Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-08-27
4 CRISIS COMING N india.
The Situation on the Frontier Growing
Worse Each Day.
Khyber Pass is Held By the Afridis,
While the Kurram Valley is
Threantened By Orakzai bes-
men-A Big Task for the British.

Bombay, August 26.-The latest dis
patches from the front indicate that
the situation on the frontier is getting
worse. 1t is evident that the Indian
Government must face a grave crisis,
involving heavy expenditure and prob
ably great loss of life. The govern
ment is confronted with the follow
ing state of affairs: Khyber pass has
fallen into the hands Of the Afridis;
the posts in Kurram Valley are threat
ened by the powerful tribes Of the
Orakais; the Mohmand tribesmen are
meditating a renewal of hCstilities
around Fort Shabkadr, while thou
sands of troops are engaged in crush
ing the revolt in the Swat Valley, and
two large brigades are holding the
Tochi Valley, where the Mahsud-Ma-
ziris are again restless.
The authorities are convinced that
Fort Ali-Musjid could only have fallen
after desperate fighting, as the native
garrison of Khyber Rifles was made
up of men who rendered valuable as
sistance in the Black Mountain eX-
petition of 1883. The fall Of the fort
is a very serious blow, for it isolates
Fort Kdndi-Kotal, which is at the eX-
IRENE end of Khyber Pass, garrisoned
by 300 Khyber Rifles, and necessitates
the reconquest Of the pass. This is
certain to prove a formidable task, Of
which the British troops had fore
taste on Monday, when a body OF ar
tilllery cavalry and infantry left Fort
Bara, south of Peshawur, to repel the
Afridis advancing down the Bazal Val
ley. The troops returned and reported
that many of the men had dropped
out from want Of water, while the
Afridis. although shelled by the Brit
ish. maintained their position on the
heights, threatening the loyal villages
of Kadrel, and the British position
of Fort Jamrud, at the mouth Of the
pass.
The widest excitement prevails
among the Hindu traders at Banu, on
Kurram River 1t is rUmored that T.
600 Waziris intend to swoop down
there. sack the town and massacre the
inhabitants The Mullan and his en-
issaries. especially those from the At
CHAN Governor of Khost, are actively
stirring up the Waziris, who are also
affected by the disloyal attitude Of the
Kurram tribes and emboldened by the
knowledge that the garrison Of Banu
is very weak.
All the British army officers on leave
Of absence have been ordered TO re-
Join their regiments Immediately
Khyber Pass has been the center Of
the recent disturbances among the At
ridis tribesmen There has been con-
tinued fighting here for several weeks.
The tribesmen can retire into the
mountains and be virtually safe from
pursuit by the British forces operating
against them. The plan Of the British
has been to entice the rebels to the
neighborhood of the strongly fortif-
ed post Of Jumrud, occupied by about
1000 government troops. The Afridis,
however, have stuck to mountain fight
ing. They attacked Fort Maude,
small fort five miles from Jamrud,
covering the road through the pass,
on Wednesday, and after hard battle,
drove their enemies out and destroyed
It. The garrison, which was composed
of native loops. retired in safety I'M
der cover of the artillery fire from
Gen. Westmacotts relief column. The
tribesmen attacked Fort Ali-Musjid at
the same time as Fort Maude. This
post is six miles further up the pass.