The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-09-21
THD FALL OF DONCOLA.
Complete Success Of the British
Egyptian Expedition.
DERvIsHEs FLEE IN THE NIGHT.

| pohSohh, seFpusly "ouhueu IN shtor
days Fight by tho Bursting Of Shell II
His Tent-Dervishes Bravo Defense.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Sept. 21.-Dongolf
has fallen, and the nominal objective
point of the Dritish-Egyptian expedition
has been reached The river forces of the
expedition, pushing up the Nile from III
HahI landed force at Dongola and oc
cupied that place before the dervish forces
retreating from lei Hafr, reached that
point. FL Hafir and Dongola are there
fore, both In the hands Of the expedition
while the dervish forces are somewhere
between, seeking refuge.
On Saturday afternoon the long range
firing continued between the dervishes on
the west bank Of the Nile and the expedi-
tionary force on this side The Maxim
| guns, with their sweeping hail of fire, did
great execution In the dervish ranks,
while the field and horse batteries never
allowed the enemy to do anything with
their batteries.
| Darkness put an end to the artillery
| duel across the Nile water, and stiffness
| fell upon both camps. The night was one
of waiting, though the silence OF the des-
ert was once broken by the discharge of
| the Maxim guns on the other side of the
river. Early yesterday morning there was
no sign Of life In the deryish works, but
soon q commotion was perceived among
the boats along the bank, and a native in
one of them was discovered in tho act of
waving something as though for u signal
to this side of the river
Tho steamer Dial, of the expeditionary
force, thereupon proceeded to the west
bank of the river, whore 1t was found that
El Hatlr had been evacuated by the enemy
under cover of the night, and that not a
dervish fighting man was left In sight.
The detachment on the Dial sent back to
the camp on this side of the river twenty
seven boats, which had been manned by
the native residents Of Ell Haflr and loaded
with a great quantity of grain.
The natives announced that the enemy
had departed and that Wad Bishara, the
young emir Of Dongola, who commanded
the dervishes, was wounded in Saturdays
fight. A shell from an Egyptian battery
burst in his tent, INJECTING wounds In his
breast and head, the former being severe.
After the gunboats Of the expedition
had forced their way through past the
forts at FL Hnfir and had proceeded south
ward toward Dongola the dervishes up
parently perceived that FL Ha1r was no
longer the place for them, and they pre-
pared to depart. They buried as many of
their dead as they had time for. The rest
were prepared with stone around the
neck and thrown into the Nile.
Yesterday afternoon the news arrived
hore that the steamers and gunboats of
the expedition had reached Dongola and
had landed force, which Immediately
occupied the treasury and the grain store,
the principal stronghold of the town. This
news was received here with delight, as it
is supposed that the enemy is now march
ing between here and Do NICOLA in much
hampcred condition, by the reason of the
number of their wounded and their re-
treat along the river bank threatened by
the steamers, which can destroy at any
moment the food supplies stored at Don
COLA if they cannot hold that place against
the retreatiug forces of dervishes until
land forces Of the expedition have adj
vanced to cooperate with them.
Saturdays engagement at Ell Hafir
seems to have altogether dismayed the
dervishes, 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 ex-
petition up the Nile. The artillery 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 gunners.
AS soon as tho news of tho evacuation
of Ell Haflr was received the correspondent
of the Associated Press proceeded to cross
the river and make survey of the encmy's
late position, 1t was found that their do
fenses had been built with great care, but
the rifle trenches only permitted tho. men
very short and straight front for protec-
ton. Mats were still strewn along, and
within the trenches and in the straw
shelters were the remains of the carcasses
of sheep which had been killed tG supply |
food to the defenders. The dead had been |
buried or thrown into the river
Further south on the river bank was
found their biggest battery This work
contained five embrasures for guns three
in front and two at the side This battery
had been terribly knocked about by tho
artillery fire from the east bank aid from
the steamers.
ment facing towards the north and onto
the Nile. There was noticed the same
system of piercing the wall in such u way
as to allow firing only in one direction In
this entrenchment it was apparent that
the rilemsn had made n plucky resist.
ance, staying in the trenches all day and
eating where they lay
The native residents of Ell Hafr have
the appearance Of the English
and Egyptian expedition, and seem to re.
gard their advance as assurance of deliv.
GRANGE from the rule Of the khalifa and
the Baggaras, the khallfa's native tribe,
who have exercised cruel dominion over
the Nile tribes
Wad Bishara, the dervish commander,
was wounded at about noon, and was i'm.
carried out Of range of the fire,
exclaiming to those who sur
him allah is against mel"
Wad Bishara decided to cvacuate his po-
sition during the night. He was able to
remove his guns but he was forced to
leave behind great quantity of nmmuni-
tion for both the artillery and the rifles.
The dervish steamer which was sunk by
the expeditions horse battery was said to
have also been loaded with ammunition
and guns.
The losses Of the expedition up to Sat
lrday evening were only five wounded,
lespite the enemy's hot fire. The field
horse battery and the men who handled
Tho Maxim guns had an especially warm
,orner
1t is the general impression here that
he dervishes will not make any further
,tand II is evident that Wad Bishnrn
lad brought up all his effective force from
0ongola, intending to make stand at FL
dafir Even if he Is able to recover Dom
yola from the river force of the expedition,
which has occupied 1t, 1t is not considered
possible that he could make a stand there
against the advance Of the combined land
md river forces