The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-25
MANY RUMoRs AFLoAT.
London In a State of Disquietude
Over Absence of Authentic News.

| Londons Oct. 24-The war office here
/ has this morning been attempting to
| explain the sl11nmary@of the situation
in Natal furnished by the commander
IN Chief of the forces. Field Marshal
Lord Wolseley to the house of commons
yesterday. His statement is now. said
to have created unnecessary alarm, and
it is asserted that what the official note
called General Yule's retirement
would be more accurately described as
a change of position for tactical
reasons" ard that the alarm for the
| safety of the wounded is not justified
1t is further explained that the
wounded could not be moved but the
fact that they had to be left to their
fate while the British forces made a
strategic movement to the rear shows
the suspense of the house at the, alb
sence of subsequent news is amply
justified and that the heavy fighting
on Friday and perhaps Saturday is
perhaps a preludG TO still sterner work
In some quarters the view is taken
that the second attack of the Beers has
actually occurred and was so successful
that General sYules withdrawal was
imperative and urgent to the extent
of compelling him to leave his-5hos-
pitfalls in the hands of the Beers While
the more sanguine express the opinion
that General Ylue far from retreating,
has in reality advanced to meet the at
tack threatening Glencoe, leaving Dun
dee behind, safely sheltered from a
Boer assault $40
In the absence of authentic news
there are a number of contradictory
rumors afioat, but the mcst reasonable
Interpretation of the various reports
seems to Indicate that there was san1e
artillery IRA etice' at Glencoe Saturaay
and Sunday but no fighting at close
Quarters. AS however communication
between Glencoe and Ladysmith, which
it was thought to have been restored
by the British victory at Elandslaagte,
has again been broken by the destr.iie-
ton of the railway bridsa at WaSch-
bank, north of Ladysmith and be-
tween Elandslaagte ard Glencoe, the
difficulties of the British commander
in Natal, General Sir George Stewart
White, in reinforcing Glencoe have
been enormously increased. and Until
the British forces at sLadys1mith and
Glencoe ara reunited and the main body
of the Beers is broken up, the situation
must remain disquieting fer the British
The afternoon papers here sharply
priticise Lord W'cf5aley's summary of
the Natal situation They say it has "a
distinct resemblance to the statements
of the Spanish ministry when prepar-
ing their countrymen fer news of iitle
disaster at Santiago This. however. is
probably an over-strained view. There
is no denying, however, the great sus-
pense and anxiety existing which has
been increased by the report in circuia
ton purporting to emanate from of
fetal quarters to the effect that the
Beers have secured the services of
1900 natives.
The vague and varied eestimates of
Boer losses and the absence of any Of
fetal report on the subject are also
arousing misgivings as to whether the
beaten enemy suffered proportionateay
to the disastrous losces of the victors
One of the mos. disquieting stories
comes from Ladysmith. 1t is to the eff
feet that an Englishman. who arrived
there from Dundee on Sunday evening,
after escaping through the Beer liriss
on the previous night said the enemy
was then she[ling the camp and town
with heavy guns while tire shells of thu
British were urlsble to reach the
enemy,s batteries. Consequently. he is
said tovl1ave aGded, the. camp was shift
ed a mile CIR SO in order to be out of
the reach of the Beers, who were firing
onfthe magazine il. the town