The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-25
KHARTUM A RUINED CITY.
The Khalifa's Destruction of General
GOrdOn's Former Stronghold.
london Standard Correspondence.

London Standard Correspondence.
Khartum is the name so often used to
epitomize the history of the Sudan that
many people have remained under the i'm
preston that it is still living city. They
may have read that when Abdullahi-bin-
Sayd Mahommet succeeded to the khalifate
his suspicion and timidity were aroused
against the descendants Of the mahdi, who
had established themselves in Khartum.
But only those who have traversed the
country from Atbara to Omdurman can
have a true idea Of the consequences of
such an attitude on the part of the Khalifa.
When he suspected he exterminated; when
he feared he made a desert and called it
peace. That was the primitive policy of the
late ruler of the Sudan, and Khartum once
the emporium of central Africa, it's
first victim. All the ruin and devastation
we had hithreto seen, the villages OF clay,
whitened with bones, had the color of the
desert, and seemed to be natural part OF
it. There was no sharp contrast between
the living and the dead. Khartum was not
the same. Ruin stood amid the profusion Of
tropical nature. When the gunboats reached
the banks Of the Blue Nile we entered
new land--a land of palm groves and
pomegranate Tut island prepared us for
the change. This level strech of ground,
which the flood of the two rivers threatens
to overflow, wore an air of peace and pros
perity out of keeping with its surroundings.
1t like an English meadow for green
ness. Men and women were at work among
the dhoura or maize crops, and the water
wheel moaned unsteady, though no
harsher sound had been heard. The village
and the powder magazine near the center
Of the island appeared untouched. Streaming
slowly past the island, we drew close to the
ha IN wi
fringed the river, giving food and shade to
few Arabs who came out to welcome u.s.
They are mixed race, some with COM
plexon not much darker than a south
European; others with strain of negro
blood; and others whose regular features
slim, symmetrical figures and graceful car
rage proclaim the pure breed.
Beyond the palms we saw the flrst relic
of the former greatness of Khartum-a
garden. Here, with winding paths and broad
avenues between, were pomegranates,
shrub-like trees with blood-red flowers figs,
whose pear-shaped fruit hung temptingly
among tender green leaves; lines and
oranges that were ripening in the sun, and
an underground of scrub that betokened
neglect. East of this beautiful garden lay
few bricks marking the site of the church
and of various buildings associated with
Gordon's administration. Thirteen years had
buried their ruins in q dense growth of
maize and sugar cane. On the top of
mound stood hut roughly constructed of
stone taken from these buildings. This was
the Khalifa's telegraph office. for Abdullahi-
bin-Sayd is d man of keen intelligence, and
was never loath 10 use the appliances OF the
''infidelS" The telegraph line still stretched
from Omdurman across the river to Khar-
tum. but the operator had fled, leaving
behind only his angaTib and water bottles.
Moving along the bank, we came upon new
evidences of the former Importance of the
city. Stone abounds in the neighborhood,
and most of the buildings on the river bank
were large and substantial.
The governors palace, Of which the facade
and the walls of the first floor remain,
must have been an edifice of some preten-
sion. It's walls are sOlidly made of stone
and inclOse a parallelogTam of considerable
extent. In the center is a large courtyard
IS the garden, and on the east a one-story
building with fiat roof Of cement. The
dlvan where Gordon awaited his fate was
at the front of the house over the arcaded
basement. and near the windows. whose
fan-shaped tops give them distinctive APP
pearance. In the corner facing south is a
pile of red brick and stone, with the marks
Of staircase on the wall. 1t was here that
Gordon died. Stains story Of the last scene
BY natives. Gordon. standing on the top of
the steps, demanded of the Arabs:
Where is your master?"
The only reply was spear thrust and
Gordon fell forward without a word His
body was dragged to the palace entrance,
where the head was cut off and sent to the
Madhi, who caused it to be exposed in ON
durman. What became of the body is uncer-
tain. This only is known-that it was hacked
10 pieces by the horde of fanatics against
whom the governor of Khartum had made
so gallant a stand The palace WAS after
ward used as Il ndrem by the khalifa, and
remained much Gordon left 1t until Abb
dullahi- bin-Sayd. fearing the growing infu-
ence Of his rivals, invented a new supersd-
ton. and made Omdurman the sacred city
of the Madhi There are still traces of the
shops on the promenade near the Blue Nile
which Gordon cleared out TO accommodate
those English who never came" Piles Of
bricks mark the place of the houses on the
north that were loopholed and stoekaded for
defense. The mosque. with its tall minaret
has disappeared. though there are still YES
tiges of the arsenal, the Austrian consulate
and the Roman Catholic mission house
which Gordon turned into fortress. One or
two rooms in the basement of the palace
are whole. OF the walls and forts upon
which Gordon placed reliance, scarcely a
trace remains.
Among the people W 10 linger in this once
beautiful city are few If the original inhabi-
tants. When Khartum was the seat of gov
eminent il had pop llation Of fifty thou
sand. OF these nearly thirty thousand were
slaves Tor the city vas rendezvous for
slave caravans from Kordofan, Seminar and
Abyssinia. The slaves. Dinlxas, Shuluks and
other negroes, We're transferred to Onldur-
man when the hhalifa gave instructions
that the rival city ON the Blue Nile was ~
be destroyed and evacuated. The free popu.