Semi-weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings Co., S.D.) 1894-1898, 1896-09-23
DONC0LA Has FALLEN.
Nominal Objective Point of the
British-Egyptian Expedi-
ton Is Reached.
FL Hafir Also Evacuated by the
DerviShes Under Cover
of Darkness.
Madbishara, Their Comman-
der, Wounded by an Ex.-
pIoding Shell.

KERMA- -oN-THE- NILE, Sept. 21.-Don.
COLA has fallen and the nominal objec.
tive point of the British Egyptian ex.
pedition has been reached. The river
forces of the British Egyptian expedi-
ton, pushing up the Nile from Ell
Hatir, landed force at Dongola and
occupied that place before the dervish
forces retreating from Ell Hafir reached
that point. Ell Hafir and Dongola are
therefore in the hands of the expedi-
tion while the dervish forces are some
where between seeking a refuge.
During the afternoon the long range
firing continued between the dervishes
on the west bank of the Nile and the
expeditionary forces on this side. The
maxim guns with their
Sweeping Hail of Fire,
did great execution in the dervish
ranks, while the field and horse batter
les never allowed the enemy to do any
thing with their batteries. Darkness
put an end TO the artil duel across
the Nile water and Stiffness fell upon
both camps.
In the morning every one was up at
daybreak anxious to know what change
in the situation had developed during
the night and what would be the next
move There Awas no sign of life in the
dervish works, but soon a commotion
was perceived among the boats along
the bank and native in one of them
was discerned in the act of waving
something, as though for signal to
this side of the river The steamer Dal
of the expeditionary force thereupon
proceeded to the west bank of the
river, where it was found that
Ell Hafir Had Been Evacuated
by the enemy under cover of night,
and that not a dervish fighting man
was left in sight.
The natives announced that the
enemy had departed and that Wad-
bishara, the young emir of Dongola,
who commanded the dervishes, was
wounded in the fight of the day before.
A shell from an Egyptian battery burst
in his tent, infiicting wounds in his
breast and head, the former being a
severe hurt.
After the gunboats of the expedition
had forced their way through past the
forts at Ell Hafir and had proceeded
southwark toward Dongola, the der
wishes apparently perceived that Ell
Hafir was no longer the place for them
and
They Prepared to Depart.
They buried as many of their dead as
they had time for The rest were pre-
pared with stone around the neck
and thrown into the Nile.
During the afternoon the news ar
rived here that the steamers and gun
boats of the expedition had reached
Dongola and had landed a force, which
Immediately occupied the treasury and
the grainstore, the principal stongholds
of the town. This news was received
here with delight, as it is supposed that
the enemy is now marching between
here and Dongola in much hampered
condition by the reason of the number
of their wounded and their retreat
along the river bank threatened by the
steamers, which can destroy at any
moment the food supplies stored at
Dongola if they
Cannot Hold That Place
against the retreating forces of der
wishes until land forces of the expedi-
tion have advanced to cooperate with
them.
The engagement at Ell Hafir seems to
have altogether dismayed the der
wishes who placed great reliance upon
the fort at that place. They believed
that that fort would be able to prevent
the passage of any of the steamers of
the expedition up the Nile. The ar
tillery fire from this side of the river
seems to have entirely disconnected
them, their batteries being destroyed as
soon as the smoke from them indicated
target for the British and Egyptian