Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1899-12-02
FEARS FOR GENERAL
METAUEN'S DIVISION
No Further News Respecting His
Advance Has Been Received
in London.
BRITISH LOSSES VERY HEAVY
Later Iteports show Their Casuai.
ties Were Much Heavier
Than First Dispatches
Indicated.

London, Nov. 2s.--No further news
respecting Lord Methuen's advance
has been received, and the absence OF
official details regarding the losses
create the greatest suspense, espe-
cially since the publication of the
heavy sacrifices endured by the naval
brigade. No alarm, however, is felt
as to his position, despite fhe evidence
that the Beers Intend 10 contest every
foot of the way. II was known that
in the absence OF sufficient cavalry he
would be compelled TO advance slowly.
He has preference for night or early
dawn attacks, which events seem to
be justified owing TO the fact that the
HoeTs are decidedly adverse 10 dark
ness for their operations. The fact
| that In the Gras Pan action one Brit
ish battery fired 500 rounds proves the
desperate nature of the fighting and
there is little doubt that the casualties
were heavy. 1t is now known that no
guns were captured in the Belmont
engagement.
Meanwhile the news from Natal is
distinctly more hopeful from the Brit
lsh point of view. The details are
rather vague, but it seems certain that
the Beers are retiring. Communica-
tion is being reopened and the Brit
ish relief forces are joining hands.
This, taken with General Buffers ar.
rival at Pietermaritzburg is expected
to make matters move briskly very
soon.
General Hildeyard's reconnaissance
is described as a work of very great
difficulty admirably executed.
The troopship Medic arrived at
Cape Town yesterday with the Ausa
tralian contingent. The Pindar and
the Idaho arrived there Sunday, bring.
ing three batteries of artillery. The
Servia with troops has left Cape Town
for Durham and the Mohawk and Man
chester have arrived at Durham,
The utmost activity prevails In get
ting war necessaries really for the
front. Five thousand men worked all
day Suntay at Woolwich arsenal pre-
pairing stones.
Among the minor items Of news is q
rumor that President Krueger is suf-
fering with Bright's disease and that
his condition is giving rise to anxiety.
Five hundred Beers attacked Kur-
man, in Bechuanaland, on November
Is. The fighting lasted almost con-
tinuously for six days and nights, but
the Beers were finally beaten off with
loss OF thirty In killed and twenty
eight i'm wounded.
The British lost one killed and one
wounded. The Beers suddenly disap-
peared for some reason unknown t6
the British. Despite the brighter out
look at present, the Times, in its re-
view of the situation, voices the anX-
iety felt, and says: THE activity the
Beers display at points separated by
hundreds of miles, their ability to in
vest several towns, their readiness TO
offer battle at Belmont and again at
Gras Pan; their widespread opera
tions south of Orange river and their
bold and offensive action I'm Natal,
seem to indicate numbers far in excess
of our estimates. II is clear that the
requirements were ut first
greatly undercstimated, and that
sixth division ought Immediately to be
prepared for embarkation."
This, coming from the hitherto OPP
timistic Times, is significant.