The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1899-10-19
The Beers Cut the Railway at
Belmont and Are Erecting
Fortified EarthwOrkS.
KIMBERLEY Is IN A STATE OF SIEGE.
The Town Is Isolated, Both Railway
and Telegraphic Communication
Having Been Cut OFF.
rirlne Heard In the Direction OF ofEimberisy
-AForce Uoder Cousmaadsnt yIlJoen,
From spitzkep. Oesupied New
castis Saturday Afternoon.

castis Saturday Afternoon.
IoxpoS, Oct 16.-The Daily Mails
Cape Town correspondent, telegraph
ing Sunday evening. says: Kimberley
is besieged and the Beers are massing
in force No details, however, are OBJ
tainabie. The Beers have cut the rail-
way at Belmont, have seized the Spy
,ontein railway station and construct
ed fortified enrthworka There are
strong defending forces at Modder
bridge and the Orange river bridge.
The object of these energetic oper-
a,ions is believed to be the capture Of
Cecil Rhodes Kimberley is now isolat-
cd, both railway and telegraphic COM
munication being cut"
The Daily Mails Glencoe camp cor.
respondent under date of sunday says:
a force under Commandant Viljoen,
from Spitzkcp. occupied Newcastle
Saturday afternoon, and it is reported
planted their flag over the town hall.
lit is rumored that the Beers have
captured police patrol of six men at
De Jagers Drift on the Buffalo river.
CAPE Town, Oct. 16.--The Modder
river station master reports that firing
has been heard in the direction of
Kimberley. and the station master at
Belmont tc,egraphs that force OF
Beers IS advancing southwark.
Flowerdew, the engine driver Of
Capt Nesbitt's train, which was de-
rallied and bombarded by the Beers,
stated that if the train had returned
when warning was received that the
Beers held the line. it could easily have
made its way back to Maribogo, but
Capt. Nesbitt insisted upon an endeav-
or being made to reach Mafeking.
When the pilot engine was derail-
ed" said Flowerdew, 1--WE spent half
hour trying 10 replace 1t on the track.
Then the Beers commenced firing. and
several men were wounded. The fir
ing was kept up all night but without
effect. The Beers were careful to con-
centratc their fire upon the engines so
as to save the armored carriage and
ammunition trucks. At dawn they
commenced to lombard the cars l
escaped by crawling a mile and half
on my belly in the sand. Whom both
engines were destroyed Capt Nesbitt
exhibited flags of truce but the Beers
continued their firing for another quar-
ter of an hour.
There is no doupt that all the 9TH
ers on the train are prisoners and that
the carriage and the ammunition in
tact fell into the hands of the Beers" "
There is an unconfrmed rumor that
the imperial forces intercepted a body
OF Transvaal Beers who were attempt
ing to join the Boer forces at Modder
river, and that a heavy engagement
occurred at spyfontein station, south
of Kimberley.
DURHAM. Oct. 16.-Following Is the
strength and disposition OF the troops
In Natal:
At Ladysmith, seven batteries, 80
guns, 4. 900 infantry.
At Estercourt, 200 volunteers and at
Oolenzo 427 volunteers. These with
the force at Pietermaritzburg make a
total of Is, 900 men in Natal
LONDON. Oct 16.-A special dispatch
fled at Dundee, Natal, Sunday after
noon, reports that Commandant VIII
joen's force had left Newcastle for
Dsrnhauser. where the Transvaal nag
has been hoisted over the town hall.
LONDON, Oct. 1G-The Cape Town
correspondent of the Morning Leader
telegraphing Sunday night says: 1T
is reported that fighting began at Kim
berlcy Monday morning. "The rail-
way has been cut at Belmont"
CAFE TowS. Oct l6-The news OF
hghting at Modder river is not coa-
hrned. The station master at Moddes
river ielegraphs that Beers from the
north and south have taken Gsnger-
shat which they are fortifying.
DURHAM, Oct. l6-Two extraordinary
garettes have been issued. The first
proclaims martial law in the New
castle. Dundee. Kip river, Unsiga and
Upper Tugil& divisions. The reason
given is a belief that Natal subjects
have joined the invading Beers and
assisted The enemy.
The other gazette reminds British
subjects Of their obligations to the
queen, and warns them to abstain
from intercourse and trade with the
Transvaal and the Orange Free State.
Tho Mar ch Declared on
WICHITA. Kan, Oct. 16.--CaH Brown,
who led Coxey's army 70 Washington,