The record-union., 1899-10-16


Forces.
LONDON, Oct. 1870 far as actua
news is concerned, very little change il
the situation is noticed. The state o.
affairs at Mafeking can only be con
jectured. The occupation of New
castle by the Beers was prepared fol
and expected, the place having beer
abandoned by the British. The Boer:
are reported to be menacing Kimberly
Very heavy rains and SHOWS are re-
ported, which hamper the Boer move
ments, and they are finding that they
began too late to easily obtain the
initial successes counted upon. They
evidently find the advance upon Lady
smith difficult either from the north
or west, as General Sir George Stewart
Whites reconnaissance seems sufficient
to deter them for the present.
The peaks of the Drakensberg range
are covered, and the storms which
have occurred must have caused the
Beers great discomfort, which prob
ably explains their failure to attack
General White. Mastery inactivity
characterizes the operations of both
sides
Persistent rumors are in circulation
that the Schreiner Ministry of Cape
Colony have been dismissed, and that
Rose Innes had been asked to form q
Cabinet. These rumors, however, are
without foundation.
Sir Alfred Miner has wired to Mt
Chamberlain the text of an infiamma-
tor circular which Field Cornet Viii
joen circulated in johannesburg some
weeks ago with a view of incensing the
Afrikanders on both sides of the Or
ange River against England.
At o'clock last evening the Govern
ment had received no news of fighting
in South Africa, and did not expect any
as no battle is probable except at Mafe-
king, communication with which place
has been cut off and for which consider
able anxiety is felt. Elsewhere, how
ever, it is believed the British will re-
main on the defensive. Lord Salisbury
has issued a summons for a Cabinet
meeting tomorrow.
The Government has secured the
steamer Arawa which was to have
sailed from Avenmouth tomorrow for
Montreal with 1000 passengers. The
White Star line steamer Medic, now al
Melbourne, to convey the Australian
contingent to South Africa.
The Daily Nails" Cape Town cor
respondent, telegraphing Sunday even
ing, says: Kimberly is besieged. and
the Beers are massing in force No
details, however, are obtainable. The
Beers have cut the railway at Belmont.
have seized the Spyfontein railway sta
ton and constructed fortified earth
works. There are strong defending
forces at Modder River and the Orange
River. The object Of these energetic
operations is believed to be the cap
ture Of Cecil Rhodes. Kimberly is now
isolated, both railway and Geographic
communication being cut
RAILWAY ACCIDENT.
NRYBURG, Oct. ia hospital train
that started for Maribogo has Just re-
turned after an adventurous journey. 1t
had reached a curve on culvert 700
yards south of Maribogo, and had just
slackened speed, when it was observed
that the rails ahead had been upturned.
The brakes We're applied, but the engine
passed onto one rail partly raised. and
was derailed. The occupants immedi-
ately righted the engine. At the same
time it was observed that a party of
Beers were galloping into line east of
the railway but well on the Cape Col
ony side of the border. Some of the
persons on the train declare that they
saw a cannon pointed at the train The
intention Of the Beers was apparently
hostile. The train ran back to Vry-
burg at full speed the engine flying a
white flag with a red cross. Picks and
shovels were seen lying about and the
Beers had apparently been disturbed
while removing the rails.
It is learned that previous to the
starting of the train, Maribogo tele-
phoned vryburg asking that the train
be sent up as all was quite safe. The
operator at Vryburg recognized the
voice as that of an European store
clerk In view of the subsequent re-
port that the Beers We're removing the
rails, it is believed the Beers COM
PEELED the clerk to speak through the
telephone.
The nearest BOer command to Vry-
burg is laagered north of Schweizer-
renek twenty miles distant and two
miles inside the Transvaal The COM
IudLuO sent a message 10 the NTyDuTS
railway station that if the delivery of
three wagonloads of meat and two
wagon loads of sugar received a week
ago We're refused, the Beers would send
600 men to take them. This morning
all the goods at the station were made
up in two special trucks.
KRUGER AND STEYN IN DIRECT
COMMUNICATION.
CAPE TOWN, Oct. 15.-President
Steyn of the Orange Free State and
President Kruger Of the Transvaal
maintain direct telegraph connection.
Aliwalnorth dispatches say that
Frere Bridge, which heretofore has
been a great aid to Boer spies, is now
closed and guarded by Cape police.
1t is rumored that the Beeste Kraal
commando, strengthened by 500 Beers
from Smithfield. is menacing Aliwal-
north. A Kafffr brought from Vryburg
by the returning hospital train, .says
he passed the scene of the recent ar
mored train disaster and saw several
bodies Of white men lying there.
There is still no reliable news from
either Ladysmith or Glencoe. except
that patrol from the latter place ex-
changed shots with a small body of
Beers on the road to Halprna lxer All