The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-05
ONE CONTINUOUS ROAR
LIKE BURSTING BOMBS
White Flags and Red Cross Com
pletely Ignored.
Tons of Shrapnel and Shell Poured
Into the Boer Entrenchmsnts-,
Havoc Wrought In the British
Ranks-Five Hours of Furious
Fighting-Gen. Cronje Had to
Whip His Soldiers to Keep Them
From Disbanding.

London, Dec 4.-The correspondent
of the Associated Press with Genera
Lord Methuen's column, telegraphins
from Modder river last Thursday, says
THE Waterloo of the campaign has
been fought and won. The battle wa:
conducted with unprecedented stub
bornness on both sides. There was onf
continuous roar, like the explosion OF
countless firecrackers. There was nc
fiinching on either side, and not mo-
ments pause. fai'e-i it.'la
For five hours the British batteries
poured tons of shrapnel and shells into
the Boer positions. Lord Methuen had
twenty-five guns and each fired an
average of 200 rounds. The Beers had
an almost equal number of guns, which,
it is reported, were mostly served by
French and German artillerists.
1T is beHeved that the Beers had
occupied the position seven weeks be-
fore, and had spent the interval in for
tifying and rendering it, as they con-
sidered, impregnable They did not seem
to fear to spend their ammunition, and
their guns We're well and smartly han
died.
owing to the bend in the river on the
right the Beers had an opportunity of
crosS-firing on the British attack. A
Boer Hotchkiss was directed with mar
Vicious accuracy against British
Maxim. killing the sergeant in charge,
wounding an officer and disabling the
gun. This occurred quite at the begin
ming of the engagement. Whenever the
Boer fire was silenced in one direction
it was Immediately reopened in an
other
Owing to the terrific fire nobody on
the plain was out of range. Stretcher-
bearers found it impossible 10 go for
ward in the few cases they were called
upon to attend. and the wounded were
compelled, if possible, TO crawl out of
the lines.
No Quarter Was Given.
NO quarter seems to have been given
on either side. The British assert that
amid the bullets the ambulance wag-
ons displayed their flags promiscuously
to an advantage. These were repeated
ly driven back and compelled to take
refuge out of sight.
1T is alleged that the Beers used
dunn dums, and made special targets of
the horses on the plain, in the hope of
hitting the riders. While the Argyll
Highlanders were pushing across the
river they were fired upon from a
house and several fell. Thereupon the
Highlanders stormed the house and
although the Beers hoiSteda White nag,
no attention was paid to it. and all the
Beers were shot.
ut is reported that General COME,
with his contingent, retreated toward
Langeberg at o'clock in the afternoon.
Others followed in the direction of ia
cobsdahl, and the main body of the
Beers retired with the guns about in
the evening. On the following morning
at daybreak the British fired a few
shells into the village. Getting no re-
Spouse a patrol of cavalry crossed the
river and found the enemy's camp de-
serted. Dead Beers and many who were
dying were to be seen everywhere in
the entertainments. as well as numer
Gus new graves. Several buildings were
in smoking ruins.
Some of the Boer prisoners say that
General COME was in supreme COM
mand. He had to whip his men TO pre-
vent them from deserving. and despite
this many threw down their rifles and
fed