The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-12
Thousands of WeH-Equipped Soldiers
Eager for Brush with Wild,
FsnaticaI Dervishes.
LATTER LED BY OSMAN DIGNA
WHO HAS PROBABLY ABOUT 10000
WARRIORS IN HIS COMMAND.
Armored British Gunboats on the
NiIe-Peepie of COnstantinOpIe in
Semi-Panicky State.

Copyright. 1896, by the Associated Press)
CAIRO. Egypt, Sept. n.-Dispatches just
received from the front say that the North
Staffordshire Regiment, numbering about
nine hundred men, arrived at Kosheh
camp the southernmost fortified position
on the Nile, yesterday, and will be pushed
forward to Absarrat to-day. The Third
Brigade has reached Absarrat safely, and
the main body of cavalry is arriving there.
The cavalry scouts report the Dervishes
still in view south of Duglo, but the enemy
retreats at the slightest sign of a forward
movement. The Anglo Egyptian scouts,
feeling the way for the advance guard, are
steadily pushing on to Kasbar, fourteen
miles further south, which will be the next
place occupied The troops. black and
white are full of enthusiasm and anxious
for brush with the enemy. The weather
is hot in the extreme, but the soldiers are
benefited by being on the move. Ali the
troops taking part in the expedition are
now on the march towards Dongola. Dug
To- hitherto held by a, small force of cav
airy, is being fortified The intelligence de-
parment reports the DervShes gathering
in force north of Dongola. Clashes between
the Dervishes and the Anglo Egyptian
scouts expected at any moment.
Thus the advance of the British Egyptian
expedition up the River Nile, with Dongola.
if not Khartoum as it's objective point, is
now in full swing after months of strug-
Cling with the terrific heat and cholera,
during which the work of railroad building
and passing gunboats in section up the
river and over the cataracts has been car
ried necessarily under the direction of
British officers, a number of whom have
already given up their lives as a sacrifice
to the task. The operations began in
up the Nile to Wady Ha1fa, the southern
most post although the railroad ran to
Sarras about forty miles south from Wady
Halfa. Since that time the railroad, a
desert campaign line, has been extended to
Akasheh, nifty miles les from the latter r place
about $50 miles In the first seven days of
the campaign over four thousand men, in
every way equipped were moved south
ward, III spite of the great difficulties of
transportation, and now some fifteen thou
sand men, not including natives employed
in the transport service, are moving south
with a flotilla of about fifteen stern-Wheel
gunboats, some of them towing over two
hundred other boats and bargeS. loaded
with supplies, ammunition, etc. This will
keep up constant communication with Alb
sarrat now the base from which the army
is operating. In every station between Abb
sarrat and Wady Halfa hospitals for the
care of the wounded and sick have been
established.
The sirdar. or commander of the Anglo
Egyptian expedition Sir Herbert ID. Kitten
ener has left nothing undone to promote
the success of the campaign against the
Sultan of the Soudan, Abdullah El Taais-
ha. otherwise Abdullah Ell Khalifa, who
claims to be the successor of the famous
Mahdi who caused the British some troub-
lie a few years ago.
1t is looked upon as more than probable
that the gunboats viii play a very impor-
tant part in the campaign. They are from
100 to 175 feet long. have 20 to p feet beam,
only draw about two feet of water when
fully loaded. are able to make about four
teen miles an hour. carrying large num-
Der of men and tow barges, ETC., carrying
many more men. Each gunboat carries a
underground quick-fring Maxim gun. able
to discharge a shot every. three seconds.
mounted forward on an armored citadel
deck. Amidships there is a coming tower
and an electric search light; another
lighter Maxim, from seven to twenty feet
above the water line. and the armament
of these deadly boats is completed with
two quick-firing six Founders and six to
eight more Maxims. Besides these guns,
ty-four-pound Armstrong;. capable of de-
livering a very effective fire at long range.
in sections. enabling them to be taken
apart and to be put together again in a
very short time. Finally the soldiers on
board standing in the hollow hull pro-
tected by the matches, which are capable
of being folded, and which form an admir-
able portable breastwork.
1t will be seen from these preparations
that the advice given to Hicks Pasha when
he left for khartoum. in 1888. with ter
is to be Closely followed in the present
campaign. Hicks dlsregarded the recon-
mendation and persisted with his entire
command in the Kordofan district
British troops taking part in one way
or the other. in the operations are drawn
the Surrey Regiment, the Gloucester Regi-
ment and the Connaught Rangers the Sec
ond Dragons. Royal Artillery and Royal
Engineers. not counting the detachment of
sailors manning the gunboats The gener-
al upon whom the Khalifa relies to de-
feat the Anglo Egyptian troops is the
famous Osman Digna, thoroughly tried
and able warrior, who was the great
Mahdis most trusted, lieutenant and who
was with the latter in all his campaigns
He has been almost constantly in the
commander thoroughly respected by the
British. The number of the Khalifa's fol-
lowers is not known and cannot be accu-
rately estimated. 1t is variously placed at
10000 to 0.00G men,
The report received from Kosheh TODAY
chronicles the arrival there by train of the
remainedr of the Staffordshire Regiment
the first detachment of which arrived yes
terday. The Srdar, Sir Herbert Kitchener
and his staff will start from Kosheh to-
morrow, portion of the Staffordshire Reg
iment accompanying him.
The news received at Goshen from the
front is that Dervish outpost at Herman
just above the third cataract of the Nile
is being reinforced by their mounted troops
While the region between the Egyptian and
DerVish outposls is fast becoming deserted
1t is expected that the Dervishes will at
tempt to make stand at Kerma and tho
first fighting of the advance to DongoIa is
looked for at that point. A rapid advance
to Dongola is now believed to be in order
with view of striking an effective blow
the power of the kahIifa