Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 September 1896 — SHELLED A PALACE. [ARTICLE]

SHELLED A PALACE.

BRITISH GUNBOATS BOMBARD ZANZIBAR. Usurping Soltau Said Kahlid and His Followers Driven Out by Storm of Missiles and Fire—His Gunboat Souls Fugitives Hemmed In. Ultimatum Backed by Force. The-palace of the Sultan of Zanzibar was bombarded by the British Thursday morning and at noon was a mass of biazIng ruins. The usurping chieftain, Said Kahlid, and the commander of his forces, Said Sales, succeeded in escaping to the German consulate, where they have sought refuge and remain under the protection of the German flag. Said Khalid seized the palace and proclaimed himself sultan on the death of Sultan Hamed Bin Thsaid Bin Said, and had been strongly re-enforced and positively refused to surrender. Said Khalid had with him at that time about 2,500 well armed and well disciplined men, including 900 Askaris, who have been trained under British officers, plenty of ammunition and a number of field guns and other pieces of artillery which were trained on thw British warships. The latter were: The flagship St. George, the third-class cruiser Philonien, the third-class cruiser Raccoon and the first-class gunboats Sparrow and Thrush. Wednesday cabled instructions from London Announced an- ultimatum to Said Khalid. He was ordered to haul down his flag and surrender with his force no later than 9 o’clock Thursday morning. It is understood that Said Khalid received re-enforcements from the slave dealers who flocked to his support, as the formal hoisting of the British flag over Zanzibar would mean ■ the liberation off about-*250,000 slaves and a deathblow to slavery in that part of East Africa. Shortly, before 9 o’clock a naval officer was sent to the palace with another message for Said Khalid, asking him if he was prepared to surrender. Said replied that he would die sooner than surrender.

Warships Benin to Fire. At 9 o'clock the Thrush and Sparrow and two gunboats opened fire with their heaviest guns and ten minutes later they had sent a storm of shell and shot into the palace, tearing big gaps in it, scattering death and confusion among its defenders, while dismounting some of the guns ashore and putting to flight the gunners handling the pieces. The tire of the warships was admirably directed and smoke was soon seen to be issuing from several parts of the palace. Said's followers answered the fire of the warships with great persistency and gallantry and did not stop firing until, in response to the flagsliip's signal of “Cease firing,” the guns of the warships stopped showering shot and shell ashore. The losses of the enemy are not known, but must have been heavy, especially among the defenders of the palace proper. During the bombardment the Sultan’s armed steamer Glasgow opened fire on the British warships, but a few well-aimed shells from the heavy guns of the Raccoon and a shot or two from the fourMch guns of the Sparrow crashed through and through her, silenced her tire in short order and ultimately sank her at her moorings. Soon after the palace caught fire and the walls and’ roof were sent flying here and there by the shells of tie warships. Said Khalid and Said Sales, the latter being the commander of the usurping Sultan's army, escaped with a number of their leading followers through the back part of the palace and,hurriedly made their way to the German consulate, where they asked for protection, which was accorded them. Admiral Rawson, in order to prevent the escape of Said Khalid and his followers to of Africa, where their presence would undoubtedly have caused trouble with the slave leaders and their adherents, sent detachments of marines, bluejackets and local Zanzibaris to occupy all the roads and avenues of escape, thus hemming in the enemy pretty effectually, although many escaped to the mainland and islands in flows. A dispatch received at London from Admiral Rawson, dated Zanzibar, 2:45 p. m. Thursday, says. “I issued an ultimatum at 7 o’clock this morning calling upon the usurper to haul down his flag and surrender to me, and directing his followers to pile their arms and leave the palace before 9 o'clock, or otherwise it would be bombarded. Instead of complying. he commenced increasing his fortifications, and his corvette trained her guns on my squadron. I opened fire at 9on the palace and on the corvette, which promptly replied. I ceased firing at 9:40, when the corvette was sunk, all the guns were silenced and the usurpers yielded to the German consul. Hamoud has been appointed sultan. The enemy’s loss was heavy. Only a petty officer of the gunboat Thrush was wounded.’’ Before the bombardment all foreign residents had sought safety (either on the British boats or at their respective lega* tlous. ;