Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-30
One Of the Bloodest Battles in Annals Of
the British Army.
COMPEL ENEMY TO QUIT HIS POSITION
London Estimates Place Casualties Of the
English at Five Hundred.
DESPERATE BATTLE LASTS TEN HOURS
Boer Force is Said to Number Eight
Thousand Fighting Men,
DESPERATE BATTLE LASTS TEN HOURS
USE TWO LARGE GUNS AND FOUR KRUPPS
General Methuen Reports that HIS
Men Fought Ten Hours In
Burning sun without
- Food water.

(Copyright 1892 by Press Publishing COZ
LONDON, Nov. 29.-(New York World Ca
blegram-special Telegram)-The casualty
list Of the Modder river fight is awaited
with the keenest anxiety, the rumor being
that the English losses in killed and wounded
will probably reach total of 500.
Many pathetic scenes were witnessed to-
night at the War office, where relatives oil
the officers and men were waiting In agon-
izing suspense for news. 1t Is understood
the War office received the first rough esti-
mate of casualties at this evening, but
refuses to give out any information.
The inflated language of General Methuen's
dispatch excltes much unfavorable comment
From his account so far published 1t is i'm
possible to ascertain on what grounds Cen
eral Methuen claims this a victory
A special dispatch from Windsor says
that General Methuens dispatch to the
queen after the battle Of Modder river says
The battle was the bloodiest of the CEN
tury. The British shelled enemy out of the
trenches, then charged The result was ter
ribe."
Expert Opinion.
Copyright, 1899, by Press Publishing Coz
LONDON, Nov. 29.-(New York World Ca
blegram-Special Telegram 1.-The Post mill
tary expert says:
1T is clear that the keenest fighter in
Methuen's division will have had his fill
before Kimberley is relieved. 1t is difficult
to reconstruct the Modder river fight from
the brief terms of Methuen's dispatch until
certain facts are given. The river was in
flood and the bridge we presume was the
only means of crossing it. We must suppose
the Beers elected to defend the southern
approach to the bridge and that they fought
with the river behind them, consequently
with but one line of retreat and that they
entrenched with both flanks on the river
banks. The ground at. Modeer river bridge
Is higher en- the northern shore. 1t is pos
sible that on this ground the Boers posted
large guns and even the Krupps mentioned
in Methuens dispatch He describes the fight
as one of the hardest in the annals of the
British army. That must serve to prepare
us for the cost at which the fight has been
won. 1t seems it has been won, though the
dispatch does not enlarge on the results
Of the victory and refrains scrupulously from
referring to a victory at all.
Intelligence as to the movements of the
Beers on the western border gives the some
what disqueting inference that the force
which Methuen met at Gras Pan was not
that which he defeated two days before at
Belmont, but detachment from the invest
ment of Kimberley, consequently the enemy
can never be effectively beaten. since our
force is not sufficient to outfiank him in the
Held and he will merely move back after each
days fight, showing his teeth as he goes
from Natal. There is complete silence, but
an echo of its necessity comes through the
reports of the transports diverted to Durham.
This is sufficient testimony to Buffers
views on the situation in Natal. 1t may be
considered as grave"