Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-26
IT IS UNCHANGED
No News of the South Afri-
can Situation.
coLENso FOOT BRIDGE
Has Been Destroyed by the British
Naval Guns-LadySmith Garrison
is Confident of Being Able to Hold
Out-Neutrality Question.

London. Dec. 26, $3.50 a.. m.-Up to this
hour nothing has arrived from South
| Africa that woul indicate any change
in the military situation there. The war
office is issuing lists of further deaths
and wounded, as we'll as accounts of
sickness. The most serious report of the
| last class is that horse sickness has
broken out in both British and Boer
camps in Natal. Foul hundred British
cavalry horses. it is said, have already
been shot, owing to the occurrence of
! CHAMBERS. The disease is likely to spread
| with much greater rapidity among the
British horses than among the hardy
! Boer ponies and this may mean a con-
| siderable p~rolongation of the campaign.
Advioes from Chieveley dated Tuesday,
Dec. 10, say: ''The British naval guns
| have destroyed the Colenso foot bridge,
thus preventing the Beers holding any
position south of the Tugela river. The
! enemy are taking up fresh positions on
the eastern side, nearer the British camp.
The British position at Frere is being
strengthened. The Tugela river is rising
and there is a prospect Of heavy rains.
"A two-hour bombardment of Lady
smith has been heard from here. Accord
irg to reliable native reports the Beers
had 200 killed in the fight at Colenso."
The news that the Colenso foot bridge
had been destroyed seems to show that
| GEN. Butler is more Xio to keep the
enemy at bay than to attempt a further
advance.
Despite the severity OF the censorship.
hints are being continually received OF
the serious spread of Dutch disaffection
in both the Queenstown district of Cape
Colony and Natal. A correspondent of
the Daily Mail at Pietermaritzburg
says: The extent OF Dutch disaffection
should make the imperial authorities
realize the magnitude Of the task before
them"
There are unconfirmed reports from
Capetown that Gen. Sir Charles Warren.
commander OF the fifth division, has re-
turned there Commandant Demeillon,
who was taken prisoner at Elandslaagte
and brought to Simonstown, where he
was confined on the British cruiser Pene-
lope, has succeeded in making his es-
cape.
The Times this morning makes the
following announcement:
W ara Informed that the government
has decided tina it not desirable to
make further demands upon the Euro
pean garrison in India unless unforeseen
difficulties arise"
An undated Photograph message from
Ladysnith by way of PieteTmaritzburg,
represents the garrison as in no way
daurted by General Buffers reverse at
C0lenso and is confident of being able to
hold out Indefinitely.
III mails are just arriving from Lady
smith. All tn e correspondents
upon the superiority of the Boer artil-
lery.
The Times correspondent says: "It is
impossible to evade the opinion that if
British gunners were in the Boer posi-
ton the loss of life and damage to prop
erty in ~Ladysnith would be ten times
greater"
The holidays have brought no surcease
Of recruiting activity. Lord Alwyn
Frederick Compton, unionist member OF
parliament for the Biggleswade division
of Redfordshire, Will raises a corps of
mounted men. Lord ~Sal!sbury's private
secretary Schomourg Mcdonnell, who is
a oluntee officer, has volunteered for
service.
The action of the United States gov
mme causes considerable discussion
regarding the contraband question as af-
fecting DelagOa bay and Portugal. Wide
ly divergent opinions are expressed. The
Daily Graphic, in an editorial on the
subject. says: 1--WE believe that every
provision has been made in British trea-
ties with the United States for dealing
With this matter. In the special circum-
stances of the present war, the govern
ment is bound to regard food as CONTRA
band. No doubt the question can be sat
isfactorily settled by paying compensa-
ton for the seizures of American -four.
The question of neutrality. however. is
more serious, and Great Britain's duty
is to have the Lorenzo Marques-Trans-