The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-12-29
PREVIOUS
RUMORS
CONFIRMED.
The Strength of Boer Positions
Evtnce the Acme Of Military
A WELL DISCIPLINED ARMY
with Modern war Appliances and
Expert aunnerS, is What the
British Face.

LONDON. Dec. $50 a. m.-Dur-
ing the continued lull in the military
operations in. South AFRICA. the papers
are alIed with letters and articles crit
iclslng the government and the CAM
paIgn, and suggesting remedies. Inn
provements, alterations in the plans
and the like.
The Times complains Of needless
censorship and conceGlment." 1t cites
the fact that nothing has yet transpIred
to show how General GGtacre came to
lose 800 men at stromberg.
The dispatches from the front all re-
port the Boers as in a nervous .condl-
ton, and in constant dread of the
British advance. but this is probably
an exaggeratIon.
The Modder River correspondent Of
the Daily Chronicle gives an explana-
,Ion Of a sudden rifle IRE inexplIcably
opened from the Boer trenches. He
says:
THE Beers have. wires stretched
along the ground in front of the
trenches, and connected with lamps.
II a wire be touched lamp is extin-
guished, thus giving warning. One
night a high wind extlngulshed a
lamp, which resulted in false warn
ing. The hre ceased when the Beers
discovered that the alarm was false"
A correspondent OF the Daily News
At Frere Camp announces that tram
way Is being constructed from the rail-
way to a hlll commanding the Boer
position, and along this the British will
convey heavy guns.
According to dispatch from Lady
smith, dated Wednesday, December 20,
the heat was intense. being 1O4 degrees,
Fahrenheit, In the shade. There were
many cases Of enteric fever in the town
at that time, but not enough to cause
alarm. on the other hand, reports
from Boer sources on the continent as
ssrt that typhoid fever is epidemic at
LadysmIth.
The Trangvaal government, accord
ing to information supplied by Boer
sympathIzers, threatens to reduce the
rations OF Brltlsh prisoners II Great
Britain stops the entry of food by Della
goa bay
Tho British government now evinces
a marked change from Its attitude in
the early stages of the war, and shows
q disposition to accept assistance from
any quarter. The imperial yeomanry
committee has intlmated that II is now
prepared to accept from 5000 to 10000
yeomanry. instead of the 5000 originally
asked for.
cHIEvBLEY CAMP. Natal, wednes-
day. Dec. ST.-A heavy BOer gun on
Bulwhana hill fired steadily upon
LadysmIth throughout the morning.
LadysmItt. did not reSpoad.
The enemy having been again de-
tected attempting to improve their
trenches facing General Butler, the
British heavy guns opened upon them
and the Beers scampered back into the
hills,
The British patrols sighted the en-
emy In force on the extreme left. Nine
Boers were killed in u sklrmIsh that
followed and six Boer wagons were
captured.
LONDON, Dec. ga dispatch to the
Daily Mall from PIetermnritzburg,
dated Saturday. December %, says:
Every day reveals some new fact re-
gardlnE the strength of the Boer posi-
tion at cOlenso. Thanks to the services
Of continental officers, the character Of
the campaign has changed. We are no
lougor lighting a foe who relies upon
GUERILLA tactics, but what we have TO
deal with is rapidly becoming discl-
plined army, enjoying the advantages
Of knowing the country and OF select
ing the scene Of contest without the
burdens Of cumbersome cOmmlssarlat.
''The BoerS have converted the hills
near ColenSo Into fortresSes Of i'm
mense strength. Everywhere they
have splendid trenches, many Of them
bomb-proof. Tramway lines permit the
shifting of guns with astonishing rap
idlty. The main positions are connect
ed with the outlying positions by un-
dsrground passages and the forts
proper brlStle with machine guns, that
command the approaches. Probably
mines are laid.
"one hears less nowadays about Boer
shells not bursting. Observers of the
Colenso fight say the Boer shell fire
was very effective. This is due largely
to the fact that the distances are
marked OF with white paint.
THE enemy'S discipline is improving,
The trenches represent great manual
labor, for which the Beers have keen
dislike, and the way in which they re-
strain their FIRE when our troops were
advancing is another proof of improved
uoIdicnng"
HERR PoTT