Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-12-22


water fort snd the left-wsier fort, otherwise
known a. Fort ,hat3r ana Fort Gamezah,
the scene OF the present investment Fort
shartar is hexac0nal in outline ana presents
the usual fat parlpetcd roof. projecting
timber gallery. and encircling wall and ditch.
ON the side from which attack is mostly to
be apprehended IL L., however, furnished
with further sutilyIDg dciences IN the shape
~ an eaTihen bank, surm0untcd by thoro
ZRrebi. and having an Ouier di'ch beyond.
70 only mounts one Gun. Fort Gsmczah.
which has hecn partly demolished by the
rebel fire. II q similar structure, but rein
forced hv bank. q second ditch, and then
another carihwork, crested by zarebl.
Between these two forts extends long
mound oj earth. resembling a railway en-
b41kmcnt, ana now utilized a. line OF
0eicnce.
FORTS QUARRY AND F00LAH.
Next i'm order 10 the lelI.water fort in con-
tinu0g the outer line Of defence is Quarry
Fort, somewhat small. square fort o. the
same general pattern ~ the preceding, but
surrounded by high and strong wall Of
earth and adltcb, which slsO enclose block
house accommodating portion Of the garri-
son. 10 has further an outer defence OF
stakes driven into the ground at intervals
and united by strips Of b0op.iron. The lat
and most southern % the forts !, Fort
F0olab. hcXqeonal fort with q small dome
in the ccutre OF its 1lt roof, standing az the
outer angle " the st0ckade enclosing the
oiGccrs' rccrcalion-gouud and commanding
the fat country toward Graham's Point.
lua fNStR LINE or DEFENCE.
The inner Hue OF defence consists OF a
wall which completely enclrclcs the landward
q no
Of the harhor, the northern terminating in
smali for' called Fort Jl1auah, built ON H.
ne islct only few wards out from the shore,
and me southern In q strong Epard.house
With gun mounted on its roof. The cir.
emit of TIM. wall. completed, is on the whole
considerably ices than that OF the former line
Of defence, though tailying with it at one or
two gout,. n averages about fifteen feet cX-
ttruaiy, and Is built ~ hcWu stone ce-
mcutCd With mud. the materials for Is con-
struc'ion haWnc been mainly obtained boy
pulling down the HOUSES o! rebels and their
svmpathizers within The town, including
those of O,man Digna and some OF las Kin
drcd. A continuous platform along il,
whole lcugtl enables 10 10 Doe manned boy In.
auiry who ave thus ma position 20 deliver
their fire over iis slopiug topped parapet'
FASHIONS And sToCEADEs.
AZ intervals the line Of the wall is broken
by ba.tians or forts. as they are styled, pro-
iectng in such wise THAT ihc guns they mount
not Oniv cover The GROUND in front, but could
pour llluklng tire on Zoe seeking 10 storm
The curtain. They are i've m number. and
src each armed with from two 10 three nine
ceutmetre breech-loauiug krIpp gun, in od-
ditlou 10 Gardner machine guns, aud old
fashioned mcrars. I'm the rcar OF each
bss. On extends a stout timber stockado 10
protect them from assaults In that direction,
and possibly 10 hinder their garrison from
boiling. The pOrthcrnmOs, next % Fort
latlarah, /, STYLED Fort G2Icrch. and then
come, n the order gwen, Fort Au~ari, Fort
Mcdaniel, Cavalry Fora, mi For; phyuN.
Al Intervals without the wall are remains %
the old line 81 Notifications i'm she shape ~
wet bitches. earlher banks and ranges 81
palisades driven into thc ground about four
or live feet apart and united hy strips OF iron
hopping twisted among them.
srAKM's POUR 0ATLs.
The wall is pierced by ioui gates. The
southerumost OF these, close TO lhe guard
house spoken OF. gives csrcss into the
recreation ground. Then comes a small
square gate situated IN between Fort
Sphynx and Cavalry Fort aud opening into
the plin in The direction o. the gugrrics
Between the cavalry Fort aud Fort Mos
tauiel is the Shalar Gate, the main entrance
to the town. ba,llcmented archway OF
Gothic design, tlaEked by rectangular towers
three stores high. These arc mounted with
machine guns and fitted n their SUBMITS
with an electrical search light, worked by an
engine in q shed ali 1iuug. The fourth
gate isa small one between Fort Ansar and
Fort Gazcrch. giving passage 20 q line OF
railway running the whole lencthof the wall
ON the inside. This unites short distance
beSond the gate with another line fetching
Ike circuit about the exterior. The two be-
ing continued 60 Quarantine Island by
means Of an artificial causeNay.
TnF WORK DONE BY The NAVY.
With respect to the Island OF Suakin, MS
actual iortications are confined to a strong
bsttlemented gateway spanning the head OF
the cauSoway frOm I'll kah and llnked for 4
short distance on each side by p low wall,
while MS artillery Is represented by hall a
GOzen brass muZZlc.loadefs Of small caliDre,
ranged along the seawird front Of the Cav
eminent House courtyard aud Used for firing
sacutes. It's MAN defence consists of toe
British shipS.oi-war in the harbor. rs arule
there are q couple OF these. QRe is mOored
IN Custom hOuse creek, between Quiran-
tine Island and Suaklm, SO That. while her
machine guus can sweep the cauSeWay lead
ng from El knG, the shell IRE from her
heavier armament eau De utilized to cover
the outlying forts TO the northwest the d.
rectlon from which an attack Is most TO he
apprehended aud Is indeed nov threatening.
The second vessel is usually m0ored further
out IN the North creek, beyond Quarantine
Island. In this position sue commands a
large tract Of country on both sides Of the
channel leading seward, aud Is able 10
check any advance from either north or south
along the coast.
srRDAR GaENFgIL's LITTLE ARMY.
The force Of about five thousand men en-,
gagged IN relieving Suakim from the attacks
Of the deryisbcs is commanded by General
Sir Francis W. Greenfen. the Sirdar OF the
Egyptian army, his staff including Colonel
Rhodes, pschas Kitchener, Settle, and Ro.
gers, and NJ 'ior JOhnstone.
The troops consist OF a mounted force,
comprising mounted infantry Egyptian
cavalry and an Egyptian battery OF horse
artillery, under the leadership OF tol0nel
Barrow; the Kings Own Scottish Border
ers, under Colonel Coke; the Fist Egyptian
brigade, under Kitchener Pacba, and the
Second, under Colonel fiOied Smith; the
Twelfth S0udanese battalion, under Besaut
Rey, aud the Tents SoudAhese battalion. un-
der the command Of kaiuiakassa Dome.
OBJECT on TIE EXPEDITION.
The object OF General Gfenielps expedi-
ton Is to clear the trenches outside Saukim.
OIL them H., and build forts on the spot.
General Dormer, who is u. Cairo, holds the
view that the Egyptian army must be largely
ipereased-th Is, 10 10000 men. This would
enable them 10 take Homdoub, Tamai, and
Iokar. This done, the General believes
that the rebellion would be practically
crushed aud that All advance on Dongola
would iinally trauquiIlize the Soudan.
The history Of Hoods SsnapsrilIa Is one