The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-12-22

tn. cold carping Of some Of the coh''"e'-
tai nations" -,
The Standard says: THE British Pm
pire Is on its mettle, and Is giving w
world a hint as 10 the extent OF lts Ia'
est resources I'm lighting materlal. w
where is the demonstration watcheo w"
more interest, We believe with more s".
faction. than among our kinsmen In tne
limited states. whose sympathy will De
still further aroused by Lord ROBERTS
admirable message
THRILLING INCIDENTS.
roNSDoN. Dec. 13.--I.etters from BRUSH
officers and soldiers lighting in the Trans
vaal and lengthy descriptions from war
corresnondents that filter into print
,hrouch the mails teem with thriIiihs
and pathetic incidents
The Times correspondent gives
graphic account and explanation OF tno
British disaster at Nlcholson's Mex, "nere
Cartoons column. consisting OF six co'"-
panies of the Royal Irish Fusiliers' iour
and a half companies Of the Glouceshlre
Regiment and No. 10 Mountain Battery
surrendered
Two hours before daybreak' says TINS
| CORE spondent, while the column was III
an enclosed country. either snot Wa
fired or a boulder rolled into the battery
IN column of route The mules s;ampeded
and easily broke away from their hit
sleep drivers. They came back upon 'le
Glouceshire Regiment, the advance party
OF whom fred into the mass. helievihg IN
tl,e darkness that IL was an attack rms
added to the chaos. the ranks were broken
| by the frenzied animals and they dashed
! through the ranks OF the rear-guard. car
u
munition animals with them. II became
hopeless panic
HOPELESS PANIC.
| II became a hopeless panic. The animals,
wild with the shouting and the turmoil,
tore down the Nullah into the darkness,
| and the last that was heard Of them was
| the sound of ammunition boxes ana
paniers as they splinteged against thc
boulders The hubbub of these few min
utes was sufficient to have alarmed the
enemy BY a strenuous effort. the oihcers
succeeded in getting the men again under
| control. and when daylight came they
seized the first position which presented
| itself ard which was about two miles
short OF the original goal.
They were forced 70 take advantage OF
| the first kopje as Boer scouts were all
! around them. and the day was ushered IN
| with desultory firing. II was a sorry
! position which they had chosen ANA the
| men ~ere i'm a sorrier plight All thcr
reserve ammunition was gone and thoush
they had saved pieces Of the screw guns
they were not able with these pieces TO
patch up a single mounting.
From earliest daybreak Boer scouts
were reconnOitering. ana about clnch
! mounted Boers could he seen Saliop-h
in small groups to the cover AZ the re-
| eft. Il
strong parties of mounted men took posi-
tions on the far side OF the two nils
commanding the kopio from the west.
About . o'clock these two parties mao
crowned the hills and opened heaNy
fire at short range right rown upon tne
piateau Our men made plucky At
TEMPT TO return this fire, bat II was I'M
nossible. They were under "A cross-hre
from two directions. flank and rear
Tho two companies or GlOucesterhires
holding the self-contained ridge Were
driven from their shelter. and as they
crossed the open on the low plateau were
terribly mauled. the men iallns III
groups.
The Beers on the west had not yet
declared themselves. but about 2l0 marks
| men climbed 10 the position which me
| two companies Of the GlOucesterHires
had lust vacated. These men aDso'
luteiy raked the plateau, and wa
then that the men were ordered TO tak'
cover on the steep reverse Of The kopJe
As soon as the enemy realized this moV'
fhe men on the western Hill teemed on Z
the summit and opened on our men a.
they lay on the slope. They were abso
lutely bemmed in. and what had com
nenced as a slIirmish seemed about L
become a butchery. The grim order wa
possed around-"Faugh-a Ballaghs, ~
your bayonets and die like men
There was the clatter OF steel mo
ment OF suspense. and then Cease fr
ing sounded again and again 1t SOUND
ed but the Irish Fusiliers were 10th u
accept the call and continued nring 10
many minutes. Then 1t was uncondition
Al sur. .,ndcr. and the men laid down thei
a.nis'
CAIRO. Dec. 2i. The train conveying
General Lord Kitchener, now on his wa.
from the. Soudan TO South Africa, VII
this city. was derailed north OF Luxor
Happily. It only retarded the General
arriving here.
General Kitchener subsequently arrive
I'm this city and was given reception D!
Lord Cromer. the British representatiV
I'm Egypt and others. He immediatel.
boarded train for Alexandria.