The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-09-12
Spelling TO FIGHT
BRITISH TROOPS Up THE NILE ARE
IN GREAT SPIRITS.

Generations are Pushed With Great yfgor
Along the Line of Advance and the
Enemy is in View, With Clashes Ex-
pected at any Moment-How the Pres
ent Position was Won Under Great Diff
ficuIties-Toy Gunboats But Capable of
Doing Mighty Ugly Work, With Their
Quick-Firing GINS.
(Copyrighted 1885 by the Associated Press)
Cairo, Egypt, Sept. 11.-Dispatches
Just received from the front say that
the North Staffordshire regiment, num-
bering about 500 men, arrived at Kosheh
camp, the southernmost fortified post
en- the Nile, yesterday, and viii be push
ed forward TO Absarrat today. The
third brigade has reached Absarrat
safely and the main body Of the cavalry
is arriving.
The cavalry scouts report the der
wishes still in view south of Dugol, but
the enemy retreats at the slightest sign
Of a forward movement. The Anglo
Egyptian scouts, feeling the way for the
advance guard, are steadily pushing On
toward Kasbar, fourteen miles further
south, which viii be the next place oc,
cupied.
The troops, black and white, are full
of enthusiasm, and anxious for a brush
with the enemy. The weather is hot
in the extreme, but the soldiers are bene-
fitted from being on the move.
All troops taking part in the expedi-
ton are now on the march toward Dom
COLA.
Dugol, hitherto held by small force
OF cavalry, is being fortified and added
10 the string of depots connecting the
expedition with Wady Halfa, the real
base OF supplies.
The intelligence department reports
the Dervishes gathering in force north
Of I1ongola.
Clashes between the Dervfshes and
AngIo-Egyptian scouts are expected at
any moment
ON TO KHARTOUM
Thus, the advance of the British Egyp
tan expedition up the river Nile, with
Dongola, if not Khartoum, as its objec-
tive point, is now in swing, after mouths
of struggling with terrific heat and
cholera. during which the work of rail-
road building and passing gunboats in
sections UP the river and over the cata-
ractS has been carried on necessarily
under the direction Of British officers;
a number of whom have already given
UP their lives as a sacrifice to the task.
The operations began in March last
when troops were hurried up the Nile
to Wady Halfa, the southernmost post
- : L. I
about forty miles south from Wady
Halfa. Since that time the railroad,
desert campaign line, has been extended
TO Akasheh, about fifty miles from the
latter place, TO Kosheh, and thence to
Absarrat, seventy-five miles
In the first seven days of the cam
piagn over 1000 men, in every way fully
equipped, were moved forward in spite
of the great difficulties of transporta-
ton, and now some 5000 men, not in
Guiding natives employed in transport
service, are moving south with a flOatilla
Of about fifteen stern-wheel gunboats, |
some Of them towing over 200 other |
boats and barges loaded with supplies, |
ammunition, etc.
This fleet viii keep up constant COM !
municatiOn with Absarrat, now the |
base from which the army is operating. |
At every station between Absarrat and !
Wady Halfa, hospitals for the care of |
the wounded and sick have been esta-
iished.
The sirdad, or commander Of the An
expedition, Sir Herbert |
H Kitchener, has 4eft nothing undone !
to promote the success of the campaign |
against the sultan OF the SOudan. Alb
dulah Eltaaisha, otherwise AbduIah el |
Khali, claims to be the successor of the
famous Mahdi, who caused the British
SO much trouble years ago.
THE GUNBOATS.
It is looked upon as more than pro-
balble that the gunboats will play a
very important part in the campaign.
They are from 100 to 175 feet long. have /
20 70 = feet beam, only draw about two |
feet Of water when fully loaded. are /
able to make fourteen miles an hour.
a large number of men and
tow barges, etc, carrying many more
men.
Each gunboat carries a 12-pound
1uick-fring Maxim gun, able to dis
;hare shot every three seconds. mount
ID forward on an armOred citadel deck.
Amidship there is a coming tower.
n electric search light. another. lighter
A---A - SLAA ~ - 49, ei'toNc AAS WI
-erline, and the arna ment Of the deadly
BOAT is completed with two quick-fring
i-pounders and six lighter Maxim guns,
some OF the larger gunboats carrying ;
,4-pounder Armstrong;, capable of DE-
ivering a very effective fire al Ions
'auge.
The hulls Of the gunboats are con- !
'tructed in sections, enabling them to {
)e taken apart and put together again ,
\ a short time. Finally. the soldiers I