Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-11-18

LONDON, Nov. Especial dispatches
from Pietermaritzburg and LourenZo Mar
ques say that Ladysmith is bombarded
night and day and hard pressed. On No
venber 8, having during the night placed
men close to the town, the Beers, after
heavy bombardment, began an assault,
but Were repuised at every point with
heavy losses. 2,he Beers have destroyed
one Of the bridges over the TugeIa river.
The admiralty announced this evening
the arrival at Cape Town to-day of the
troop ship Arcana, with a battalion of the
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders dhe
Princess Louise's regimenD, bringing the
reinforcements up 10 23.Joa. of which 7,2s0
have already disembarked at Durham, with
eighteen field guns. a number OF machine
guns. engineers and hospital troops, as
well as 1eO mules. This force, with that
already between Estcourt and Durham, is
considered sufficient 10 enable General
Hiidyard TO advance and TO take the ag-
gressive against the Beers south of Lady
smith.
According to the latest advices. Lady
smith is holding out satisfactorily. every
thing having been well up to Wednesday.
In view Of the Boer destruction of
bridges. the war Office has issued orders
for the shipment of a quantity Of bridge
work between this and the end of the
year.
The following censored dispatch from
Pretoria gives details of the engagement
referred to in the Associated Press dispatch
from Pretoria of Wednesday. November 10:
The Free Staters had taken up a position
on a small hill when an English battery
advanced and attacked them, sending d
fiery haii of shells on the hill for an hour
when the TransvaaI cannon put out some
shells right in the midst of the battery,
sending the English to cover behind the
hill Two burghers were killed and six
were wounded
When the British fell back on Lady
smith, several shells exploded among them,
= but the execution done could not be seen.
AT midnight all the Afrikander cannon
on the hills surrounding the town opened
fire simultaneously on Ladysmith, turn
ing the quiet and darkness of night into
lurid inferno of whistling, shrieking shells,
speeding from all points of the compass
TO the doomed city. Several buildings on
fire were seen from Bulwan hill. During
the day the troops left the city deserted
and sought shelter on the edge of the hill,
to escape our death dealing shells"
When definite news from Ladysmith is
available 1t will doubtless be found that
the garrison has been having a lively time.
Nevertheless, not much credence should be
paid to the stories of trainloads Of Boer
wounded taken toward Pretoria as. the re-
suit of a crushing defeat sustained at the
hands of the British. Experience has
shown that those "Kafirgrams." even
though emanating from missionaries, are
not trustworthy. However, there seems no
doubt that there have been some sharp
affairs. Heavy rifle firing, followed by an
explosion. was heard in the direction of
Iadysmith before daylight, Thursday. in
dicating a night surprise and possibly the
explosion of a magazine.
DURHAM, Nov. T.-Sunday evening a
gentleman who was arrested at Johannes,
and taken TO Pretoria, has arrived here
via Delagoa bay. While at Pretoria he was
itary prisoners, comprising fifty-two offi-
GERS and LIS non-commissioned officers
and men from Natal. ten officers and twen-
1y-five non-commissioned officers and men
from Mafeking. and four men from Fort
Tuli. The prison guards were almost eX-
clusively Germans and the artillery men
manning the forts were also mostly Ger
mans The prisoners were weH fed and
We're shown every consideration Most of
the officers were removed to more comfort
able quarters in the town.