The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-10-09
PREPARING FOR BATTLE
Britons as Active as Though War
Had Been Declared.
CONCENTRATING TRANSPORTS.

rwenty-four at Liverpool Alone,
Ready to Start with Troops For
South Africa-Twenty-five Thousand
| Reserves Called Upon.
London. Oct. 9.-Whatever may be
| the result of Great Britain's contro-
versy with the South African republic,
every department of the government
today is as busy as though actual hos
tilities had begun. The electric fash
that announced the mobilization Of the
army reserves and the summoning Of
parliament set every wheel Of the gov
eminent machinery In motion. An
hour after The Gazette appeared ex-
/ ecutiye orders were being dispatched
from the war Office to every section Of
the kingdom, and the 10000 bulletins
which appeared posted throughout the
country yesterday are said to have
been identical with the proclamation
prepared for use had the Fashoda in
rident required such step.
At the same time Lord Salisbury and
Mr.. Balfour were issuing the necessary
orders for the reassembling of parlia-
ment. and the admiralty was concen-
trating it's transports, "a Of which are
now secured at Iiverpool alone. So
complete were the preparations that
$4,000 reserves have already individu-
ally received common tickets which con
tain instructions where each man shall
report for railway TRANSFORMATION to the
place designated. and a money order
for three shillings for provisions en-
route.
At Woolwich It was asserted that s5
per cent of the reserves would be fully
equipped within six DAYS. In the
meantime the members of, the two
houses of parliament are arranging to
return to London. and a force Of men
Is busily engaged in completing the i'm
movements at Westminster
The most important news from
South Africa comes from Mafekine
where twice on Saturday the british
camp was aroused. the men stood to
their arms, guns were limered and
patrols were disnatched in tbe direc,
ton of the border. No hostilities nav,
occurred as vet. but the enemy has
moved practically to the border. eight
miles from Mafekinp. in force esti-
mated at least 900. comprising Ave
commanders. The garrisoning and
fortifying of the town are practically
completed. The streets are barricaded
and perfect system of mines has been
laid. Two armored trains have ar
rived at Mafeking. consisting of three
bullet proof cars, the first of which
carries a searchlight. while the sides
of the other cars are loopholed. Zach
train Is complete in itself. and carries
its own provisions, Experiment with
Lyddite in the mines proves that It ia
an extremely powerful explosive.
Colonel Robert Stephenson Smyth-
Powell, commanding the Fifth Dragon
guards, has issued a notice that the
Beers who are massed on the Natal
and Bechuanaland frontiers have or.
ders not to fire until the British be.
gin, and that the town is we'll nre-
pared for eyentualit,es. hut as the
Beers NAV shell the Mace every en-
deayor should he made tn safeeuard
the women and children
An armor train was insnected at
Kimberley Saturday A signal station
has been erected with ACCOUNTING tower
at the ton 130 feet above the tracks
Communication nv telenhone 10 had
with a central office and SIGNALS ara
given to the troops by flag Nv this
means maneuvers were successf,,llv
conducted Saturday The troons MN.
Der 900. Including the bicvcle corns
dispatch from KimherIev tn tho
Cane Argus saws that O0O Roars arc
encamped midway between Boshof and
Kimberley. Thev are we'll armed and
great religious fervor is shown in the
camp. The Beers. however are chat
ing under the DELAY. They natro1 tha
border nightly and have been ordered
not to hermit a british uniform IN an.
proach the frontier.
The correspondent of Tho T,mes az
Lobatsi telegraphs: 81 crossed the
,ordor ;ror,osito ~ rs.oI": NY