The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-11-17
Misfortune Pursues Their Employ
ment of Armored Trains.
Beers Attack and Wreck With Artillery
One Returning From chisTely.
Rr;+;sh Loss Over a Hundred Kill
ed, Wounded OF Missing-Boers
Lose Heavily in Engagements
About Ladysmith and Are Now
Planning a Determined Attack
on General Whites Eorces-Ihe
Rumor of General Jouberts
Death Discredited.

Rumor OF General JouoeI'
Death Discredited.
LONDON. Nov. 17.-5 a. m.-Misfor-
tune steadfastly pursues BRUSH en-
ployment of armored trains, the 1asci-
nation for which has given the Beers
their first and latest victories. On
this last occasion the British seem 10
have walked into a deliberate trap
with the result that, according to the
best accounts, ninety are either killed.
wounded or missing. OF these the
Fusileers claim fifty and the Durham
Infantry forty 1t is believed that few
escaped, and that the others are prison.
ers in the hands of the Beers
MANY of the wounded were brought
hack on the locomotive and tender OF
the armored train. Captain Haldane
of the Gordon Highlanders was at
tached to the Fusileers, and other off1-
GERS were with them. The list of
casualties is awaited with great anx-
iety.
In time of trouble Lieutenant Win
ston Churchill has proved himself more
a soldier than a correspondent, and his
gallantry is highly praised on all Sides
The rumor of the death of General
Joubert is discredited. 1t is under
stood that the War Office has news
that he is still directing matters. 1t is
also rumored from PietermaritzburS
that the Boer losses at Ladysmith on
Thursday were heavy, and included
General Lucas Meyer, who was either
killed or wounded. The report as TO
General Joubert probably arose from
the fact that his wife has left the Boer
camp at Ladysmith for the Free State
According to the Pietermartizburg
correspondent of the London Outlook"
rumors are current in the Natal Capt.
tai that the Beers contemplate re-
treat. 1t is needless, however, to at
tach Importance to such reports. which
are spread in all probability with a
view of Turing General White, if pos
siLie, to abandon his defensive atti-
tude. Similar rumors are current re-
garding the Boers at Mafeking and are
spread industrially by native spies.
Special dispatches from Lourenzo
Marques say that the Transvaal Gov
eminent is exercising a severe censor
ship over all war news, and will not
allow newspapers to leave the country.
One correspondent says the Beers are
hurrying new commands to Lady
smith, and are declaring that the place
must fall speedily in order to liberate
their forces so that these may go to
meet General Buffers advance
The latest dispatches from EstcOurt
regarding the armored train engage
ment say that the train was capsized by
an explosion. presumably dynamite.
The engine returned to Estcourt with
two dead Fusileers and the following
wounded hanging on: Captain Wylie,
three commissioned officers and
nine privates. all belonging to the Dur
ban Volunteers.
Another Estcourt correspondent says:
"A Boer contingent of 300 men came
south of Freec on Wednesday, and two
companies of mounted troops, Imperial
Light Horse and Natal Carbineers, en-
gagged them eight miles from Estcourt.
The Beers occupied a strong position on
a kopje. The Carbineers worked around
on their right and drove the enemy
back, whereupon the Imperial Light
Horse opened a brisk fire at medium
range, killing several. One man of the
Imperial Light Horse was wounded.
The West Yorkshire Regiment, the
Prince of Wales Own, commanded by
Colonel Kitchener, brother of Lord
Kitchener of Khartoum, has arrived at
Estcourt from Durham. The troops
there sleep in their ~boots,' and the
utmost vigilance is maintained, and it
is rumored that some important move
ment is imminent.
According to a special dispatch from
Lourenzo Marques, General Lucas
Meyer has gone to Pretoria for his
health. However a difference of opin
ion exists among the commanders. The
Boer Military Council wants the army
moved elsewhere, but General Joubert
insists that Ladysmith must fall first.
The postal authorities at Durham
open and inspect all letters from Della
goa Bay.
Special dispatches from Estcourt es-
innate the wounded and missing of the
armored train contingent at from 100
to 100 The missing include Captain
Haldane. 1t is hoped that sorre es-
capped over the veldt and will return to
Estcourt in few days.
The Times" publishes the following
dispatch from Pietermaritzburg dated
November 18th:
"Estcourt is short of artillery. The
garrison may retire 10 the MOO1 RlVeT
southwark, tonight, in case a strong
force of Beers should advance. The
enemy's intention is to keep back the
British relieving column"
WRECKING OF THE ARMORED
TRAIN.
ESTCOURT, Wednesday. Nov. %
An armored train, having on board a
half company of Durham volunteers
and a half company of the Dublin Fus-
ileers, steamed to Chievely early this
morning. On its return it was shelied
by the artillery of the Beers placed in
four positions. Two trucks in front
of the engine left the rails, topping
over. While the train was thus help
less. the Durbans and Dublins faced
the Beers in. skirmishing order and
the Beers poured shot and shell into the
ctjrr,ed train. The deraile trucks
were with great difficulty removed and
the line was cleared when the engine
and tender steamed back.
It is feared the Dublins and Durbans