The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-12-29
B0MBARDED
LADYSMITH
Beers Attempt TO Improve
Their Trenches.
NINE B0ERS KILLED
In Skirmish and Six BOer Wagons
Captured.
BOER POSITION AT C0lENSO
Every Day Reveals Some New Fact
Regarding its Strength - They
Have Splendid Trenches, Many
or Them Being Bomb- Proof.
Their Dicipiinc il
provins

CHlEVELEY CAMP. NATAL. Wednes-
day. Dee. IA heavy Boor gun on Bal
whaua lin nred steadily upon Lady
| smith throughout the morning Lady
smith did not respond. The enemy having
been again dctected in attempting 10 Inn
| prove their trenches facing General Butler,
the British heavy guns opened upon them.
ana the Beers scampcred back into the
| hills The British patrols sighted the
| enemy in forces on the extreme LEFT. Nine
Beers were killed i'm a skirmish that iol-
flowed. and six Boer wagons were cap
! tured.
LONDON. Dec GA dispatch TO the
/ Daily Mail from PietermaritzOurs, do,ed
| SATURDAY December I'd. says:
Every day reveals some new fact re-
! earling the strength Of the Eoer position
! al Colenso. Thanks tO the services OF
/ continental Officers. the character of the
| campaign has changed. We are no longer
/ fighting O. foe who relies upon guerilla
| tactics. but We have TO deal with what ls
| rapidly becoming disciplined army. en-
/ jOying the advantages oi knowing Vle
| country and Of selecting the scene OF con-
test without the burdens of y cumbersome
| conmissariat.
"The Beers have converted the hills near
| Colenso into fortresses of immense
! strength. Everywhere they have splendid
! trenches. many Of thm bOmb-pr0Of Tram
! way lines -ermit the shifting OF guns
! with astonishing rapidity. The main po-
| sitious are connected with the outlying
/ positions bv underground passages, and
/ the forts proper brisue with machine
] guns. that command the approaches.
| Probably mines are laid.
| "One hears less nowadays about Boer
| shells not bursting Observers Of ihe CO.
! lcnso say tine B9cr shell fire was very ef-
| fective. This S. due largely to tho TACT
| that tho distances are marked on with
/ white paint
/ "Thc enemys discipline Is Improving.
! The trenches represent great manu- II
| labor. for which the Beers have a keen
! dislike. and the way in which they re-
! strained their fire when our troops were
| advancing is another proof Of improved
| soldering,
PREMIER OF NATAL
! DURHAM. NATAL. Wednesday, Dec
! g,.-Hsrry Escombe. a former Premier Of
/ Natal. died suddenly on the street this
/ afternoon.
DURHAM. NATAL. Wednesday, Dec.
| "a German farmer. named Stucke,
and tho Rev. Mr.. Hartcs, director of the
Hanoycrian Missions I'm Natal, have been
arrested and Imprisoned at Estcourt. on
/ the charge of aiding the Beers
They both claim the protection OF Ger
many.
LONDON. Dec 2S.-The War once has
( received the following from Cape Town.
dated Wednesday December 9th.
Mcthuen reports az follows. At 9.30
Yesterday evening the Beers on the south
side of Magersfontcin opened very heavy
fire for some time This morning the
naval brigade fired al the enemy at the
west part of Maecrsfoniein. The cavalry
brigade is reconnoitering in a northeast
erly direction.
.Lieutcnant Masters has made an ex-
tended reconnaissance westward ana
northward of Enslein and reports all
well. The farmers were glad 10 see our
men. They were suffering from want
of food.
81 have established q market here.
where / can purchase fresh milk and yege-
tables. selling TO the farmers tea and 9th
| er articles which they cannot otherwise
purchase. Heavy rain fell last night.
Gatacre and French report no change in
the situation. Baden-Powell reports all
well December 12fh."
SUFFICIENT FOOD.
LONDON, Dec. 2S-yThe latest indie
pendent news from Ladysmith says
''The field fortihcations would now with
stand anv organized attack the enemy
is likely TO deliver. There are sufficient
food smffs for two months. The question
Of forage might be troublesome. but since
the rains there has hecu some grazing
within the British lines. There Is no
horse sickness.
N'The casualties caused by our sholl
ire are increasing and the Beers are
reported TO be becoming nervous. They
fear night sorties and constantly open a
heavy fusilade on an imaginary attack.
The German officials nave promptly
stopped the Beers from recruiting in
Damaraland Neither men nor horses are
permitted 70 cross the border.
LONDON, Dec 2-Queen Victoria ar
rived al Osborne. Isle OF Wight. this
afternoon. The water was very rough
en-route
CRIT1CIsE GOVERNMENT.
LONDON, DEC. g. 9.--4.l0 a. M-Durins
the continued lull In the military oper-
ations in South Africa the papers are
hlled with letters and articles criticislng
the government and the campaign and
suggesting ftutditc Improvements
alterations in the plans and the like.
The Times complains Of Needless
censorship and concealment" II cites the
fact that nothing has yet transpired To
show how General Gatacre came TO
lose COO men at Stormberg.
The DISPATCHES from the front all re-
present the Roers as in nervous condition
and constant dread Of the British ad
vance but this is probably an exagger-
alton.
The Sfodder River correspondent NJ The
Daily Chronicle. gives an explanation Of
sudden rifle fire ineVpllcicably opened
from the BOer trenches
He says: THE Beers have wires
stretched along the ground in front az
the trenches and connected with lamps.
II wire be touched a lamp Is extin-
gulshed, thus giving warning. one night
high wind extinguished a lamp. which
resulted in a false warning. The fire
ceased when the Beers discovered that
the alarm was false"
\ correspondent OF the Daily News al
Trefe Camp announces that tramway
Is being constructed from the railway 10
Tho hill commanding the BOer position