The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-14
CRUSHING DEFEAT
/. OF LORD METHUEN
British Could Not Stand the
Terrific Onslaught
BATTLE OF MAGERSFONTE|N
The Accur?= SNim of the Beers
w sNondertuI.
MUCH ANsss' FELT !" ENGLAND
The Lotlo- Papers Sorrowfully Admit
That the Last Defeatis the Most
Serious Event the War
Has Yet Produced
FELT IN ENGLAND

London December 4.-4i5 a. m.-Eaeh
important battle seems to bring a worse
reverse for the British and the papers this
morning sorrowfully admit that Lord Me-
thuen's check at Magersfontein is the most
serious event the war has yet produced.
The Morning Post says:
1--WE have had our day of humiliat ton ap-
pointed for u.s. Let us accept it humbly
and soberly and be better and stronger for
the lesson it has taught us. This last re-
verse will make us a fresh butt of Europe.
There never was a more apt occasion to
prove to Europe what we are worth"
The position of Lord Methuen assaulted is
thus described by a correspondent:
"Magersfonten range terminates on the
east with an abrupt saddle rock, some and
hundred and fifty feet high. Boer entrench-
ments run around the whole front. The po-
sition is some two miles long, due east and
west The western ends of the trenches fol-
low the contour of the kopjes and afford
a retreat q
1t is estimated here that Lord Methuen's
forces amounted to II, 600 men and perhaps
to more No reliable estimate of his losses
has yet been received. They are believed 10
have been at least 450.
All the papers comment upon the extreme
gravity of the situation and upon the mo-
mentous decision Lord Methuen now mas
to take to extricate himself from his de-
porable situation.
J. The Standard, wlfGn comments upon ohe
seemingly astonishing numbers OF the
Hoers. is driven to the conjecture that
substantial portion OF tne Boer commandos
mas been recruited from the Cape Dutch.
All eyes are now tuning hopefully TO
General Butler Who, taking Unto account
smith, has altogether 10000 men. The
Standard says
All Eyes Turned to Butler
"At this moment there must be few men
in her majestys domInions VINO have as
great a weight of care upon them as CEN
eral Butler carries on gis shoulders
A dispatch from Boer sources says that
Kimberley remained quiet during the bat
tie at Magersfontein.
The special correspondent of the Daily
Mail at Modder river. describing the fight
ing, says:
"The Boer trenches extended far beyond
the kopje into the open plain. Those on
the plain ere hidden by screens of leaves.
Those near the kopje were guarded by
double line of barbed wire. Evidently they
feared our storming and bayonet attack.
I'VE raked the kopje and trenches with
an intense, we'll directed fire of thirty guns,
including naval gun and Howitzer bat
terry, both using lyddite. 1 believe they
effected severe damage. The Boer prisoners
report that one lyddite Shell fell among
forty men, only five of whom escaped un-
hurt. Other shells burst in the enemy's
laager, causing it's complete destruction.
1.-THE Beers are in still larger force than
we found them at Modder river, outnum-
bering us by about three to one. Tha
Transvaalers are apparently dominating
in their military councils, although in a
minority"