The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-07

Stores, but Did Not DESTROY Rail-
way Bridges-PeOpIe in a Panic.
EsTCoURT. Natal, Saturday, Nov 4
delayed in transmission).-A reliable
messenger mas just arrived from Lady
smith, passing the Boer lines during +ba
ngnt' VINO reports that heavy fighting
| occurred on Thursday around Ladvsnitt
| Inc hottest engagement was on George
Lathams farm, on the Orange Free
state side Of Besters. The British
drove the Beers back to their camp. The
enemy suffered heavy loss. and thirty
| mounted Beers were captured. The
| nghttng was resumed yesterday Fridav).
the Beers firing from Noesvdotshan hill
near Pewersworth's farm. Again thew
were driven back, with loss. on +beir
! camp.
a large Boer force, with artillery. un-
der George Vessels, has taken I'D a no.
sition on the left Of Beacon. locating
on the Woodhouse, Piccones and Lands
racht hills, facing Besters, and small
command Is now encamped on the south
side OF Pieters station, commanding the
railway. The Beers have torn I'D
the culverts of the railway near Pieters
station, and have burned the wooden
portions
No damage has yet been done at Co.
Ienso. The houses, stores, railway and
iron bridges remain intact. The messen-
ger says he heard the Beers would be in
Colenso today, and the volunteers wera
leaving.
Much regret is felt at the unnecessary
alarm being created at Maritzburg when
there IS no need for IL. The Natal
naval corps, with guns. will return TO
| Maritzburg today, 10 reassure the in
habitants.
| 1t is reported that the Beers lost 500
in killed, wounded and captured in
| Thursdays battle on Latham's farm,
near Ladysmith.
BOERs IN COLENsO.
I Colenso is now in the hands OF the
Beers. Before the evacuation was de-
cided upon the enemy tried TO cut of
I our outposts. The Durham light infantry,
under Lieut. MoIyneux, and a force of
Dublin fusiIeers were sent TO the relief
Of the outposts, and a brisk fight en-
sued The Beers were repulsed, Ieav-
ing twelve dead. Twenty Boer horses
were killed and the others stampeded.
The chief motive for the withdrawal.
/ however, was that the longer range Of
the Beers had made the position untena-
bic. No orders were received for retire
ment
/ While retirement was in progress the
/ Natal volunteers al Fort wylie had great
/ difficulty in getting away their nine
FOUNDER in the dark They were ad-
( vised TO spike the gun, but were exceed
fngly unwilling to do this, resolving TO
make a determined effort to take it with
them. While they were running the gun
on its carriage down a Hill the ropes
broke and gun and carriage rushed on,
the latter being smashed at the bottom
Of the incline. Nothing daunted. the
plucky fellows undertook to carry the
weapon themselves, which had not been
damaged, and they got It here safely.
The Beers shelIed Colenso camp at
dawn today, being apparently unaware
Of the evacuation. They looted the stores.
but did not harm the bridges. saying that
they would work the railway themselves.
The women and children here are crowd
Ing the trains bound for Ptetermarttz-
burg and Durham.
BRITISH VICTORY CONFIRMED
PIETERMARITzBURG Nov. (deIav-
ed in transmission).-The general ,ou1-
manding the approach TO Pietermaritz-
burg has arrived with his staff at EST
court Telegraph line north Of Estc9.1rt
Uninterrupted. There are reports that the
Beers received a crushing blow at Ladv-
smith on. Thursday. This IS not officially
confirmed, but is generally believed
The British forces at Ladysmtfh # now
appears. We're engaged twice on Thurs
day and once on Friday. 1t is said the
cavalry scored heavily and the Infantry
did great execution with bayonets. the
Gordon highlanders carrying the principal
BOec position at the point OF the bayonet.
The Beers lost heavily in killed and
wounded, and a number surrendered.
PURELY SPECULATIVE.
LONDON. Nov This mornings
newspapers contain, as to hostilities in
South Africa little farther than the
evacuation of Colesburg and Stormberg.
/ Those movements, taken together with
the admiralty announcement that the
public must not be disappointed should
the transports not reach their destina-
ton on the dates indicated on the pub
Eshed list, may indicate some change Of
plan necassitated by the bad position Of
affairs in Natal. It was expected that the
army corps would land near Cape Town
Tor an invasion Of the TransvaaI through
the Orange Free State. but the landing
may be now diverted to Durham, Natal,
where it is further expected Sir Redvers
Butler viii go within week or two to
inspect the situation for. himself. There
IT also a possibility of a movement
through Delagoa bay, and the admiralty
notice regarding the transports means
in all likelihood that new developments
ere to be expected. Stormberg was un-
derstood to be the depot where stores,
guns, tents, ammunition and all govern
ment commissariat for the Third divis-
ion-that under Sir William Gatacre-
were in process of accumulation. The
stores have been removed to Queens
town, and an obvious explanation Of
their removal arises out of the BOer adj
vance from Beaulieu and AIiwal North
In view of the near approach of British
reinforcements the Boer advance upon
Cape Colony could hardly be regarded
very seriously. There may, therefore,
be another reason for the withdrawal
and the stores destined for shipments at
Queenstown may be intended for East
Lcndon or Durham. 1t may be Gen. Bull
ler's intention to send on Col. Lord Paul
Continued ON Fourth Page.