Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-01-27
A MOHAMMEDAN MOB.
ADVENTURES OF AMERICAN SAILORS
AT ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT.

ing Gne rev Gays previous TO the DOmDafu-
ment of that city by the vessels of the En-
| glish feet under command of Admiral Sey-
| mour, several of our party who had never
seen the sights about the place decided to go
| ashore, hire carriage, and do the town as
thoroughly as the summers heat and an af-
ternoon would permit.
As we drove up from the landing there
seemed to be much larger crowd than
! usual in the streets and much more excite
ment than we expected. An employee of one
of the stores at which we had been accus-
toned to deal, in fact the house to which we
were consigned, seeing our party, came rum
ming toward our carriage to tell us that some
thing of an unusually serious character was
. about to happen, and that there was already
fighting in neighboring street; that large
numbers of soldiers had recently come in
from the country; that the best, and, in
fact, the only wise thing for us to do was to
return to our vessel. AS there was always
some sort of street row going on we
thanked him for his kindness, told him that
thus far American had been comparatively
free from complications, and that as we had
come ashore to see the things of interest we
thought that we would keep on, particularly
as our road lay outside of the city, where
we would be beyond the troubles that
caused such great excitement.
After looking at Pompey's Pillar and one
or two other places of more or less interest,
all of which are well described in the COM
plete guide to Alexandria and its surround
ings, we drove out to the Khediyes garden,
where we intended to pass the remaining por-
ton of our stay ashore. We found quite
number of officers, both American and Eng
lish, out at the garden, all in uniform, which
latterly they had been obliged to wear when
ever they came ashore, to guard against the
insults daily offered to foreigners, and here
for the first time we had comparatively
clear account of the troubles which terml-
mated in the horrible butchery already going
on in the city. Later in the day several men
in the party at the Khedive's gardens that
beautiful summer afternoon, fell victims OF
the mob. We decided that the best thing
now to be done was to jump into our car
riages, and, by taking the shortest route, en-
deavor to reach the landing, where we hoped
to find our boats.
Our carriage was fortunately not able to
leave until the party of English officers had
started, and as we drew near the town 1t
was quite evident that we were in for some
thing very serious, and the aspect was any
thing but pleasing as the other carriages
passed into the crowd of yelling and gesticu-
lating demons, through which they vainly
strove to force their way, only to have their
occupants dragged from their seats and
butchered in cold blood. The few who es-
capped found refuge in O guard house close
by, where they remained until after night
fall. As we drew up we were told by man,
evidently interested in our well being, to
alight at once and follow him. This time
discretion came to our aid, and, jumping out
of our carriage, we ran after our new found
friend up side street, and, after making a
turn or two found ourselves at the side ell
trance of the building in which was the store
Of our business friend already alluded to,
the doors and windows of which were al
ready carefully barricaded A few pound
. ings on the door resulted in head being
cautiously put out of a window up stairs,
and after its owner was assured that the
party below was of friendly disposition it
was withdrawn. In a few moments the bar
ricades were removed and the door opened
just far enough for us to squeeze through in
single file. After the party had passed in the
house the door was again carefully secured,
and not a moment too soon, as crowd of
yelling, hooting, turbaned Egyptians came
along carrying knives, firearms clubs and
weapons of all sorts, who, had they caught
sight of us, would have made extremely short
''Kill them kill them" were the cries again
and again repeated.
As the excitement became wilder and the
crowd more unmanageable, our unpleasant
situation was all the more serious, for should
it become known that we were in the neigh
borhood our lives would not be worth the
, toss of a penny. Great was our relief to see
regiment of troops march into the square,
and to know that even if they could not ac-
complish much toward breaking up the mob,
they probably would prevent our house be-
ing broken into as one of the members of
the firm was related to an officer of the regi-
ment. Our only plan now was to wait until
a comparatively quiet time; then, watching
our opportunity, send our guides out to COM
municate our predicament to this officer, and
ask his assistance. The guide at first de-
clared he would not go, as should he be dis
covered leaving a barricaded house suspicion
would at once be fastened upon him as being
connected with place in which there was
something that the mob was not allowed to
get hold of, and that his life would pay the
forfeit 1t was not until threats and suppl
cations had been supplemented by brides that
he consented to be lowered to the ground
from one of the back windows into the yard,
from which he was to pass through door,
the adjoining lot, and so on by another street
to the square.
1t was long after dark when we heard him
return. He told us that the officer and three
trustworthy men would be on hand as soon
as they could be procured and the street
sufficiently cleared for them to pass. We
were directed to change our clothing for
such native garments as we could find, so that
our passing through the streets would create
no additional disturbance, and we were to
pass from the house by the rear entrance to
another street than that on which our house
was situated, where we would find the car
riages waiting. Itwas after IL o'clock before
we heard the signal agreed upon to inform
us that it was time to start, when, looming
our multi, we were soon in the carriages
and under escort of our guard passed without
trouble or adventure to the custom house.
Here we were in another trouble, as most
stringent orders had been given not to allow
any boats to approach the landing, and it
began to look as if we should have to remain
in our unpleasant situation the remainder of
the night but seeing our boat pulling toward
the landing, and assuring the customs officials
that we were not English, at the same time
adding liberal bestowal of that 'open
sesame which accomplishes SO much in that
sunny land, We were soon af1oat, after having
passed through about as much of an adven-
ture as one can experience and live to tell the
tale.-New York Times
Disadvantages of the Sitting Posture.
The sitting position, which is too often
adopted for quite tiny infants, is most in
furious to them. When they are so placed
their bodies incline forward, the head falls
forward and the arms hang forward beyond
the center of gravity; these drag ON the
shoulders, which are further rounded, while
the strain on the muscles of the back is in
creased, and, if the practice is persisted ill.,
permanent deformity results. Further, when
the head droops forward and the spine be-
comes bent, the cushion like cartridges be-
tween the vertebrae become thinned ON the
inner side, and the angle at which the ribs
stand out from the spine is diminished. The
ends of the ribs are thus brought nearer to-
gether, and the breast bone drawn inwards,
which diminishes the cavity of the chest.
The ribs, in inclining downwards, also push
down the organs of the chest, so that they