The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-31
STRAITS OF LADYSMlTH.
BOER ARTILLERY MTCH BETTER
1H1S THE BRI1ISH

IoNpoS, Dec 2o.--Tbe South African cen
,o,ship Ia now pretty vigorously applied 10 the
mail AZ we'll as 10 the cable dispatches and seems
that VIZ shalt have 10 wait upon the pleasure oil
IN. authorities before we can get full true and de
tailed accounts Of important happenings Bul-
lar defeat at Coenso Is still wrapped In mystery
We know that the loss was l,O97 Killed, wounded
and missing In addition 10 eleven guns but oil
the battle itself We have only tie most ncogre
and contradictory accounts II Is more Than IKE
~ that returning convaescents will bring on the
f,rst detailed story. Meanwhile mail letter
tr II, the times correspondent giving fuller
account Of tho condition Il the town when the
siege began, IL Of interest On Nov. the town
y,s practically in a state Of siege. The CORE
spondent says
The situation In which Sir George White found
himself was this lie found al his dispotal 10 de.
fend t,ndysmith q force Of 1900 men, 80 field
runs and naval contingent with two heavy
position guns OF fooistuns and small arm AM
muntion he possessed supply which would not,
under ordinary circumstances become exhausted
in three months But the artillery were not 80
we'll placed The supply Of shell worked out TO
little over 800 rounds por gun for the Held bat
tories aud. even with the naval guns II was cvi-
den, that expenditure would have 10 be made with
q sparinr hand. Ladysmlth docs not lend itself
readily TO defence, Roughly the town lies In tho
nhu oi no'Soon' ', ' ' ..e I'd A. 80.
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into the field guns fitted with the latest tc.scopc
nights. and having range u 8 900 to 4, 900 yards
However d-vo,cdly our gunnrrs may manoeuvre
their weapons they cannot dislodgc an enemy
in action against them whom they cannot see
This Of the field artillery: and whils write a
sinrh position gun Is Smelling tho town and de-
fences from about 5000 yards II tho naval
guns had not arrived, II the Beers had cu' t.r
communication three days earlier We should
have heen DOW crless to reply As II is We have
been forced TO take most Of their bomhardrent
sitting. With regard e. the infantry arm. tho
discrepancy f. not so great. But the Msuscr
rif. with which the Beers are armed is the better
weapon, and has greater range. With a good
pair of glasses and Mauscr il is possible 10 make
tolerabls practice AT 1000 Yards No British
infantry IA trained to these ranges Our men
know nothing Of glasses; yet the farmcr-soldicr,
OUR enemy would not think Of taking the field
unless ono man in four possessed powerful
binoculars
-Thus. At first sight. the task set Sir George
White and his little fore. SEEMED stupcndous.
hut there are saving contingencies, the FRS; being
In. dislIke which the Bocr b,s over shown 20
t,ke the offensive n, will defend n pos,,lnn