that KhartOum fell
Jan. p. The river banks above the sixth
cataract were crowded with Arabs. Ell NAH
dl, IN letter calling upon our officers to sur
render implies that Gen. Gordon is alive
Gen. Stewart expects to be closely invested
here
WILSON'S HEAVY BOMBARDMENT.
Before Col. Wilson gave up the attempt to
reach KhartOum his little steamer sustained
for four hours the fire of 700 rfiemen
krupp guns and machine guns. The Arabs
showed splendid practice in handling the large
guns. The water In the Nile Is rapidly fall
ing, and navigation on the river above Me-
temneh viii soon become impracticable. The
troops at Gubat are cheerful but their
officers exhibit much fretfulness and disap-
pOintment over the absence OF reinforce
ments and of Lord Wolseey. The Arabs
deny that Gen. Gordon has been made pris-
oner, ana state that he was Killed in action
having refused to give or take quarters. No
trustworthy intelligence, however, has vet
been received as to Gen. GOrdOn's fate. The
spy service, organized by Lord WOlseley and
now directed by Col. Wilson, has misled the
commander throughout the campaign.
THE QUEENS SYMPATHY.
1ne queen mas sent message OF sympathy
to Gen. GordOn's relatives.
Inc war once has summoned the heads Of
the Arsenal Department and of the other de-
partments to a consultation regarding what
steps shall be taken in the present Egyptian
crisis.
The newspapers of Berlin. Vienna and Paris
are crammed with news and comments re-
garding Khartoum. The papers are eagerly
bought and read, and the Drecurious position
yersatlOn in every European capl5al.
Feople IN caro-. both natives and foreign
ers, are convinced that khartOum fell a long
time ago. They are cOnlrme in this belief
by the frequent assertions of ZCbehr to that
eHect. II Is noted rs coincidence that the
date OF the reported fan Of khartOum was the
anniversary of Gen. GordOn's departurc from
CAIRO one year ago as well as his birthday,
GLOOMY WORDS FROM GUBAT.
ADVISES from Gubat, dated Feb. /, give
gloomy statements about the condition OF
Gen. stewards little army there. The men
had been placed on three quarters ratiOns.
Inese had, however, been once supplemented
Win a dole OF beans and some fresh meat
Ihe Gaihels, however, had plenty of forage.
Sncnuy, on the opposite bank Of the Nile, and
Metemneh, three miles from Gubat, were Oc-
caslonally shelled by a steamer. The troops
were busily employed clearing the ground in
Iront OF their camp and in detached work at
ADJOINING villages The main earthworks
erected IOr the protection of the camD from
the river front had already been greatly
strengthened, and it was calculated that thpv
would be completed that night.
WOUNDED SOLDIERS DYING,
several OF the men VINO had been wounded
10 the desert battle have dIed in the camp
since the arrival OF the army at Gubat. The
othtr5 were doing We I. The remainder of
the koy al Artillery and the naval brigade
WIZ ten guns, including one Gardner, has ar
rived inc conveys had been sent back to
6akdul wells for more stores and had taken
forty Of the wounded along. Nearly every
nlgnV picsets exchange shots with unfriendly
Arabs.
A second dispatch received from Gen.
SteWarts camp at Gubat, whence it was for
WarCed on Feb. ], states that Col. Wilson had