The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1898-06-15
PREPARING FOR KHARrovM.
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erfuI siege Train.

srfui siege Traia.
The artillery authorities at Shoe
buryness have just received inatruc-
tions to ship to Egypt two nve-ineh
breech loading guns 20 aid In preaching
the walls Of Khartoum. preparatory TO
the advance thereon Of the British
troops. These guns are Of the very
latest and improved pattern. and have
never been tested In actual warfare
before. Each weapon weighs about
two tons and fires a shell Of about 80
pounds. filled with the new explosive
"Lyddite." so named after the venue
Of the school OF gunnery on the coast
Of Kent They should form a very ser
yiceable battering armament. and ~
the walls Of KhartOum are composed
OF solid thick masonry. something
more powerful and penetrating than
ordinary field artillery will be needed
10 make a breach for the attacking par
~. "Lyddite" IL chiefly picric acid,
and the shells are exploded In the usual
manner by percussion fuses II is the
intention Of the authorities to try the
new explosive and proiectiles that have
not yet been tested outside OF artillery
ranges. The hve-inch guns will be
mounted on lattice-work iron car
riages Of a strong pattern especially
adapted for the service and are 10 he
under the control Of the Royal Carr
son artillery. The events OF lsb4-s5
show clearly enough that unless the
/ dervishes decide to fall back south 70
I KordOfan. the final assault % the An
glo- Egyptian troops at Khartoum will
be a very serious undertaking. There
Is. indeed. reason 10 believe that The
dervishes have strengthened the place
considerably since II fell into their
hands al the death Of Gordon. and re-
cent events have shown that they pos
sess no mean knowledge OF the art Of
fertilization. In addition. although
their ammunition Is not OF the best.
they possess a number Of heavy Krupp
guns. capable % usefui siege work
Even IN Gordons time the walls Of
Khartoum. built OF solid desert rock.
and some ten to fifteen feet thick. we're
sufficiently solid 20 afford ample pro-
lection 10 the town. II only the defend
ing force were numerous enough and
well led. The area 10. II IL true. very
extensive. but the difficulties In the
way OF adequate defense were sur
mounted In 1883 by Huessein Pasha
slrri. and by Colonel de Coetlogon.
who was one OF the officers left behind
In charge OF the station By Hicks Pa
sha He drove a deep ditch and par
apet 1880 yards long. across the level
space or plain. left dry by the subsid-
ence Of the river" writes an eve wit
ness Of his labors and thus covered the
side OF the town which was much ex-
posed. During the siege the Mahdists
built batteries and employed Krupp
guns and rockets. dropping their pro-
ieetiles right In the town. but even
then no successful attempt was made
10 carry the ramparts by assault There
was often an incessant cannonade be-
tween the attackers and the defend
ers. so the value OF the heavy guns
TO sindars force can not be easily
overrated. AZ to the hnal fall Of the
city. II was. as most people know. due
to the action OF the river sapping the
Coetlogon rampant and filling the ditch
with soft mud and TO tie hunger and
despair Of the garriFon The last der.
Wish assault Itself would under normal
circumstances have failed.