The Oskaloosa herald., 1899-10-19
X MB3RLEY'S PERIL.
This Important City the Center of
Interest in the Beer War.
WELL GUARDED BY B2ITISH TROOPS.
1t Is Believed That They Can Hold
Out Until Relief Arrives, and
There Is Little Anxiety
Over the situation.


! that the Beers have advanced beyond
, Newcastle and formed laager neal
) Bannhauser, about II miles north OF
Dundee, and that Kimberley is isolated
and probably invested.
Kimberley has thus become the i'm.
mediate center of interest. The last
message from Kimberley, prior to the
cutting of the telegraph and the rail.
way by the Beers, said:
"All the troops at Kimberley are
we'll"
AS there are 5000 troops there, there
is little anxiety for the safety of the
town, especially as the Boer force is
said to be only of about the same
strength. Many stories of brisk fighting
at that point are in circulation; but, al
though the forces are likely to have
come into contact, all alleged details
must be regarded as premature and
speculative, especially If the reports be
true that the Orange Free State troops
are now in complete possession Of the
railway from Kimberley to Orange
river, 20 miles away. The alleged
virulence of the Boer attacks upon
Mafeking and Kimberley can readily be
understood, when it is realized that
Bechuanaland is to the Beers what
Alsace-LOrraine is to France.
1t is therefore probable that both
towns will be forced to undergo long
and drcary investment before the Brit
ish are in position to send relieving
column.
On the other side of the country the
Beers are closing around the British
outposts and have already come into
touch with them, and exchanged shots.
Therefore, more stirring news is ex-
pected.
The narrow city streets adjoining the
Guild hall and stock exchange Mon
day were crowded. The immediate oc-
casion was the meeting convened by the
lord mayor of London, Sir John Voce
Moore, to declare the confidence of bust
ness men in the city proper in the South
African policy of the government.
Hundreds of members of the stock
and wool exchanges, and of the great
banking and underwriting firms.
formed professions in front of their
various offices and marched to the
Guild hall, singing the national airs
and brandishing flags, accommodating
masses of recruits at every turn.
The Guild hall was packed with peo-
pie. a band stationed in the orchestral
gallery led off in patriotic airs, which
were taken up by the audience, amid
the waving of numberless union jacks.
A Resolution of Confidence.
The lord mayor and sherifrs were
loudly cheered on arriving and the
name of President Kruger provoked
storm of "Poohs!' A resolution ex-
tolling the premier, Lord Salisbury.
and the secretary of state for the col
onies, Mr.. Chamberlain, was proposed
by the lord mayor, seconded by Sir John
Lubbock, unionist, member of par1ia-
ment for London university, and en-
Enthusiastically adopted.
Patriotic demonstrations took place
Monday at Birmingham, Crewe and
other towns, from which reserves start
ed for Aldershot.
London, Oct. 17.-Dispatches from
the Cape are very meager, but they in
clude an important message from Glen
coe Camp, dated 1885 Monday after
noon, announcing that the Boer COM
mandoeS which invaded Natal through
Laing's Mex, and after occupying New
castle, advanced to Pannhauser, retired
on lngagane Sunday evening, their
transport service being reported de-
fective. This will delay indefinitely
the anticipated and hoped for assault
On the strong British position at Glen
cOe.
There are rumors that the Beers have
been repulsed at Mafeking and are at
lacking Vryburg.
A Cape Town paper has dispatch
from the Orange river stating that the
telegraph wires have been cut between
Nryburg and Kimberley, and it is be-
lieved that the Beers are taking advan-
tage of the presence of b arge gather
ing of disloyal farmers at Vryburg
celebrating Nachtmaal to attack the
town, hoping that the farmers will as
sist them against the British.
The same dispatch says that the Brit
ish force at Kimberley is confident of
its ability to hold out, but urges the i'm
mediate dispatch of relief force.
This question of a possible rising of
the Dutch farmers in the northern por-
tons of Cape Colony is very impor-
tant.
The Natal invasion was made in
three columns at dawn on October IL,
through Bothas pass, Laings Mex and
from Wakkerstroom, the objective
point of the invaders being Newcastle.
The Beers utilized several thousand ma
tives, who were tramping from the rand
to drive their heavy guns up Laings
Mex.
Dispatches from Dundee say that &C
cording to the report of refugees, the
Boer invaders of Natal are estimated at
10000. All the noncombatants and
women and children have been sent
from Dundee.
Precs utions are being taken for the
defense of Pietermaritzburg and Dur-
ban, in the remote contingency that the
enemy maN elude the vigilance of the
British at the Ladysmith and Glencoe
camps.
A refugee asserts that Gommandaut
Viljoen's command contains a surpris-
ing mum Der of Hollanders, Germans and
Englishmen.