Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-18
THE WAR IN THE DESERT.
Lord AvOnmOre Dead and Gen. stews
Dying-The Railway Contract Awarda

/
Dytng-The Railway Contract Awarded.
LONDON, Feb. 1.-THE officials of the
War Office and other members of the gov
ernment had a consultation to-day and
decided that while they are very desirous
! of accepting the spontaneous offers of
military assistance for the SOudan which
have been received from Australia and
! Canada, they believe the troops offered
would be unable to reach Suakin in time
to share in the operations.
wOLSELEY AND THE COLONIAL TROOPS.
Lord Landsdowne, Governor General
OF Canada, and Earl Derby, Colonial Sec
retary, are exchanging kilograms in re-
| gard to the enl istment of Canadians for
! service In the SOudan. Gen. WOlseley has
| telegraphed the Governor of New South
| Wales from kOrti that he looks forward
with pride and pleasure to the time when
he shall have the colonial soldiers serv-
Ing under his command. He thinks if
England accepts a regiment from New
south Wales for service, it would be only
fair to allow Canadian regiment to enter
the same field also.
WORK ON THE RAILWAY TO BE PUSHED.
1t is>the intention of the government to
hasten the construction of the railway
from Suakin with all energy. The first
wOrkmen will leave for Suakin the last of
this week, and the line will probably be
constructed with view to permanencv,
Gen. Greaves, Col. Mcneil, and many
other officers will start for Suakin on
Friday.
WoRKMEN SEEKING EMPLOYMENT.
The street in front of the office of Lucas
d Arid, who have just been awarded the
contract to build the railway from Suakin
to Berber, was blocked to-day with work
men seeking employment. One hundred
English workmen, supplemented by
native labOrers, are considered a sufficient
force to construct the road. The firm ex-
pect to complete the road in year.
ARABS DESERVING TO THE BRITISH.
Dispatches from KOrti to-day state that
the Arabs are deserting from Metemneh
in large numbers and entering the British
camp at Gubat.
DEATH OF LORD AVONMORE.
KoRTI, Feb. 17-Lord WolseIev re-
mains here. There appears to be no pros
pect of an immediate departure on his
part for the front.
Lord AvonmOre is dead. He died of
enteric fever at KIrbe Kan. the scene of
the recent battle in which Gen. Earle lost
his life. Gen. Sir Evelyn Wood has started
for the front.
NO HOPE FOR GEN. STEWART.
Gen. Sir Herbert Stewart, who was
wounded at the zereba fight, near Gubat.
ON Jan. 10, is growing worse from the
the effect of his wound. 1t is now believ-
ed he will not recover.
WoLsELEY TO REMAIN AT KORTI.
Gen. WOlseley has decided to remain at
hortl with his present force of I,5O0 troops
until Gen. Evelyn Wood has reported as
to the situation at MetemDeh.
THE CANVASS TELLS HOW KHARTor7NI
FELL.
The CANVASS who has given the most in
teiilgehC ana, TO all appearances, the most
reliable account of the events ATTENDING
the fall of Khartoum is named Abdul
Aerlm. He was one of Gen. Gordon's
servants. He secured his escape from
hhartoum after the city fell, he saws. bv
bribery. He bought a camel and crossed
to Debbeh, the journey taking twelve
days. From Debbeh he came TO Korti in
an English pinnace.
Abdul kerim continues to add to his
history of the fall of Khartoum. He saws
farag, upon whom Gen. Gordon relied
implicitly, was really the person who de-
llVered hharto1m over to FL Mahdi's
troops. When they entered the city it was
Farag who prevented the garrison from
firing upon them. The story that Farag
had once been a slave and that Gen.
Gordon secured his liberation, and that
when he subsequently entered Gen. Cor
dOn's service the latter was deceived into
mlstaklng Farag's zeal for evidence of
gratitude, is cOrrOD0rated by the caVass.
Concerning the massacre in Khartouln.
Abdul herIm states that Gen. GOrdon's
clerk and the chie1 clerk of the arsenal
were killed. Ell Mahdi did not enter
hhart0um until the third day after its
capitulation, when he inspected the CITY
and returned to Omdurman, where he re-
mains. After Gen. Gordon fell. Abdul
herIm says, the Arabs killed his clerk
and nine others with spears. The Others
who were at the time with Gen. Cor
don escaped. The Cavass declares
that with the exception of the attack
in which these murders were committed
there was no fighting in Khartoum. Dur
ing the attack all the Europeans and
most of the nOtables were killed. While
the attack was in progress the male in
ha0ltants OF the city Joined the insur-
gents. Abdul states that no women or
children were killed, and that all whosub
mltted to the invaders and surrendered
their valuables were permitted to depart
unharmed.
Abdul Kerim says Ell Mahdi has 900
good lighting men, who, however, he
thinks nave been somewhat scared at the
iSouAOo VI OuC DdbblCS AT ADu hl6d, GuUdL
and kabbabish. Mum oers of Arabs are
deserting from Ell Mahdps forces at Me-
temneh. A Sheik reports that there is
much sickness and disaffection among
the prophets troops, who are alleged to
be tired of war and desirOus of English
protection. The SAeik saws the Arabs
now respond slowly to Ell Mahdi's levies
for troops.
TRIED TO REACH THE MAGAZINE.
Gen. GOrdon's trusted messenger.
George, has arrived at Abu Klea. He
says that almost all the native accounts
agree that Gen. Gordon, on finding him
self betrayed, made a rush for the maga-
zine near the Catholic mission building,
but finding the rebels already in possess
sion he returned to the Government
House and was killed while trying to
re-enter 1t. Rebels were admitted TO
Khartoum at II O'Clock on the night of
Jan. 26.
Another account says that Gen. Gordon
rushed toward the magazine, intending to
expiS it and thus prevent the amm1ni-
tion, Il which there were several tons,
from falling into the hands of the enemy.
The Arabs quickly realized his intention
and shot him dead