New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-14
PROGRESS OF THE VAR.


The Beers continued their aggressive move
ment~ yesterday at both the east and the west.
The big lager at sand Spruit just north of
Maiuha Hill las been broken mp. and the
troops are pouring through the tunnel or over
the passes into Natal With such reinforce
mcnts they VIII probably NOT long delay occu-
patton Of Newcastle There is report Of an
other advance upon Lady,mith by way Of
Tintwa Pass hut IT may Ice Identical with the
earlier report ~ such invasion 10y way u Won
Rccucn Pass few miles further north. What
bitter irony il u.s. by the way. thar troops should
be advancing from Harri>mth 10 attack Lady
smith, seeing that the former place is named
for Sir Harry Smith and the latter for his wife.
LADY, Smith, The Orange state Beers are said
10 Doe within twenty miles Of Iadysmith. which
means they have advanced ten miles beyond
the border. into Natal What preparations have
been made 10y the British for the defence ~
Lady~mith is not known. Doubtless they are
the best possible. since that place !, the key TO
the whole northern part Of Natal and lis loss
would be one Of the most serious disasters CON
cevablc I'm that region.
over on the western border the Iran,vaal
Beers are busy They have wrecked and de-
siroycd an armorcd railroad train. which they
had a right 10 do. for such a train is rs much
AN engine of war as a hattlcship That incident
occurred only few miles south " Nafrhing.
where colonel Badcn-rowen Is cucampod with
an inadoquatc force II is doubtful If the Rocr-
VIII AZ present try 10 hold OF block Tho railroad AZ
that point 50 near the British army. But they
are said 10 De gathering i'm force AZ Nar.hogo,
forty miles south and there seems 10 he mo-
good reason why they should not seize and de-
stroy The railroad there, or at some point bo-
tween Nafekng and Nryhurg or even south -
Vrvlnrg between Il and Kimberley. or south
of Kimberley. between it and IIopctovn Should
they DO So. Colonel BadonPowcll and hl9 forces
would be cut of from communications and
supplies and might be- PM into an awkward
fix The great weakness of The British posi-
ton ON that side IS that their railroad runs
from Hopctown 10 palapyc a distance of more
than five hundred miles. parallel with ana close
IN the border 4 dash across The line from ihe
Orange State or the Iran~vaal at any point is
aH That is needed 10 destroy H. Beyond Maize
king II Is Of comparatively little Importance
But from Hope Town 10 Mafcking Is two hun
drcd and sevcnty-hvc miles. from Hope Town 10
Nryburg TWO hundred miles and even from
Hope Town 10 Kimberley J, eighty miles \
seizure or destruction Of the line anywhere
along there would be- disastrous. and it there
runs only from five To twenty miles from the
boundary
Beyond doubt the Beers have at present the
advantage. They viii enjoy it until the Brit
ISL are ia sufficient force to take the aggressive
\ British advance in force mp the Noldcr
River, upon Bocmfontc.n. or mp the Naal upon
Pretoria. would change the face of affairs MAJ
tcrally. The Beers would Dee compelled 10 draw
in their forces from raidus Naial ~ meet it
and 10 defend their capital Apparently the
time when the British can thus act Is still a
fortnight of In fortnight thc Doors VIII he
able 10 DO much damage.