Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1896-09-04
ISH HELLED A PALACE.
BRITISH ouNeoArs eoMsARp
ZANZIBAR.
usurpins Sultan Said Kahlid and III.
Followers Driven Out by Storm OF
Missiles and Fire-His Gunboat Sunk
-Fugitives Hemmed In.

-Fugitives Hemmed In.
Ultimatum Backed by Force.
The palace of the Sultan of Zanzibar
was bombarded by the British Thursday
morning and at noon was a mass of blaz-
ing ruins. The usurping chieftain, Said
Kahlid, and the commander of his forces.
Said Sales, succeeded in escaping to the
German consulate, where they have
sought refuge and remain under the pro.
lection of the German flag.
Said Khalid seized the palace and pro.
claimed himself sultan ON the death of
Sultan aamed Bin Thsaid Bin.Said, and
had been strongly REINFORCED and posi-
lively refused to surrender. Said Khalid
had with him at that time about :, 500 well
armed and well disciplined men, including
700 Askaris, who have been trained under
British officers. plenty of ammunition and
number of field guns and other pieces
of artillery which were trained on the
British warships. The latter were: The
flagship st. George, the third-class cruiser
Thilomen, the third-class cruiser Rae
coon and the tirst-class gunboats Sparrow
and Thrush.
Wednesday cabled instructions from
London announced an ultimatum to Said
Khalid. He was ordered to haul down
his flag and surrender with his force no
later than o'clock Thursday morning.
1t is understood that Said Khalid re-
ceived re-enforcements from the slave
dealers who tiocked to his support, us the
formal hoisting of the British flag over
Zanzibar would mean the liberation of
about 25O,000 slaves and deathblow to
slavery in that part of East Africa.
Shortly before o'clock naval officer
was sent to the palace with another mes
sage for Said Khalid, asking him if he
was prepared to surrender. Snid replied
that he would die sooner than surrender,
Warships Begin to Fire.
At o o'clock the Thrush and Sparrow
and two gunboats opened fire with their
heaviest guns and ten minutes later they
had sent storm of shell and shot into
the palace, tearing big gaps in it, scatter
ing death and confusion among it's de-
tenders, while dismounting some of the
guns ashore and putting to fight the gun
ners handling the pieces. The fire of the
warships was admirably directed and
smoke was soon seen to be issuing from
several parts of the palace.
Said's followers answered the fire of the
warships with great persistcncy and gal
lantry and did not stop firing until, in re-
sponse to the tlagships 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 bombardmcnt the Sultan's
armed steamer Glasgow opened fire ON
the British warships, but few well-aimed
shells from the heavy guns of the Raccoon
and shot or two from the four-inch guns
of the Sparrow crashed through and
through her, silenced her fire in short
order and ultimately sank her at her
moorings. Soon after the palace caught
fire and the walls and roof were sent fly
ing here and there by the shells of the
warships. Said Khalid and Said Sales,
the latter being the commander of the
usurping Sultan's army, escaped with u
number of their leading followers through
the back part of the palace and hurriedly
made their way to the German consulate,
where they asked for protection, which
was accorded them.
Admiral Rawson, in order to prevent
the escape of Said Khalid and his follow
ers to the mainland of Africa, where their
presence would undoubtedly have caused
trouble with the slave leaders and their
adherents, sent dctachments of marines,
bluejackets and local Zanzibaris to occupy
all the roads and avenues of escape, thus
hemming in the enemy pretty effectually.
although many escaped to the mainland
and islands in dows.
A dispatch received at London from
Admiral Rawson, dated Zanzibar, 2:45
p. m. Thursday, says. 81 issued an ulti-
matum at o'clock this morning calling
upon the usurper to haul down his flag
and surrender to me, and directing his
followers to pile their arms and leave the
palace before 0 o'clock, or otherwise it
would be bombarded. Instead of comply
ing. he commenced increasing his fortifi-
cations, and his corvette trained her guns
on my squadron. l opened fire at 8 on the
palace and on the corvette, which prompt
ly replied. I ceased firing ut $40, when
the corvette was sunk, all the guns were
silenced and the usurpers yielded to the
German consul. Hamoud has been ap-
pointed sultan. The enemy's loss was
heavy. Only n petty officer of the gun
boat Thrush was wounded
Before the bombardment all foreign
residents had sought safety either on the
British boats or at their respective lega.
tions.