Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-12-21
LONDON POREBODlNG
Silence from Africa Creates Fresh
Alarm and the English Fear
More Disaster.
HOT FIGHT AT TUGELA RIVER
The British Went Forward in a Rain Of
Lead Displaying Great Bravery
In the Face Of the Terrible
Fire.

with strong accommodating parties Of
expedition into the Transvaal territory.
He reached point forty miles from
Petersburg, I'M the South African re-
public, klt found no Beers, the country
being seemingly empty of men.
New York, December 21.-A dispatch
to the Herald from London says: Little
credence is placed in the report that
the guns lost by the British were not
captured by the Beers. Had the story
been true General Butler must have re-
ferred to it. His artillery cannot now
muster much more than thirty guns,
while the captured British weapons
have no doubt been mounted in the Boer
lines, and can be used, since the ammu-
milton wagons seem to have been lost
with them.
London, December 21.-There was no
news from South Africa up to p. M
This silence is creating forebodings.
The splendid patriotism of volunteers
continues to be evidenced on all sides.
The newspapers note with satisfaction
the effect this is having on continental
critics. The Westminster Gazette, how
ever, sounds a note of alarm. 1t thinks
the moment peculiarly unpropitious to
send abroad the home defenders, since
NO one Is quite easy as to the effect the
proceedings in South Africa will have
on Great Britain's European neighbors.
Queen Victoria and Princess Beatrice
went by train from Windsor to Farm
borough this morning and spent an
hour with ex-Empress Eugene. The
queen has been greatly annoyed by un-
founded statements that she Is in ill
health and perpetually weeping. A par
agraph contradicting these stories ap-
pears in the papers, which add that it
has never been her majesty's habit to
display grief like a hysterical school
girl"
London, December 21.-Belated stories
from Chieveley camp, Natal, concur In
saying the British did mafvels in an
impossible situation. The oldest war
correspondents say they never saw any
thing comparable with the bravery Of
the men and officers. The naval contin-
gent created an immense furor by en-
gaging the Beers single-handed, hailing
shrapnel and lyddite shells on the forti-
flcations north Of town in vain effort
10 silence the murderous fire OF the
Beers while the British forced the pas
sage Of the river. The advance Of the
second brigade along the road leading
to the bridge, in the face of deadly
fusillade, is described as magnificent
The British forced their way across the
fire zone under a perfect storm of bull
let's from invisible Beers. The patter of
bullets on the dry plain raised the dust
like heavy rain drops on water. The
heat throughout was intense. There
were many special acts of bravery.
London December 81, 4:30 p. m.-The
war office has received the following
from General Forester Walker, the
British commander at Cape Town:
"Methuen wires he received a rude re-
ply from General Cronje respecting rep
resentations as to Lieutenant Chandos-
Pol-Gell, saying this officer Is regarded
as spy. General Cronje also states he
will hold no further communication
with Methuen'
December Is the war office received
the following from General Forester
Walker: "Methuen reports that Lieu
tenant Chandos- Pol-Gell was taken
prisoner last Thursday evening"
London, December 21.-General Rob-
erts bade farewell to- the Prince Of
Wales at Marlborough house. The staff
of the new British commander-in-chief
Of South Africa includes Major Gener-
al Prettyman and Viscount Downe, be-
sides his present staff.