Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-08-28
GREAT GUNS TALK.
And the Usurping Zanzibar Sui.
tan Talks Back.
BUT HE UNDERSTANDS THE TALK

to Ruin Under the British Bombar'i.
ment-An Incident in Which 25O,OO0
| Slaves Are Interested Takes Place and
| the Traders in Human Flesh Are On tho
Side OF the Csurping sultan.
Washington, Aug 2S-The State de-
| partment has received the following cable
gram from Consul Dorsey Mohun at Zan-
| zibar: 'Khalid Bin Bargash, refusing to
| surrender. the palace was boTnbarded by
| the English fleet at 8 o'clock yesterday
, morning and totally destroyed. Many
were killed. The khalid took refuge in
the German consulate. Afterwards Ha-
moud was proclaimed sultan. All Amer
leans are safe" The state department has
no Information as to the Americans re-
ferred to in Consul Mohuns dispatch. Tho
American trade with Zanzibar is consid-
cradle, approNimating 81, 100000 annually.
The United States buys from them ivory,
hides, rubber, gums and cloves, and sells
cotton and petroleum. There is no anx-
iety lest American interests suffer.
| He Ignored the UltiInatum.
London, Aug. "a dispatch received
from Admiral Rawson, dated Zanzibar,
p:i5 p. m, yesterday, says: II issued an
altimatum ut o'clock this morning
calling upon the usurper to haul down
his flag and surrender to me, and direct
ing his followers 20 pile their arms and
leave the palace before or otherwise it
would be bombarded. Instead of comply
ing he commenced increasing his fortiti-
cations and his corvette trained her guns
on my squadron. l opened fire at 9 on
the palace and on the corvette, which
promptly replied. l ceased firing at $40
| when the corvette was sunk, all the guns
Were silenccd and the usurper yielded to
the German consul. The enemys loss
was heavy. Only petty officer of the
gunboat Thrush was wounded
Some Details of the Difficulty.
| From accounts received here it appears
that when the ships ceased firing the
palace was tuahlinr in ruins and large
rents had been made in the barricades of
Said's followers. The&latter however,
: answered the warships with great per-
sistency and did not stop firing until, in
response to the fiagshp's signal of cease
| firing" the guns of the warships stopped
showering shot and shell ashore. The
losses OF the enemy are not known, but
must have been heavy, especially among
the defenders of the palace proper. During
, the bombardment the sultan's armed
steamer Glasgow opened fire on the British
warships, but "a few well-aimed shells
] from The heavy guns of the Racoon and a.
shot or two from the four-inch guns of
the Sparrow crashed through and through
her, silcncinc her fro in short order and
I ultimately sank her "a: her moorings.
sultan and His General Escape.
N Soon after the palace caught fire and
, the walls and roof were sent flying here
, and there bv the shells of the warships
said khalid and said Sales, the latter be.
/, ing commander of the usurping sultan's
army, escaped with n number of their
Heading followers through the back part
OF the palace and hurriedly made thci,
!, way TO the German consulate, where they
asked for protection. which was accorded
| them. Admiral Rawson. in order TO pre-
vent ;he escape of SAID khaiid and his
: LGnplowers to the mainland of Africa
sNhcrc their presence would undoubtedly
l have caused trouble with the slave leader.
| and their adhcrcnts, sent dctachments o
o marines biuciackets and local ZanZibari.
l. to occupy all the roads and avenues Of cs
: | care, thus hcmming in the enemy pretty
| cHectually. although many escaped to tn,
mainland and islands in dhows.
= As this dispatch is sent firing is Still
q proceeding in the outskirts of this place
7. but all resistance has ceased. Shortly
after 10 O'Clock, in response to another sig
3 nal from the flagship st George, reinforce
e ments of marines and sailors We're SEN
e ashore from the British ships and tn,
d work of capturing the insurgents collect
! ing the dead and attending 10 the wounded
l. was commenced. During this time dcsul
> tory firing could be heard on the outskirt.
%;
i, at the head of 400 loyal Zanzibaris and
4 detachment of British marines, notifiet
,e Admiral Rawson that he was holding al
the main roads.
When the insurgents had been com
| PEELED to lay down their arms and wer,
- securely corraled by the marines anc
:, bluejaokets. the latter were ordered
= | to try to extinsuish the flames in th'
- palace and in the old custom house
y which had also been sheiled and Sc
Il on fire. as the insurgents had fortified
it and had to be driven from the build
II ing. But at noon, in spite of the ef
forts of the sailors TO extinguish tn
flames. the palace was a mass OF ruins
: the old custom house was in ashes, an
:. a number of other buildings demolishe
ie or set on fire by exploding shells wer
: in ruins.
No casualties are reported anon
the British ashore. and though all bus
mess. naturally. is at a standstiIl. orde
Will be completely restored befor
:, nightfall. and the foreign residents wi
u" be able to return to their residence
ashore All the warsh:ps did som
good target practice with their gun:
the six-inch guns OF the Racoon prov
II ing particularly effective. Temporar
II HOSPITALS for the care of the nativ
I. wounded have been established ashor,
0r and they are receiving as much car
"a from the surgeons Of the warships as
IN they were British sailors or marines.
The dead were buried yesterday afte
noon and for the present the island wi
be administered by Admiral Rawsol
pending the receipt OF further instructio,
from the British government
In this trouble the slave traders are c
at the side of the usurping sultan. and 2J
De 90 slaves are interested in the success
C. the British
on PALACE a HEAP OF RUINS.
Eritish "a uadron >slutes tho New Sulta