The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-11-03
of urban prosperity.
A RUDE SHOCK

a RUDE SHOCK
Suddenly. in May. 1857, events occurred
to turn The eyes OF the whole world upon
Delhi. A mutny of the native Indian
troops broke out at neignboring canton
ment at Meerut. The mutiaeers during
the night, marched upon Delhi, and IN
the gray OF. the morning appeared under
tie Palace windows. and offered the
Crown OF India to the .puppet Emperor
! lis Aiosul Majesty accepted this; having
been prepared for it by aecret core
snondence which had been going on with
intending mutinecrs in other,parts OF tie
country, The garrison, CONSISTING, entire
y of native Indian troops, fraterrized
With the mutineers. The European Off
GERS, civil and military. We're ovcrpower-
ed and slain--son2e Immediately: others
shortly afterwa rds-w'ith tho sanction of
the upstart Emperor. Ev nientfall OF
that fatal day British rule, had been tenn
porariiy eXt!nguished in Delhi and its
suburbs. TaIe Emperor assusied q s:so-t
OF government, and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. me
ilocking in from all quarters with boards
Of specie pundered from British treas
urles. Ere long IL besiegings force. con-
slshng of European soldiers. sat down on
a ridge on the west OF the city III order 10
recapture it by siege and assault. There
WAS nothing like an investments. one side,
only WAS closed. the other sides we're
open. especially the east side facing the
richest part Of India. The place held out
sturdlly as the Qualifications had beer
completed by British engineers. Still the
siege was heroicaliy pressed. despite the
cruel sickness of the season. for several
months without intermission The CITY
meanwhile. was oyerrun witt. solderv
once disciplineG indeed, but. now, after
The rude roughness that might be eSpect-
ed therefrom. The interior suffered the
usual ravaSes from shot and she'll from,
disease and decentralization Trade and
industry Were held in SUSPENDED ANNA
tloii. right deSertlon, closing OF business
places We're conunuouS. People felt that
IN the end the european force would con-
quef an entrance, and their conscience
1oretold that. after the shocking events CT
mat day in May, some retribution might
he eNactcd. At length, IL the middle OF
September, the breaches were stormed
WITH extreme Sallantry by the British
tlIoopS, ana the city was entered. But the
palace citadel lay at some distance on
the other. Within a few days, after Sc
Nerc street-1ish,ing, all obstacles were
overcome and the palace was taken, but
the Emperor had flown to the shrine
1oihb OF one OF the founders of the
us t'aSl", as to a sanctuary. Thither he
WIS promptly followed up and brought
'5'sGh 20 The palace as a close prisoner.
'7Io! ny afterwards the recaptured cits-
ana Its territory We're entrusted. to Sir
1chn Lawrence. he renowned Chief Com
missioner of The. Punjab then in..theE ze-
MIN OF MS fame. In due course he came
10 DEM to supervise affairs on the spot.
: was 'tieE ms chief secretary and had 10
-, 80
Tents on The historic ridge already men
tioned This brings me to,the scene which
oehelu-namely. the aspect Of Delhi at
that moment
WHAT L SAW.
Standing on the Ridge faced thaa
cashmere Gate. Immediately below me-
We're the remains of the battery. where
at the crisis. shortly before the assault
the big preaching guns We're mornted
almost noiselessly in the dead of night I
for batterins the Gate. Then I walked
UP to the Gate itself. already become ono
of the classic spots in the Annals az tbe
British army, marked the breaches. AMI
noted all parts of the .fortificatjon5 onites
1lddied with cannon ball Passing under
the gloomy portal. as it had come In he
could scarcely believe myself TO be in,
side the once popuous and beautifuI
Delhi. Nausht save tulnb,e dowi, h,uses
dwellings emptied OF their contents
streets blocked with debris. met the eve
Little or no sign was there Of human
life. save here and there some hollow.
eyed visage peerirg through a. cassmant
OF the inhabitants many had fled during
the siege, the remainder had followed 4.
ter the recapturc. dreading the inouist-
ton that might possibly be made re-
gardng mutiny. treason and its MIR
derous accompaniments. The several
were stu surrounded by um-
brageous trees, which had not been cut
down.. The shell and framework OF the i
buildings had been SHARED, but the in
tersors were nothing but an utter blank.
7 hnre .1ras nat r. scLni1r In. tha $1,000.