The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-11-23

"ilhln torty miles OF Pietermaritzhurp
one report indeed, placing them as "a,
south as Nottingham Road, a station
-hVe miles from the capital OF
Natal. They have seized the railway
oe'Ween Estcourt and Mooi river. thus
ihterposing between Hildyard's garrison
OF about 1000 men at the former place
ana Barton's command, numbering about
the same, at the latter. The enemy has
shelied the troops at Mooi river. but has
| apparently inflicted little damage. The
Beers have wrecked the railroad at sev-
eral points and have secured valuable
suppIes Dy lootlng the farms through
Natal pa - Vi
Ihelr strength Is unknown According
10 English reports it is variously esti-
mated from 5000 to 1000 men. Whether
any OF Gen. Joubert's command IS in
cluded In the number is not known, but
" Is generally believed that the Free
state commandos are being concentrate
ed. The fact of their mounting guns
seems TO dispose of the idea that thev
are merely raiding and wrecking II is
reasonable TO assume that il IS an ad-
vance IN force for the purpose of check
| ing zen. Clery before his concentration
- competed, and that on the operations
Impending in the Mooi river district the
immaculate future OF the war depends.
A DARING MOVE.
The Morning Posts military critic |
VINO, throughout the campaign has ro,
p@atedly laid bare the real situation |
sees IN the Beers southward advance |
Driiaht and daring effort To defeat |
the relieving column i'm detail. while !
sun attempting the reduction of the /
pace Tor which the relief is intended"
Ihe critic continues: obviously the
isolation OF Estcourt became most
prontable 10 the enemy when there
We're Just insufficient troops to hold II.
Hence IL does not follow that by de-
ferring his southwark march until now
Gen. Joubert missed the pregnant mo-
nent for his advance. on the contrary.
III he Is strong enough 10 SUCCEED sue
cess VIII count more for him now than
earlier. The occupation OF Weston
fortnight ago would not have given
him the opportunity for a great stroke
which IL does today"
WILL DO NO SWEEPING.
The critic rldicules The talk of ire
sposible persons that Hildyard. after
he has Featen the Beers. will sweep !
them into the Tugela river. He asks
what he Will sweep with, and says He
has but a few irregular cavalry who
are excellent az scouts. but who are
not OF much use in sweeping many ! |
thousand men into a river. The fact +
Ia that any sweeping into the Tugela | f,
is beyond the caDacity OF our forces
north OF Pietermaritzburg. III the Beers I
are beaten thev will doubtless iaelt v
away, as they have always done when y
unhampered by cavalry. TO turn 9
up unconcernedly elsewhere. Even + g
they are decislvely defeated they can g
fall back TO Weenan Shence cross the
Tugela TO the north and regain touch q,
with their investing force at Lady Il
smith" a
Little is known regarding the move y
nents on the western frontiers OF the ;.
republics. Gen. Lord Methuen is re- y
ported to be at Witteputs. almost with
N striking distance OF Belmont, where
he Beers seem to occupy good posi-
ion. n
FIRING AT MAFEKING. y
The latest from Kimberley report
rom a British source OF a successful
ortie on Nov. l6. while the most re- o.
ent news from Mafeking comes from !,
he Boer side in a dispatch from Pre-
oria dated Nov 81. which says: Gen. t'
lyman reports ..eavy fir ng at Mafe- q
ing on the afternoon OF Nov. 20. The n
.ritish fired brlshly AZ the French can le
on and the Boer forts. The Beers n
eplied bombarding the British forts r.
nth good effect. The British loss is O.
Unknown. one Boer was wounded.
4 cape Town correspondent sends :,
be latest news regarding the situa- a
on i'm the northern part OF Cape Col sl
nv. where the most conspicuous fact H.
the considerable success with which
ne invaders have invited the colonists r,
, Join their ranks. ~
An Orange River dispatch states
nat the British loss i'm the sortie from %,
kimberley was ne killed and ctsht o.
ounded.
MOoI RIVER STATION.
The Morning Posts correspondent at bi
+ooi River station. telegraphing under NJ
ate OF vest erday says: "A Boer n.
,rce estimated az from 5000 20 1000 .
en-. with number OF guns, have oc- -,
ipied "A strong position az Mitcheson's W
ltting. two miles north ~ Highlands. sn
he Beers started Smelling Mooi River NV ~,
llage at 1880 o'clock tiis afternoon. 90
hey were posted I'm two strong posi-
ms. Their howltzers opened sudden
at n range of four miles. Their
footing was accurate. Most OF the
ellis dropped into our can y. but the a
Iers could not get " thin rife range NJ
. opened FIRE on a marty Of 200 Beers W,
no were advancing under cover OF ] on