Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-10-15

LONDON, October 14-There Is no au-
thoritative confirmation of the report that
a battle has been fought I'm Natal be-
tween General Sir George Stewart White
and the Orange Free State troops, al
though there is no question that the
Beers have crossed the frontier at seve-
raj points. They are said to have eighteen
guns. but II. as is reported, the engage
ment began before the Beers had formed
laager and thrown up earthworks, the
British cavalry and artillery are liable to
have had the best of the fighting.
A BRITISH VICTORY?
II IS even already reported that the
British have gained a great victory, that
1908 Beers were killed, and that the Bril-
fish loss was very slight; but this may
be without foundation, as another report
has been published to the effect that Lord
Rothschild was in receipt of news Of a
great British victory. but when the As
ISOLATED Press representative questioned
him regarding the alleged dispatch, he re-
Piled: II am sorry that 1 have not re-
CeiVed anything or the sort.
DETAILS OF TRAIN-WRECK.
Further details are at hand regarding
the destruction Of the armored train at
Kraaipan. These show that Captain Mes
bitt. who was in command Of the train.
was warned at Maribogo that the Beers
held the line He replied that he was
bound TO proceed. Nearing Kraaipan the
train dashed into a culyert that had been
blown up by the Beers, who were lying
in wait for the train. The Boer artillery
Immediately opened fire, and desperate
fight appears to have ensued, lasting four
hours with the odds greatly against the
British. The precise details are uncertain.
1t seems, however. that police patrol.
attracted by the firing. approached with
In about 200 yards OF Kraaipan, saw the
train ditched, with the Boer artillery still
pounding at it. but noticed no response.
| The Beers seemed afraid to approach I'M
til the wreck was complete, and the po-
| lice patrol feared, as there was no sign OF
| life near the train, that the entire force
had persisted in a desperate attempt to
get the Train Ddth W NhAANh'fSt 49,
they knew it was anxiously awaited, with
its load Of guns and ammunition.
1t is reported that the Beers lost heavily
bur there is no means of verifying this.
| Two miles OF rails were torn up.
MORE OF THE TRAIN-WRECK.
yRYBURG. BECHUANALAND. Octo-
Der 12-Delayed in transmission.)-An ar
mored train which left here to-day, Wit
fifteen men, two Nordenfeldts, unmount
ed. and a repairing party was engaged
by the enemy from II o'clock this morn
inc till 2 this afternoon. An attempt 10
repair the line and communicate with
Mafeking was not successful. FIRING was
very brisk on both sides. During the
opening Of the engagement artillery IRE
was heard. This must have been the ar
tilery OF the Beers, whose NUMBERS are
probably exaggerated.
The train engaged is known as the
"mosguito" train.
A smaller armored train from MAZE
king. with fifteen men OF the Protector
ate regiment, and a larger armored tram
with the Lancashire Regiment, nave ar
rived here, all proceeding to kimberley IL
safety.
TWO ESCAPE FROM THE WRECK.
LONDON, October 1.-the following
official dispatch has been received from.
Cane Town, where it was filed at 2;So +
NJ. to-day:
"The engine driver and one native es-
caped from the armored train. The Tor
mer was wounded in the hand. he re-
norris that Captain Nesbitt was slightly
wounded and that the party In the train
whose number he does not know, was
captured by the Beers. He believes ina
the prisoners were unframed
",rhe armored train that was sent &c
yryburg from Kimberley, with the TWO