Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-06

Shublaka Cataract Col. Wilson's steamers
| were wrecked, but he and his whole party
| managed to reach an island in safety, where
| they are secure. A steamer has gone to bring
them back 10 the British camp near Metem-
| neh. Gen. WOlseley says that he has no in
| formation regarding the fate of Gen. Gordon,
| and does not know whether he Is dead or alive.
WILSON'S RECEPTION.
When Sir Charles Wilson reached khar-
tOum he found that FL Mahdi's forces OccuDied
| both the town and citadel. He tried to land
| and ascertain the fate of Gen. Gordon, but
| this step he found impossible. The enemy's
| guns were turned upon him in full force. He
was. therefore, compelled to turn his back
| upon the fallen city and return to Gubat
| without finding out whether Gen. Gordon was
| dead or alive.
THE EFFECT ON THE CABINET.
The news created grave apprehension in re-
| gard to the whole Egyptian problem among
| the members of the Cabinet. Mr.. Gladstone
| aud Earl Granville started for London as soon
| as the news reached them. Many military
| Authorities are Of the opinion that Gen. Cor
| don sent the greater part of his troops down
| The Nile to meet Gen. Stewards force and 50
| depleted the garrison in the town and citadel
| of KhartOum that an attack by the enemy
| from Omdurman was rendered much easier.
| Inc greatest activity prevailed at the War
| department this afternoon. Many of the Off
| cials remained on duty all last night.
A NATIVES VERSION OF THE DISASTER.
| 4 native reports that El Mahdi had GO0GO
| men in the vicinity of Khartoum, and that ne
| introduced number of his emissaries into
| the city. These emlssaries mingled freely d
| with the native troops under Gen Gordon
| and by bribes and threats and by working on
| their religious feelings, induced them to mu
| tiny. Seven thousand of the garrison de-
| serted to the rebels, leaving Gen. Gordon only
| 900 faithful soldiers. With tins small force
| he attempted to hold the city against II
| Mahdi's great army, but after sevele fighting.
| in which large number of the rebels were
! killed, he was compelled to surrender.
ENGLAND's EXCITEMENT.
| The pXCitomant in TOndOn and avarv-
| where IN the British isles rose to fever
/ heat. The clubs and public resorts of
every description were thronged all day with
/ crowds of people eager to catch the last sylla-
/ desert.
At ? o'clock this afternoon through Fleet
| street and the Strand 1t was almost impossi-
ble to make ones way, crowded were these
| lhofoughlares with thrOngs of curious and eX-
| cited citizens Most of the people took a
/ gloomy view of the position of the British
| troops IN the SOudan. The jubilant gladness
| which has characterized England IN regard to
| Egypt ever since the welcome news or Gen.
| stewards successful arrival in the neighbor-
| hood OF Metemneh was received, gave way
thls afternoon to universal depression, and
| expressions of dlsmay and fOrebodings came
| from almost everybody.
OFFICERS OFFER THEIR SERVICES.
The War Office was besIeged with army Off
GERS rendering their services for active duty
| In the Soudan. Numerous kilograms were re
ceived from officers throughout the country
| asking Tor assignments to a rescue expedition,
| should the government conclude to take such
| action. The capture of Khartoum created
| grave fears, especially in army circles for the
| slIety OF Gen. Stewart and his army. A
| number Of military officers OF repute even
| express the opinion that unless reinforce
ments are hurried forward to KOrti the fall of
| hhartoum may lead to disasters to the forces
| under LORD Wolseley and Gen. Earle.
| Cabinet Council was summoned to meet
| at once. Premier Gladstone was fearfully
| disturbed by the news, and some people be-
| leved that he will resign.
Lord W0lseley telegraphed this afternoon
| that he did not consider the British position
| az Gubat in any immt diate danger.
Gen. Wolseey, in private letter, says: II
have personally known only two heroes in the
course of my life. One was Gen. Lee, the |
other is Gen. Gordon"
Col. Wilson had three steamers, two of
| which were wrecked in the Nile exactly half |
| way between KhartOum and Metemneh The
| third steamer. bearing Col. Wortley and his |
| party, came on to the British camp near Me-
! temneh.
BLAMING THE GOVERNMENT.
The Pan Man Gazette this evening, in re-
terring to the KhartOum calamity, says:
Nobody can accuse our gallant troops Of |
losing a single moment in their fierce race |
| against time In fastening to the rescue of the |
garrison at khartoum. The responsibility |
| rests solely with the Ministers, who refused to
allow the Nile expedition to start, in spite of |
warnings and entreaties, until it was too late |
| The vote of Parliament in favor of an appro-
| prlatlon OF f3O0,000 for the relief of Gen. |
| Gordon was deferred until Aug. 5. Even
| then, if the expedition had been sanctioned |
forthwith, precious days would have been |
gained, but it was not sanctioned until Aug |
| Y, when the government finally resolved that |
| it must relieve Gen. Gordon. That period of |
| hesitation sacrificed Khartoum. Islam is now |
victorious.
ACTIVITY NOW THE WATCHWORD. |
''The revolt and fall of Khartoum will per- |
meate the arch of the world. and unless the |
ministry display boldness and wariness equal |
to their former dilitoriness, a catastropbe
worse than that at khartOnm W
England dare not fly before the Eastern foe. |
1t would mean war and mutiny from one end |
OF ASIA TO the other. She must reinforce her |
earrlsons everywhere, including India, even |
If il shall be necessary to call for vo unteers |
to DO the work, Gen. Earle must advance |
apidly to Berber and Metemneh. The Sua- |
k garrison must be reinforced and the road |
to Berber cleared. Every nerve must be /
strained to prove that the KhartOum disaster |
h IS stlnened the resolution to hold England's |
flag aloft in the face of every foe. Our duty
IS not to finch, but to prepare for eventuali-
ties and relieve Metemneh by water. We have |
islled to save Gordon, we must now save the |
steamboat"
WOLSELEY's FIRST INTIMATION.
The first news of the fall OF Khartoum re-
ceived by Gen. Woseley was brought bv q mes
senger who left the island where Col. Wilson
was stranded and came on foot to Gubat |
Two messengers were dispatched to Korti via
Abu klea and Gakdul. They reached their
destination in safety owing TO the fact that |
news OF khartOum's fall had not reached the |
desert. The intelligence Of the disaster, how
ever, has since spread far and wide. Some Of
the tribes that have hitherto professed friend
ship for England have declared for El Mahdi |
Arabs still hold Metemneh. The garrison
there received the news of the fall Of Khar-
toum with repeated salvos of artillery.
WILSON'S ARRIVAL AT KHARTOUM.
When Col. Wilson's dotilla approached
hhartoum 1t was compelled to run a gauntlet of
heavy fire from both banks The rebels had four
krupp guns on the river banks at HaIfuieh to
lombard the steamers. When the British
force reached (lmdUFman numbers af paho
continued the fusillade. Things looked worse
when 1t was discovered that the enemy was
in possession of the Island of Tuttif just out
eide Of the city. The English still pushed |
ahead, but were dismayed to find that the |
garrison commenced firing upon them. No |
flags were flying from the public buildings |
and the town appeared to be IN the undis-
puted possession of the enemy. The palace |
seemed to have been Quilted; Finding it i'm
possible to land IN the face of the |
overwhelming numbers of the rebels the
British were obliged to retire.
CONFLICTING RUMORS CONCERNING COR
DON.
The rumOrs concerning the fate Of Gen
Gordon are many and varied but all agree
that ri Mahdi captured Khartoum by treach-
cry. The most reliable reports point to Faroz
Pasha as the traitor 1t is SAID that he being
left In charge of the ramparts, opened the
gates on Jan. 26 ana admitted the enemy
Some rumOrs state that FL Mahdi, together
with few Levantines, is cooped mp in a
church. Others say that Gen. Gordon has
majority agree, however, that Gen. Gordon
has been killed.
A dispatch from Gen. Wolseley states that
that Gen. stewart. who was wounded in the
battle near Metemneh, is doing well. All the
British wounded have been brought back to
Gakdul wells.
The government has given orders for fur
ther large shipments of stores to Egypt
These orders were issued before the news of |
the rail- OF hhartOum was received.
LABOUCHERE'S ADVICE.
A letter from Henry Labouchere in the
morning papers is curious reading, in the
tlght OF the last news from Egypt. The bril-
liant Radical urges the government to instruct
tIen Gordon TO withdraw the garrison from
hnartoum, with a view of preventing further
hghtlng and the useless expense of organizing
government in the SOudan.
On the stock exchange to-day Egyptian |
stocks dropped "a to per cent. on account
OF the disaster in SOudan. Sales were de-
pressed.
1t Is stated this evening that Commander
cameron, the African traveller, has offered to
start at once for the Soudan to assist the |
BrItlsh IN their campaign against the rebels.
Orders have been sent to Portsmouth haven
to begin Immediately the fitting up of troop
ships.
COUNCIL AT THE WAR OFFICE.
A council was held at the War Office this
evening 1t was decided to advise the gov
ernment to dispatch 5000 troops to Suakin
INN r7gFtfuf al