The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-08-28
GUNS OF BRITISH SQUADRON
TRAINED ON THE FORTRESS,
AND IN AN HOUR 1T WAS
ALL OVER.
SAID KHALID MADE HIS ESCAPE
But No Foreigners Were Injured
During the BOmbard-
ment.

liiS HlOTHlHS, ana at noon was a mass
OF blazing ruins. The usurping chief
tain, Said Khalid, and the commander
OF his forces, Sales, succeeded in es-
Gaping to the German consulate. where
they have sought refuge and remain
under the protection of the German
flag. Yesterday Rear Admiral Henry
Rawson, c. B., in command of the
British Cape Of Good Hope and West
Coast Of Africa station, and the Brit
1sh consul general. A. H. Harding, c.
b., after holding a conference, COM
municated, by cable, to the government
OF Great Britain, an outline Of the sit
uation of affairs here setting forth
that Said Khalid, who seized the palace
and proclaimed himself sultan on the
death, apparently by poison, of Sultan
Hamed Bin Thwain Bin Said, had been
strongly reinforced and positively re-
fused to surrender. Said Khalid had
with him at that time about $500 well
armed and well disciplined men, in
Guiding 900 Askaris, who have been
trained under British officers; plenty of
ammunition and a number of field guns
and other pieces of artillery, which
were trained on the British Warships.
The latter, with the reinforcements
which arrived yesterday, We're: The
flagship ST. George; the third class
cruiser, Philomen, the third class cruis-
er, Baccoon; the first gunboats Spar
row and Thrush.
Later In the day, cabled instructions
were received from London and another
conference was held between the ad-
m1ral and the consul general, and
eventually, an ultimatum was sent to
SAID Khalid, ordering him to haul down
his flag and surrender with his forces.
no later than 9 o'clock this morning
At the same time the British residents
OF Zanzibar were notified to be on
board Admiral Rawson's ships by 8
o'clock.
During the night, there were a num-
Der OF disturbances among the natives
III the outskirts of the town, but they
were promptly suppressed by the $50
British marines and sailors who had
been landed to protect property and
guard the consulate of Great Britain.
It was understood, however, that Said
Khalid received further reinforcements
from the slave dealers who flocked to
MS support, as the formal hoisting of
the British flag over Zanzibar would
mean the liberation of about 250, 600
saves and death blow to slavery in
BY o'clock this morning the British
subjects numbering about 100 persons.
and number of other foreigners. had
embarked on board the warships. the
ltallaEs going on board the Italian gun
boat Volturno, and the Germans seek
ing safety at the German consulate.
Shortly before o'clock, naval officer.
was sent to the palace square with an
other message for Said Khalid, asking
him IL he was prepared to surrender.
IN accordance with the terms of the
ultimatum, and again notifying him
that the palace in which he had bar
ricaded himself would be shelled at
8 o'clock promptly, if he failed to haul
down his flag before that time. AS be-
fore, Said replied that he would die
sooner than surrender. His answer was
conveyed to Admiral Rawson. and the
British consul general, and the crews
OF the ships, which had been prepared
for action the day before, were sent to
quarters.
At o'clock the flagship signaled
the Raccoon, Thrush and Sparrow to
commence firing, and a moment later
the cruiser mentioned and the two
gunboats opened fire with their heav-
lest guns, and ten minutes later they
had sent storm Of shell and shot into
the palace, tearing big gaps in 1t, scat
tering death and confusion among it's
defenders; dismounting some of the
guns ashore and putting to fight the
gunners 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.
During this time the ST. George and
the PhilOmel were held in reserve
although they occasionally pumped
a shell into the enemy's camp, adding
to the dismay of it's defenders The
Raccoon, Thrush and Sparrow kept m
the bombardment until $50, when the
palace was tumbling In ruins, and
large rents had been made in the bar
r1cadeS of Said'S followers The lat
ter, however. answered the fire of the
warships with great persistency and
gallantry and did not stop firing until
In response to the fagship's signal of
cease firing" the guns of the war
ships 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 sui
tan's armed steamer, Glasgow. opened
fire on the British warships, but a few
well aimed shells from the heavy guns
of the Raccoon and a shot or two
from the four-inch guns of the Spar
row crashed through and through her
silenced her fire in short order and
ultimately sunk her at her moorings.
Soon after the palace caught fire.
and the walls and roof were sent f1y-
ing here and there by the shells of
the warships, Said Khalid and Said
Sales, the latter being the commander
of the usurper's army, escaped with
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 fol-
lowers, to the mainland of Africa.
where their presence would undoubted-
ly have caused trouble with the slave
leaders and their adherents, sent de-
tachments of marines, blue Jackets and
loyal ZanZibariS to occupy all the
roads and avenues of escape thus hem
ming in the enemy pretty effectualIy.
although many escaped to the main
land and Islands in dowas Shortly
after 10 o'clock, in response to another
signal from the flagship, St. George.
re-enforcements of marines and sailors
were sent ashore from the British
ships, and the work of capturing the
insurgents, collecting the dead and
attending to the wounded was COM
menced.
During this time desultory firing
could be heard on the outskirts of
the town, from where Capt. Raikes,
at the head of 400 loyal Zanzibaris. and
detachment of British marines. notf-
fed Admiral Rawson that he was
T70 1oe 1ex L