Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-04-09
ANXIETY IS INCREASING
Advance Guard Of the Nile Expedi-
tion May Meet Disaster.
BAD NEWS FROM THE FRONT
ceive the Invaders-Expects to Mus ter
nm Army of Fifty Thousand Men.
Turkish Developments.


get of news from the front increases the
anxiety here in official circles as to the
fate of the vanguard of the Anglo
Egyptian forces operating up the Nile
as preliminary to the advance in force
upon Dongola, for which troops are be-
ing rapidly concentrated at Wady Halfa.
The news of the movements southwark
of the troops has spread with that Won
derful rapidity which has frequently
been noticed as one O. the features OF
campaigning in the Soudan. While the
British intelligence department expert
enced the greatest difficulty in obtain
ing information regarding the move
ments of the dervishes, the latter, APP
parently having spies in all quarters,
have succeeded in transmitting import
ant news with lightning Lake rapidity
from one part of the country to the
other. Thus, in some mysterious man
ner, the news of the Anglo-Egyptian
advance has been communicated to the
distant quarters of the Mohammedan
world, and the departure of pilgrims for
Mecca has been suspended, which means
that the khalifa is calling upon his war
riors to muster to the standard and that
the holy war, which he recently pro-
claimed against Egypt, is to be pushed
with all the desperate energy of the der
wish leaders.
The khalifa has decreed that tribes
Immediately collect and forward to Om-
durham heavy war tax, that the picked
warriors be hurried to that camp, and
that all preparations be made for long
campaign. He expects to muster an
army of $4,000 men, composed of the
best fighting men of the Soudan, at
Omdurman by September, when the
Anglo Egyptian advance will be met by
the khalifa in person. The latter has
recalled the dervish armies from Fa-
shoda and Darfur and it is believed that
the siege of Kassala will shortly be
raised, if it has not already been raised,
In order that the dervishes now before
that place may be utilized with KhAr.
toun and Dongola.
The khalifa, writing to the shiek at
Assouan under date of December last,
said that he was always ready to sub
NIT to the authority of the khedive of
Egypt as the representative of the sui
tan, but that he would resist to the
death any expedition coming from
Egypt 50 long as the British occupied
the country. am aware that the Brit
ish desire co have me assassinated, but
I have taken precautions that none of
the European prisoners shall survive my
murder"
Dervishes Gathering at Akasheh.
Though Wady Halfa is really the base
Of the Anglo Egyptian operations,
Akasheh, place of little importance
about 30 miles south of Wady Halfa, is
the present base of operations. 1t is to
that point that the light railroad is be-
ing pushed for the conveyance of men,
supplies, etc, and therefore, it is be-
lieved, the first fighting will occur there,
for Geographic communication with the
vanguard, occupying Akasheh, has al
ready been twice cut off, and the der
wishes are believed to be gathering in
force in the vicinity of the place. Hence
the anxiety here.
Akasheh was occupied by small COL
umn of troops under Major Collinson,
without opposition, on March 20, and
from that time on reinforcements and
stores have been pushed forward by rail
where possible and by river boats when
the railroad could not be used. Akasheh
is now being strongly fortified.
Advance on Dongola.
Some prophets say that the advance
on Dongola will be commenced when
10000 men are concentrated at Akesheh,
but if this is the case, according to be-
lief here, there will be another terrible
disaster similar to that of of 1884, when
Hicks Pasha, at the head of about H.
600 Egyptian troops, was decoyed into a
defile, attacked by overwhelming num-
bers and massacred to a man.
The work of dispatching troops to the
front is carried ON in the most admira-
BILE manner, with the greatest regular
ity and without hitch of any kind.
The employees of the citadel have been
working night and day since military
operations were decided upon, and have
turned out over 1000 pack saddles for
camels up to date. A strong volunteer
camel corps is being formed from among
recruits picked up among the tribes of
friendly shieks, and it will prove valu-
able body for scouting purposes. The
camel corps at Wady Halfa is now over
1000 strong and there is strong force
Of artillery there. Scouting is being
carried on night and day about Aka.
sheh and other threatened places.
If Khartoum is really the objective
point of the Anglo-Egyptian advance
there are 700 miles of hard travel and
harder fighting to be overcome before
the unfortunate General Gordon's ole
headquarters are reached.
Turkish Developments.
CoNsTANTINoPLE, April S.-The pub
hcity given to the case of Rev. George
p. Knapp has caused considerable ex
element in official circles, and explana.