One hundred years ago
The news of a grave, it may be a terrible, incident in Afghanistan, re- ceived on Thursday, rendered all other intelligence unimportant. It was announced from St Petersburg and In- dia that General Komaroff, the Governor-General of Transcaspia, had on March 30th attacked a body of 4,000 Afghan troops in their positions on both sides of the Khuskh, had defeated them with a loss of 500 men, had captured their artillery, and had either stormed or occupied Penjdeh. The main facts having been allowed to come over the wires through Russia, were at once seen to be true, and produced intense excite- ment. A Cabinet Council was at once ' called, the Departments were besieged with questions, and a panic set in on the Stock Exchange. Consols fell 2, Russian stock 9, Egyptian stocks from 5 to 9 - apparently on an idea that England might evacuate Egypt - and Italians 3, and every kind of security except Amer- ican shares felt the reflex influence of the fall. The agitation spread in a more moderate form over the whole king- dom; and persons of the highest import- ance, including several Ambassadors, hurried to the House of Commons to hear in what way the intelligence would be treated by the Ministry.
Spectator, 11 April 1885
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