Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1899-10-05
BOERS ARE
ADVANCING
They Showsno SIen of RecedIne
From Their Position.
ENGLAND NOT so BolsTRoUs
She Is Looking for a Large. Hole
In Which 70 scrawflsh.

arh s-Ee stff
New York, Oct. 5.-A dispatch to
the Tribune, from london, says Pro
minent men connected with3the milf
tary and other services now declare
that there will be no hostilities with
the Transvaal but thatssmattefs will
be adjusted at the last moment Pub
lie opinion also reflects this view, al
though mo sintelligibae reason can be
given for reaction against the war
feeling which prevailed for the last
three weeks. - ~. n
London,O ,Oct. 5.-The Daily Tele-
graph publishes this morning a dis
patch from New Castle, Natal, dated
yesterday announcing that the Boer
advance began yesterday, with double
movement Of artillery The dispatch
says: '"Ehe Beers, are occupying
Laing's Mex nightly and now hold the
mountains to the south of Volksrust
There are no British troops nearer
than Ladysmith and preparations are
being made to abandon Natal from the
frontier to Glencoe. The inhabitants
of New. Castle met today and decided
not to attempt to defend the town in
the event of an advance in force. Cen
eral Symons is preparing to evacuate
within twenty-four hours. People are
crowding the .tra1ns for Ladysmith- . r.
The alleged Boef advance coincedes
curiously with simultaneous kilograms
from various quarters regarding the
Boer ultimatum and the expiration of
the limit in the evening. A distinctly
serious statement comes from New
Castle to the effect that armed Kaffirs
accompany the Boer commanders. This
would be an absolute breach of the
conditions WHICH are supposed to gov
ern warfare among civilized nations
and if true pressages scenes worse
than even the gloomiest forecasts.
From other New Castle advices it
appears the premier of Natal tele-
graphed the military authorities that
they can render New Castle no assist
ance; adding that If the Beers intend
to attack the town resistance would
be futile. and women and children
should be sent away and the town
then surrendered.
An unconfirmed report says that |
martial law has been proclaimed in
the ~Transvaalss A4s
NewsC Castle, Natal, iOct.. $40: so a.
ma dispatch has been received
from the government stating that
there is noy immediate cause for
alarm This has had the effect of ar
resting the panic.
Mr., Chamberlain sent a reply to the
Cape commissioners saying I'm
perial authorities are unable to adopt
the suggestion of the petitioners for
reasons stated in the note to Trans
vaal .September H. In view of the re-
fusal of the Transvaaf to entertain
that moderate and conciliatory offer
the imperial authorities have been
compelled to formulate their own pro-
posals. regarding the final settlement,
which will shortly be communicated
to Transvaal."
Intelligence from Cape Town in
cludes an official denial of the. rumor
that the British nave crossed the
Transvaal frontier, near, Kimberly.
There is a-defnite feeling throughout
Cape that the delay in forwarding
Reinforcement is very dangerous. A
petition to Queen Victoria, signed by
fifty-e eight members; of the Cape house
assembly has been forwarded through
the British high commissioner, urg-
ing the abandonment of warlike meas
ures. CAS- the Transvaal is now fully
awakened to the riisdom of liberal
concessions" and praying her majes-
ty to appoint a commission forthwith,
to confer 49, sags
Although today's news from South
Africa is grave, the adherents of peace
still derive glimpse of hope from the
dispateKesft hat the stage of negotiation
is not yet fully terminated. Side bYside
with the announcement that the Beers
have occupied Laing's Mex is printed n
dispatch from Pretoria stating thatsthe
Transvaal government has issued strict
injnnctiOns to its 6Omm andantS., that
the British territory must not be In
vaded and the coinmandaBt. General
Joubert, has issued a proclamation
threatening to shoot any man who
CROSSES Ll0 DOEutT.
Scardely Aiad the advocates Of peace
exchanged congratulations over the.
announcement from the Transvaal that
]. II. SHoffmeyer, Afrikander leader,
and w = ESchreinsr Gap3 Premier, had
undertaken asjointssewi a official peace
mission and actually started for Pre-
toria where they ought to have arrived
last evening, when late messages from
the Transvaal capital declared the Boer
government knew nothing of this al
legged mission. and in any event nothing
could preserve peace but the withdraw
al of the British demands. There is
not a jot of evidence to show that the
burghers contemplate recedlng.
Another New Castle special forwarded
later than that to the Daily Telegraph
declares all to be quiet on the border
last evening and there was no sign of
Boer advance.
A dispatch dated New Castle, Natal,
$40 a. M, says "Telegraphic commun-
ication with Charlestown Is open. The
Boer command at Sandspruit was re-
5nforced yesterday but no general
force is expected This information
is important as it contradicts the
alarmist dispatch to the daily Tele-l
graph.
british Troons in Arabia