The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-09
RAILWAY IS RESTORED
But Methuen's Path Is Full of
Dangers.
READY FOR THE ADVANCE
The Beers Are Strongly Intrenched and
Are Said to Be in Superior Num-
bers-Battle OF Modder
River.

thuen's restoration of the railway,
while relieving load Of anxiety here,
accentuates the dangers still threaten
ing his force. 1t is gathered from the
British chief official dispatch that Com
mandant Prinz Loos' contingent was
taken between forces acting from Bel
mont and southwark from Modder riv-
er. 1t is quite possible, however, that
| reinforcements were sent to Belmont
merely as precautionary measure.
There is little other news of imaor-
tance Reports continue to come from
Ladysmith that dissension exists
among the Boers and especially that
the Orange Free State troops are dis
contented. There are also all kinds
OF rumors of movements of commandos
from place to place, but the fact is
that little is known here regarding the
actual position of the Boer forces.
Moreover, the rumors of collapse of
Boer spirit have been heard so often
as not to cause much satisfaction now.
General Forester Walker has sent
the following dispatch, dated at
O'Clock last evening (Friday), to the
| war office from Cape Town:
Telegraph and every communication
! to Modder river has been reopened. A
battery Of field artillery and a battal-
| ion Of Infantry We're dispatched from
Modder river against Commandant
| PrinZ Loos force of 900 Beers, with
one gun, who had destroyed the rail-
way Our losses were IA wounded.
Belmont has been strengthened by
infantry and two guns, and cavalry
| regiment and troops from Naauwpoort
| occupied Arundel Thursday
THE enemy's forces near General
Gatacre are reported as follows AT
N%,,I, ay,N Mi,
town to Dordrecht. 700 with six guns;
at Stormberg. 1900; at Waterfall, a
large force; strength under Molten,
abou. 400.
Lord Methuen reports casualties
Dec on patrol duty as follows:
Missing-Lieutenant Triestam and
four of the 18th lancers; wounded, four
I men,
Some interesting light is thrown on
the position of affairs along the west
ern frontier by a dispatch issued by
Boer agency last evening in Ber-"
lin, The dispatch says:
"Commandant Prinz Loos' force is
near Jacpbsdahl, between Modder river
and Reit river. General Cronje is still
on the north bank Of Modder river, his
rear being protected by fortified posi-
tions at Spytfonten. The hills be-
tween Modder river and Spytfontein
and those between Jacobsdahl and Ret
river are occupied by Beers. Com
mandant Delarey's force is stationed
between Gras Pan and Honey Nest"
If this Berlin dispatch be correct
and it is especially significant when
judged in connection with General
Forester Walkers advices to the war
office-there must be some $4,000 Beers
around Lord Methuen, who is believed
to have 1000 men. Kimberley. how
ever, possessing an armored train, can
materially assist Methuen by harass-
ing the Beers from the rear.
According to special dispatch from
Lorenzo Marquee, the Modder river
battle is described by a Boer CORE
spondent with General Cronje as "one
of the fiercest the Beers ever experi-
enced."
The CORES pondent goes on to say:
General Cronjes left wing sustain
ed almost solely the fearful attack of
the British right throughout the day.
The Transvaalers then held their po-
sitions until o'clock in the evening,
when the Free State burghers were
forced to retire by the heavy British
shell fire. General Cronje then retired
under cover of darkness, after facing
the concentrated fire of all the British
batteries.
''The Beers freely acknowledge the
Herculean assaults of the British and
death dispensing fire of the attacking
infantry, but they held their position
for Is hours against the flower of the
British army, replying solely with their
Mausers and rifle fire. The Boer artil-
lery was silenced early in the battle
through the overwhelming number of
the British artillery'