The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-26

the battle, dispatched from the head laa-
ger, Dec. 16, says:
Friday at dawn the day long expected
arrived. The Pretoria detachment of ar
tiliery gave the alarm. Gen. Buffers La
dysmith relief column was In battle ar
ray, advancing on the Boer positions,
close to the Tugela and Colenso. The
center consisted of an immense crowd of
infantry. flanked on each side by two
batteries, with strong bodies of cavalry
supporting. The Boer artillery preserved
absolute silence, not disclosing its posi-
ton. Two batteries came within rifle
distance of our foremost position and the
Beers then opened fire with deadly effect.
Our artillery also commenced, and ap-
rarently absolutely confused the enemy,
who We're allowed to think the bridge
was open for them to cross. Their right
flank In the meantime, attacked the
Beers southernmost posfr4 n, but the
Mauser rife fire was SO tremendous that
they were rolled back like spent wave.
leaving ridges and ridges Of dead and
dying humanity behind. Again the Brit
tsh advanced to the attack, but again
fen back, swelling the heaps Of dead.
The cavalry charged to the river, where
the Ermolo commando delivered such
murderous fire that two batteries of can
non had to be abandoned which the
Beers are going to bring here. Twice the
British essayed to bring horses to remove
them. The first time they succeeded in
hitching on to one cannon, and or the
second trial the horses and men fell in a
heap. Then the British were in full re-
treat to their camp, whence they sent a
heavy shrapnel fire on Bufwar's bridge
across the Tugela, TO prevent the burgh-
erS from recovering the cannes. The
French attache, Villebois, and the Ger
man attache, Braun, say the fight could
not have been improved upon by the ar
mics of Europe. Gems. Botha and Tricn-
art were always at the most dangerous
points of the lighting. Eleven ambulances
removed the English dead and wounded.
Such a tremendous cannonade has seldom
been heard. The veldt for miles was COW
cred with dead and wounded. 1t was a
most crushing British defeat. Nine of the
cannon have since been brought across
the river. The British asked for and were
granted twenty-four hours arnistice."
ESCAPE OF CHURCHILL.
PRETORIA, Dec. 24.-The government
is much concerned about the escape of
Winston ChurchiTF, and the officials are
doing their utmost to discover how he
got away. The officials have instituted
house-to-house search for discriminating
papers. The Eolkstem asserts that he es-
book Churchill borrowed from the library
was Mills on Liberty
THAT FLOUR SEIZURE.
WASHINGTON, Dec 25.-secretary of
State Hay will have thorough investi-
cation made Of the reported seizure by
British cruisers of several cargoes of
American flour off Delagoa Bay, South
Africa Instructions have been sent to
the American consul at Lourenzo Mar
ques, Portuguese South Africa, directing
him to make thorough inquiry and to
do everything IN his power to prevent
illegal interference with American COM
merce by either belligerent. Ambassador
ChOate has also been instructed to make
inquiries in London and to make such
representations to the British foreign Of
flee as the facts in the case may justify.
What action will be finally taken by the
government will depend on what is re-
yealed by the inquiries. The reports that
reach Washington are unofficial and very
meager. They indicate that the British
foreign office acted upon the theory that
the flour was destined for the Boer
army, but they do not indicate what evil
dence the British naval commanders had
to Justify them in reaching that cOnclu-
sion. 1t is contended by the legal repre-
sentative of the American shippers that
the flour was shipped to bona fide pur-
ehasers in Portuguese territory, and that
| the shippers had no knowledge Of any
Interior destination If 1t can be shown
| that the flour was shipped from the
| United States for the express purpose of
! being forwarded from Delagoa Bay into
! the Transvaal, it will be held by the
| British government that the shipment
| was technically under international law
| q continuous voyage, and that that Hour
! was as clearly liable to seizure as if 1t
| had been in transit to the TransVaal.
| This doctrine Of continuous voyage was
| adhered to very strongly by the United
! States during the Civil war. The most
! celebrated case under it was of the Brit
! ish ship Springbok, which sailed from a
| British port for Nassau, another British
! port. with goods intended to be reshipped
! from that port in another vessel and car
| ried into the Confederacy. The Springbok
! was captured before reaching Nassau,
| and was taken to New York, where she
! was adjudged lawful prize and her
cargo was condemned. This decision was
upheld by The supreme court OIL the
| United States.
COL. EVANS TO COMMAND.
| VICTORIA, B. c., Dec. 25.-Among the
arrivals from Dawson today are Col j. D.
| B. Evans. Of the Northwest mounted po-
| lice, and party of his troopers who
are bound for Ottawa in consequence of
| orders telegraphed from the minister of
militia. On the arrival of Col Evans he
received a telegram offering him the
command of the cavalry of the second
Canadian contingent. He Immediately ac-
| cepted. Col Evans says he could raise
! from 800 to 1000 mounted men in the
Northwest if necessary.
Welded at Seventy-Sfx.