Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-12-12
A BATTLE IN INDIA
British Take Fort Chalt from
 Frontier Natives.
MANY KILLED AND WOUNDED
The Fort First Taken by the Tribosmer
 and Then Recaptured.

Several of the English Officers Narrowly
 EScape-The Conflict Said To Be the
 Outcome Of Russian Encroachment-
 Probability of & War With Russia -Cabi.
 not Council Summoned to Discuss the
 Situation.
 LONDON, Dec. 12.-Government dis patches received from Calcutta re port hard fighting on the Pamir frontier be- tween British Indian troops and tribes men claiming to be under Russian pro- tection, in which Colonel Durand, Brit ish Military Agent at Gilgit, Captain Aylmer and Lieutenant BaIcock were severely wounded, Lieutenant Gorton and several other officers slightly wounded, and seven Sepoys killed and twenty-siX wounded.
 The incidents leading up to this ap- peal to arms are as follows: At Gilgit IS British agency, garrisoned by tome kashmirees and Indian Ghoorkas and battery of artillery. The tribesmen Of Hunza and Nagar, two towns on the River Indus, have for soma time been threatening the Chalt fort held by a detachment of Kashmirees.
 This caused Col. Durand to make an advance upon the Chalt fort for the purpose of re enforcing the garris on. This advance of British troops was made early in the present month, for
 on Nov. 29 Col Duraud wired the Com mander-in- Chief that he should move upon the enemy on Dec. unless he was previously attacked by the tribesmen, who were reported to be assembling in large numbers and to have been insti gated in their acoion by the Russians
 Colonel Durand also telegrapne the same day that he feared that se rious conflict was inevitable, although he had done every thing possible to prevent it.
 On arriving in the vicinity of Fort Chalt 1t is presumed that Colonel Durand and the attacking forces found the enemy in occupation, for the dispatches fail to refer to what had be- come of the Kashmiree garrison, known to have been there. Colonel Durand decided to carry the fort by storm Captain Aylmer most gallantIy led the storming party, carrying a gun cotton petard, and, in the face of hot fire o1 musketry, dashed up to the iron bound | gate, affixed the petard to it, lighted the fuse and retired.
 The next moment Captain Aylmer saw that the petard had blown the ga te of the fort to pieces. Captain Aylmer and Lieutenants Boisragon and Badcock, l followed by a handful of Sepoys, then Indue d OaSn lnCO the tOrt and, afte some desperate fighting, captured a fielC l gun which had been used effec tively against the attacking party. The Brit, ish officers and Sepoys also captu rec | nine prisoners, the remainder of the | ebel tribesmen fleeing, leaving a nun Der of dead inside and outside the fort. These alarming reports caused con | siderable excitement and comment
 when they became known at the mili-
 tary and naval clubs throughout the city. Old and experienced Indian
 officers regard the outbreak of hostili
 ties between England and Russia as a very grave affair and the most alarming news received from India since the In
 dian mntiny. The younger off cers are
 elated at the chance of seeing active i service, and are loud in their express ion
 of hope that the long expected war wi u
 Russia is actually on the ta pis.
 | A cabinet council has been summoned
 the purpose, being it is understood, to
 discuss the Eastern situation as moIi- | fed by the battle.