Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-20
LETTER IN A
BOMDSHELl.
Message Fired Into Mafeking by
BOer Cannoneers,
GEN. BULLER GETS HIS GUNS
Beers Never Took Them - How the
British Advance at Colebso
Was surprised.

London. Dec. l0.-A special dispatch
from Durham, Natal, dated Saturday,
Dec. &C. says 1t is rumored Gen. Butler
called for volunteers to recover the
abandoned guns and that party is
sued from the camp after midnight and
brought in the guns, which were un-
injured.
1t still seems doubtful whether the
guns that Gen. Butler abandoned at
Colenso are In the possession OF the
Beers. According to a dispatch to the
Associated Press from Durham sent of
on the evening Of the battle, and which
has Just been received here, the guns
remained where they were left by the
British troops, and were covered by the
heavy guns OF Cen Hidyard's brigade,
occupying an entrenched position.
The dispatch adds that the Beers
have thus far not attempted TO cross
the river and capture the guns, while
advices TO the Associated Press from
Pretoria under the same date say that
an official Boer dispatch reports that
two guns, thirteen wagons and guam
tity OF ammunition were captured be-
sides 20S prisoners.
Further accounts Of the Tugela river
battle emphasize the Ignorance OF the
British intelligence department In re-
gard 10 the disposition OF the Boer
forces. The British were not aware
that the Beers were entrenched along a
series Of low-lying hills Immediately
nOrthward Of ColensO bridge until a
staggering fire compelled them to re-
treat when the attack seemed about 10
succeed. The Beers were also In great
err number than anticipated.
Ii becomes clearer, also that the
British guns were lost in attempting
10 get within effective range Of the
Boer artillery, showing that the latter
outranged the British ordnance, which
In spite OF numerical superiority was
wholly inadequate to reply to the long
range Boer guns.
The British war office comes in for
scathing denunciations from the Times
today for not providing effective ar
tillery. IL is pointed out In this con-
nection that the longer ranged naval
guns participating in the same attack
escaped.
There was no news this morning TO
enhghten the general situation.
The war office reported that Gen.
French reconnoitered northward Of
Arundel on Monday. Dec. IL. After
Smelling Jasfontein farm three miles
eastward Of the Boer position. the New
Zealanders advanced and occupied the
and the Beers advanced to the attack
until ordered 20 retire.
The last news from Mafeking dated
the 9Th, has Just been received. II
says a desultory bombardment was
continuing, and that the sharpshoot-
ers were engaged In a smart duel morn
ings and evenings. The dispatch also
describes a novel method Of sending
message adopted by some B0er Dec 4.
A five FOUNDER she'll fired into the town
that day did not explode IL was
opened and found to contain a letter
as follows:
Dear Powell Col Baden-P owelD--
Excuse iron messenger, No other
means Of communication: Please tell
Mrs. - mother and family all well.
Don't drink all the whisky. Leave
some for Us when We get in
The sender's signature was torn off
Revised lists Of the British casual
ties at the battle of Colenso show that
1877 non-commissioned officers and men
were killed.
At a meeting OF the corpora
ton today the lord mayor. A. J.
Newton, announced that { %. 900 sterling
had been subscribed by the large city
firms which are contributing the money
to defray the necessary expenses Of
force Of thousand volunteers among
the city corps The lord mayor also
said that Gen. Lord Wolseley the COM
mander-in-chief, had accepted the Of
fer Of the services Of these volunteers.