The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-11-27
SITUATION IN NATAL
IMPROVES FOR BRITISH
Beers Are Retiring and Buffers Forces There Grad
ually Becoming United.
Official AdvceS Show That GraS Pan Fight Was Desper
ate Struggle in Which British Paid Dearly For Victory

London. Nov. %, Z a. m.-No further
news respecting Lord Methuen's ad-
vance has been received, and the ab-
sence of official details regarding his
losses creates the greatest suspense
and especially since the publication OF
the heavy sacrifices endured by the
naval brigade. No alarm. however, is
felt as to his position. despite the evil
dence that the Beers intend to contest
every foot of the way 1t was known
that in the absence OF sufficient cavalry
he would be compelled 10 advance
slowly. and he has a preferences fer
night or early dawn attacks, which
events seem to have been justified the
Beers being decidedly adverse to dark
ness for their opera tions
The fact that in the Gras Pan action
one British battery fired 500 rounds,
proves the desperate nature of the
fight and there is little doubt that the
casualties Were heavy. 1t is now known
that no guns were captured in the Bel
mont engagement.
Meanwhile the news from Natal is
distinctly more hopeful from the Brit
ish point of view. The details are
rather vague. but it seems certain that
the Beers are retiring, that railway
communication is being reopened. and
mat litt Itiltl iOTCSS are JOlil-
ing hands. This taken with General
Buffers arrival at Pietermaritzburg. is
expected to make matters move briskly
verv soon.
General Hildyard's reconnaissance is
praised as "a work of very great diff
Guilty, admirably executed. The
troopship Medic arrived at Cape Town
yesterday with the Australian contin-
gents. The Pindar and the Idaho ar
rived there Saturday. bringing three
batteries of artillery. The Servia. with
troops. has left Cape Town for Durham
and the TRANSPORTS Mohawk and Man
chesterport have arrived at Durham.
The Utmost activity prevails in get
ting Wilr necessaries ready for the
front. Five thousand men worked all
day yesterday Sunday at WOolwich
arsenal preparing stores.
Among the minor items of news is
the rumor that President Kruger is
suffering with Bright s disease and that
his condition is growing worse.
Five hundred Beers attacked Kuru-
man, in Bechuanaland on Nov. l3
The fighting lasted almost continuously
for six days and nights. but the Beers
were finally beaten off with a loss of
thirty killed and twenty-eight wound
ed. The British lost one killed and one
wounded. The Beers suddenly dis
appeared for some reason unknown.
Despite the brighter outlook today
the Times. in its review of the situa-
ton, voices the anxiety felt and says:
The activity the Beers display at
points separated by hundreds of miles.
their ability to invest several towns,
their readiness to offer battle at Bel
mont and again at Gras Pan. their
widespread operations south of Orange
River and their bold and offensive &c
tion in Natal. seem to indicate num-
bers far in excess of our estimates. 1t
is clear that the military requirements
were at first greatly underestimated,
and that a sixth division ought imme-
diately to be prepared for embarka-
ton
This. coming from the hitherto op-
timistic Times. is significant.