Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-10-15
The First Battle Between the Eng
Iish and the Beers.
R ~, \ ,I AND RUMoRs
Commanders Inyndo RooinErondo
aud Destroy Train nnd Bridge
Fighting CONTINUES. between vrr-
ST.. burg and Kimberly "A tack Cd
Dutch Farmers Aronsed. British
Employ Armorcd Patrol Trains
Exhortntion and warning.

ooN Nshs
G. -------
London, October 14-Furthcr details
are at hand regarding the destruction
of the armored train at kraaipan'
These show that Captain Nesbitt, who
was in command of the train. was
warned at Maribogo that The Beers
held the line. He replied that he was
bound to proceed. Nearing Nraaipan
the train dashed into.a culvert that
had been blown up by the Beers, who
We're lying In walt for the train. The
Boer artillery Immediately opened, fire
and a desperate fight appears TO nave
cnsucd, lasting four hours with the odds
greatly against the British. The pre-
else details are uncertain.
1t seems, however, that Il police pa
troll. attracted by the firing. approach
led within about a thousand yards or
Kraaipan, saw the train ditched, with
the Boer artillery still pounding Mt 1t,
but noticed no response. The Boers
seemed afraid to approach until the
wreck was complete; and the police pa.
troll feared, as there was no sign OF
life near the train, that the entire force
had persisted in q desperate attempt to
get the train back to MufekinG, where
they knew 1t was anxiouslv awaited
with its load Of guns and ammunition.
1t Is reported that the Beers lost
heavily, but there is no means OF verify
ing this. Two miles OF rails were torn
I'D.
RUMoRs AND RUMORS.
There is no authoritative confirmation
of tho report that a battle has been
4 fought in Natal betw0cn General Sir
4 George s,te0ai't Whltennd the Orange
FREQ State troops. although there IL
no question that the Beers have cross
pl4 tia frOntfar q Several DOl1tS. |TneX
are said to have eighteen guns, but II.
as Is reported, the enga cement began
before the Beers had formed n laager
and thrown UP earthworks, the British
cavalry and artillery are liable to have
had the best of the fighting.
1t is even already reported that the
British have gained a great victory;
that two. thousand Beers were Killed,
and that the British loss was very
slight; but this may be without foun-
dation, as another report has been pub
lshed TO the effect that Lord Roths-
child was in receipt OF news Of great
British victory. but when the Associa-
ted Press representative questioned him
regarding the alleged dispatch he re-
piled:
IT am sorry that have not received
anything Of the sort"
BRIDGE AND TRAIN DESTROYED.
London, Oct 14.-In connection with
the rumored attack upon NIafeking, a
disquietlng report comes from Preto-
ria to the effect that the Rustenburg
and Marico commanders have crossed
the border and entered the Rooigrond
between Iichtenburg and Ma
feking. blowing up the bridge over the
Maloppo river and destroying a train
load of dynamite and the track.
AS Mafeking depends OIL Rooigrond
for its water supply. the significance Of
this move Is evident
FIGHTING CONTINUES.
London, Oct. 1.-THE Beers, it is re-
ported, have seized the railway sta
ton north Of Fourteen Streams, be-
tween Vryburg and Kimberley. Fight
Ing is still continuing In the neighbor-
hood.
THE BOERS REPULsED.
London, Oct. 14.-According to dis
patches from the front, the Beers have
made several attacks upon Mafeking,
all of which have been repulsed.
ARMORED TRAIN DESTROYED. (,
London. Oct. Little Exchange Tel
y egraph Company has received a dis
patch from Cape Town dated this
morning, saying that the Beers had
blown up another armored train, car
rying telegraph operators from MAIZE
king.
5 "A CONFIRMATION.
vryburg, Bechuanaland, Oct. - {De-
layed in transmlssion) An arnored
train which left here to-day with Is
men, two Nordenfeldts unmounted and
repairing party, was engaged by the
enemy from II o'clock this morning to
s.; this afternoon. The attempt to re-
pair the line and communicate with
z Mafeking was not successful Firing
was very brisk on both sides. During
( the opening of the engagement artil-
lery fire was heard. This must have
been the artillery OF the Beers. whose
numbers are probably exaggerated.
The train engaged Is known as the
Mosquito train.
Smaller armored trains from Mafe-
{ king with fifteen men of the protector
ate regiment and a larger armored
train with the I.ancashres have ar
rived here, all proceeding to Kimberly
In safety.
TRAIN PARTY CAPTURED.
London, Oct. 14.-The following off,
4 ciai dispatch has been received from
Cape Town, where it was filed at 2;35 D.
m. to-day:
Us 1.-THE engine driver and one native
4 escaped from the armored train The
y former. was wounded in the hand. He
reports that Capt. Nesbitt was slightly
wounded and that the party in the
l.l 4