The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-17
NEWS OF THE FIGHTING.
Kimberley Is Now Regarded As tha
Central Point of Interest. q

Kim erley Is Now Regarded As tina
Central Point of Interest.
London Oct. 16.-The gradual cutting
off of outlying points at the scene OF
h0stilities in South Africa frorna feIe~
graphic communication reduced tie az
curate news Obtainable to a. minimum.
Thus far, however. no reliable fnfor<
nation has been received of anv actuafs.
lighting except at Kraaipam and occa-
/ sfonal exchanges of shots at various
Outposts. There is no lack Of cfrcuni-
stant1al stories regarding fighting at
various points, but These are Scarcely
published before they are denied.
The only salient facts In this, n1orn2
ing S kilograms are that the Beers hava
advanced beyond Newcastle and formed
a laager near Damhausser, about twelve
miles north of Dundee, and that KIM
| beFley Is Isolated and probably in
vested.
kimberley has thus become the i'm
mediate center of interest. The last
message fr0En Kimberley prior to the
| cutting Of the telegraph and the rafl-
way by the Beers said:
All the troops at Kimberley are
we'll"
AS there are 5000 troops. there fsgIit
I tie anxiety for the safety Of th@ town.
especially as the B0er force is SAID to
be only Of about the same strength.
Many stories Of brush lighting at that
point are in circulation, but although
the forces are likely to- have come into
contact, all alleged details must Be- re-
garded as premature and Speculative,
especially If the report be true that the
Orange Free State troops are now In.
complete possession of the raiIWe,v frefFs
Kimberley to Orange river seventy
miles away
The alleged vtrulence Of the Boer at
tacks upon Mafeking and Kimberley
can readily be understood when IL Is
realized that BechuanaIand is to- the
Beers what Alsace Lorraine is to
France. 1t is. therefore, probable that
| both towns VIII be forced to undergo
long and dreary investment before the
British are in a. position to send a. res
lieving column.
On the other side of the country the
Beers are closing around the British
outposts and have already come into
| touch with them and exchanged shots.
Therefore, more stirring news IS ex=
| pected.
Advtces from Cape Town relate that
excitement is kept up there by. ceasez
less reports Of battles. but that little
uneasineSS is visible in official circles.
where the opinion prevails that MAIZE
king and Kimberley are safe. 1T is
thought, too, that the Beers are not
AAAN%AJ ~ t~N~eL~fN IRE I0EGAllclfAx@,
land owing to the. fact that the popu-
| latiOn of that district is largely Dutch
1t is assumed that the refusal OF the
Beers to accept battle I'M Natal last
| week. when General Sir George White
advanced and endeav0red to- draw tflena
/ through Van Reenan's Pass. indicates
their unwillingness to commences hos
| tilttieS
/ On the other hand, the Beers are
probably too astute to play the British
\ game at the risk OF an engagement Oh
/ ground where artillery could be bFoughr
/ into play and cavalry moved rapidIys 4.
| The narrow city streets adjoining tina
| Guild hall and stock exchange Tyera
| crowded today. The iu1mediate occa-5
sion was the meeting convened by the
4 lord mayor Of London. Sir John V0cs
| Moore. to declare the condolences OF
business men in the city proper In tina
South African policy OF tI1a goyern-
u1ent.