The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-24
ENGLISH nv TIGHT PLACE.
Alarming Reports Reach London
From the Scene of Action.

Il
London, Oct 24.-No news yet re-
ceived tends to dispel apprehension
caused by Lord Wolseleys brief sum-
mary of the situation a Pietelmaritz-
burg dispatch says that the censor now
permits no message to be sent from
the front. Other dispatches represent
the Beers as boasting that Dundee is
absolutely cut off, and assert that de-
spite the British victories the situation
is still uncertain.
The Pretoria dispatch giving the re-
port of General Joubert to the govern
Inent evidently refers to the first bat
tie at Glencoe. and the reasons why
CCmmandant Erasmus fai e1 to come 20
the assistance of Commandant Meyer
cannot be fathomed Had he done SO
the British victory might have been
still more dearly bought. Probably
Commandant Meyer, having arrived at
the rendezvous first. thought to get all
the glory of wipIng out the Britishers
himself, and opened attack without
waiting for the others. II SO, the Beers
suffered badly because of his hasti-
ness.
it appears certain, however. that the
brilliant victory at Elandslaagte was
productive of no effect for the relief OF
Glencoe and the very reticence and
brevity of Lord Wolseley's communi-
cation are only too ominOuS. 1t seems
to be worded to prepare the public for
bad news. and it Is only too likely that
General Yule has been compelled to
abandon the wounded prisoners at Dun
dee because his force is too weak to
make the four and a half miles Geparat-
ing Dundee from Glencoe.
Probably General Yule believes he
can better protect Dundee from an
enemy advancing from the northwest
by concentrating all his available
strength at Glencoe. where there are
now $500 men and three batteries. In
the meantime efforts viii be made to
reopen the railway and to get rein
forcements from Ladysmith.
1t is expected that Commandant
Erasmus has by this time Joined Com
mandant General Joubert. and that
their combined columns amounts to
some 10000 or II 900 men. while the Free
State Beers. now threatening Lady
smith from the east, and a column re
ported TO be coming through Zululand,
must also be reckoned with.
In short. General Sir George White
has been unable to follow up his sue
cesses, and is obliged to remain at
Ladysmith without being able TO re-
store railway communication, which is
probably broken at other points besides
Elandslaagte.
nal plan. which was supposed to have
been Colonel Schields, failed. may fairly
be credited with having isolated Gen.
eral Yules brigade and divided the
British forces in Natal. General Yule
may find himself in a tight place. need
ing all his experience in Indian and
Burmese fights to eXtricate himself
1t is quite evident that the war office
aas news which has been withheld from
the public and. if the situation as here
SIX stched is confirmed, Boer divisions
nay be expected at other frontier
points.
Up TO midnight the war office was
besieged with inquiries, the heavy lists
of British losses causing much heart
burning. Said a workingman who was
reading the list:
If this is the price of suzerainty,
good God. but we are paying in fun
1t is regarded as not impossible that
General White may Vet be compelled
to concentrate all the Natal forces at
--adysmi-h and await the arrival of the
army cor-us