The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-11-07
WAKING UP.
British Begin to Realize What
There Is Before Them.

London, Nov. 7.-Such scanty intel
igence as is fltering from the front is
generally accepted here as reassuring
although the letters agree that the
fighting outside Ladysmith on Thurs
day and Friday was much more severe
than indicated by the official accounts.
There is no longer such a disposition to
jump a the conclusion that a crushing
blow has been inflicted on the Beers as
was hown before. British contempt for
the burghers has been modified by de-
feat. The best informed are inclined to
discount the stories of the cutting Vi
of the Beers until further confirmation
is received. But the mere fact that Gen.
White was enabled to undertake a ser
les of successful reconnaissance is Ia
ken as an Indication that the BOer in
vestment has been relaxed by the with
drawal of a portion of Gen. Joubert's
force southwark. While however the
anxiety in regard to the immediate
stress of Ladysmith is alIeviated there
is a widespread fear that the authOri-
ties are badly laundering and discover
ed too late that the main expedition
VIII prove too weak to complete its task
with safety and dispatch as the Natal
force has already admittedly failed to
perform what was expected of 1t. The
confession, last evening of Gen. Lord
WOlSeley, the commander in chief that
the Beers were more powerful and more
numerous than had been anticipated
sufficiently explains the present hap
peningS and the war office will here
after have awkward questions to answer
in regard to its apparent colossal ig-
norance of the Boer strength which
both in numbers of men and excellence
of artillery, is apparently a complete
surprise to the British military author
tiles.
Mail news from South Africa shows
| how inaccurate have been the estimates
| of the intelligence department and the
/ government experts. It is CLEANED
! therefrom that a fair estimate of the
| Boer forces is as follows: Around
/ LadySmith. 25, COO; traversirg Zululand
4 1000; advancing on Burgher dorp, 5000;
COIesburg, 5000; Kimberley, 1000; Ma
! feking, 4,500, ana on the Northern
/ TransVaa1 border, 1000. Exact infOrma-
/ ton about the BOer artillery is lacking
J but it is known that General Joubert's
! detachment before it was reinforced
/ consisted of Is krupp field pieces of the
/ latest pattern and two heavy CreuSOt
! siege guns, which but for the OppOr-
/ tune arrival of the British naval bri-
! gade, would have rendered Ladysmith
/ untenaDle.
In connection with the naval guns, q
! most interesting and important expert
ment has been successfully carried out
/ at Cape Town with g 4.7-inch gun, Sc
/ serviceable at Ladysmith. One of the
] British cruiser Terrible's guEs mount
4 ed on a travelling carriage, was fired
/ in the same way as a field gun with
/ entire success. The Terrible, with q
number of guns thus mounted, is or
/ her way to Durham and though the
I guns can not now reach Ladysnlth
( thew may be of great value in the de-
/ fence of PietermartizbursF, which il
+ seems, will probably have to stand g
I siege The arrival of the Terrible witt
/ the relief crews for China and Other
/ available men, must have p.sced in the