The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-02
RELIEF NEARING KIMBERLEY.
Preparations Being Made to Receive
General Methuen,s Forces.

London, Dec. 1.-While the rumors of
the relief of Kimberley current on the
stock exchange today may be prema-
ture in their literal sense, there seems
no doubt that the pressure on the gar
rison has been much iightened by Cen
eral Methusp$ successes, and the ac-
tual relief 5f tke place is likely to be
fact very soon. A clue to the ur-
gent reasons which dictated General
Methuen's hurried march may be
found in Governor Miners hint to the
relief committee at Cape Town to pre-
pare for the reception of 10000 refu-
gees, and indicating that the garri
son must have had reason to fear the
reduction of Kimberley by starvation
and disease.
The most recent news from Kimber-
ley comes by way of Pretoria, and al
most seems to show chat Kimberley
and MafekinS are acting in concert
with General Methuen. for at the time
the battle was raging at Gras Pan
both Colonel Kekewich and Colonel
Baden-Powell made sorties and as
sailed the beleaguerers. The result of
the Mafeking sortie is not known, but
according to despatch from Pretoria
Colonel Kekewich inflicted considera-
bic loss on the Beers, two shells kill
ing nine and wounding seventeen in
group
1t is reported that General Methuen
resumed his northwest course Wednes-
day, in order to form a junction with
the Kimberley forces Saturday or
Sunday. 1t is suggested in some quar-
ters that the Beers have been with
drawn from the north of Cape Colony
and may be hurrying TO attack Cen
eral Methuen's rear. but as reinforce
mentS have been pushed rapidly for
ward from Orange river and De Aar,
it is claimed they thought to circum-
vent such designs.
A special despatch from Pretoria
dated Sunday. November 26, says there
was another sortie from Mafeking Sat-
urday, November %. On the morning
of that day the chartered police at
tackled Eloff's fort with great deter
mination. The fight was progressing
when the despatch was sent.
Several ambulance trains left Mafe-
king November 25 for the Free State.
where heavy fighting was expected
during the then coming week. when
advance of the British in the direction
of Kimberley.
From Lord Wolseleys announcement
that it had been decided TO call out
one more division it appears clear that
the war office does not look for a
speedy collapse OF Boer resistance.
The brief kilograms coming from Ma
tai, and the centra. theater of the war,
convey little information about the sit
uation. Naauwpoort reports that half
the Colesburg Dutch who responded to
the Boer summons for military service
have not returned TO their homes.
So far as known the Ladysmith re-
lief force is still at Frere. though the
bridge was perhaps sufficiently stable
to permit of its passage November 30,
in which case the opposing forces may
already have come in contact near CO.
lenso, where apparently the Beers are
strongly entrenched on the north side
of the river
a special despatch received here to-
day from Frere dated Tuesday. No
vember rs. says that while attempting
to blow up 500-foot bridge over the
river at Colenso the Beers were driven
back by British artillery and mounted
infantry.