The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1896-09-03
SHELLED A PALACE.
BRITISH GUNBOATS BOMBARD
ZANZIBAR.
Usurping Sultan Said Kah1id and His
Followers Driven Ont by Storm of
Missiles and Fire-His Gunboat Sunk
-Fugitives Hemmed In.
UItimatum Backed by Force,

The palace of the Sultan of Zanzibar
was bombarded by the British Thursday
morning and at noon was 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 Hamed 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
900 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
Philomen, the third-class cruiser Rae
coon and the first-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 flocked to his support, as the
formal hoisting of the British flag over
Zanzibar would mean the liberation of
about 250,000 slaves and deathblow to
slavery in that part of East Africa.
Shortly before 0 o'clock a naval officer
was sent to the palace with another mes
sage for Said Khalid, asking him if he
was prepared to surrender. Said replied
that he would die sooner than surrender.
Warships Begin to Fire.
At 8 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 its de-
tenders, while dismounting some Of the
guns ashore and putting to fight the gun
ners handling the pieses. 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 persistency and gal
lantry and did not stop firing until, In re-
sponse to the flagship'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 few well-aimed
shells from the heavy guns of the RaccoOn
and a 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 a
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.
Adniral 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 detachments 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, 2:4a
D. m. Thursday, says. 81 issued an ulti-
matum at Z 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 II
would be bombarded. Instead of comply
ing. he commenced increasing his fortif
cations, and his corvette trained her guns
on my squadron. l opened fire at 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 a petty officer of the gun
boat Thrush was wounded"
Before the bombardment all foreign
residents had sought safety either on the
British boats or ut their respective lega-
tiOnS,