Telegram-herald., 1891-12-14
LOONINGCLOUDSOR VAR
They Hang Dsrkly Over the East
Indian Frontier.
BRITISH TROOPS CAPTURE 1 FORT
Thsy YiDa the Natives Provaen1 with
RssAiAn ArDs and Gsia-A ssrAanea
Conastion of AHatrs Hetwssn
Two Great Powers.

LONDON, Dec. lS.-LAter dispatches
from Calcutta received this morning
confirm the news Of the capture OF .
fort, Giigit, the most advanced British
agency on the frontier near Pamir.
These later telegrams also confirm the
gallantry of Captain Aylmer and L.eu-
tenants Boiaragon and Babcock, who
led the storming party. The intsrpre-
ters Of the Official code, however. made
. slight mistake as TO the fort captured.
The second dispatch said that the fort
had been captured on December 2 by =
force under Colonel Durand, Xho. with
Captain Aylmer and Lieutenant Bah
cock. were severely wounded; other
officers, including Lieutenant Gordon.
having been slightly wounded.
1t now appears that the place cap
tured was Fort Chalt. The second
message from Calcutta. in view of the
fact that the FIRST telegram stated that
Fort Chalt was threatened. Was natur-
ally interpreted 70 mean that II MAS
that DO ,ition which had been captured.
On all sldes are heard praises of the
gallant conduct of Captain Aylmer.
who led the storming party, carrying =
gen-cotton petard. which he aflxed to
the iron-bound gate of Fort Nilt, lit the
fuse and succeeded in blowing that OBJ
struction to pieces.
A Bold Dash to Victory.
Followed BY Lieutenants Boisragan
and Badock, Captain Aylmer and .
few Sepoys then dashed into the fort
and captured . gun, which had been
causing much lose TO the British troops.
During the engagement seven Sepoys
were killed, twenty-six wounded, and
eight auxiliary KAshmirs were Killed
and twenty wounded. The loss of the
enemy is estimated at over fifty killed !;
the number, however, will probably
never be known. as the dead were In
most cases carried off with the wound
ed by the yetreating tribesmen. Rus
sian money and Russian arms and am
ununltion are said to have been found
upon some of the prisoners and on the
dead. s.
Colonel Durand, although suffering
severely from his wounds, has PIE pared
and forwardsd TO the commander in
chief report of the operations an the
causes VII ch led to them. 1t Is under
stood, though the secret details of the
affair have not been made pubic. that
the Russian intrigues are at the bottom
Of the affair.
Troops Massing ON the Frontier.
In proof of tins it ie reiterated that
Colonel Durund was summoned IN Oc-
iober last TO Slmla, where he had q
series of conferences with the viceroy
of India, the Msrquise of Lsnsdowne,
and measures to meet the Russian
nessasentA- we're agreed upon. Conse-
quently reinforcements have been
pushed forward toward Gilg1t ever
SINCE October, but their progress has
been delayed by bad weather and worse
roads. Some idea of the weather
which prevails IN that part of India
can be gathered from the fact that
Colonel Durand and his staff. returning
from Simla to Gilgit, passed through
some terrific snow storms, during
which they lost their baggage and
suffered most severely, while the
bullock train which recently came
down from Gilgit lost fifteen
drivers and over one hundred animals.
Some of the passes which must be
traversed are IA, 900 feet above the Level
of the sea. The latest reinforcements
sent toward Gilgit take with them two
pound Gatling guns.
1t is understood that cabinet coun
Gil to consider the sltuat;o on will be held
today. Additional communication
between Lord Salisbury and the Rue-
sian ambassador have taken place. In
all ciIcles the situation is regarded Al
certain to lead up to Great Britain''
insisting upon prompt settlement oi
the Pamir question, aud of most con
siderable notifications of the demandI
made by Russia in connection with the
southern head water boundary