The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-12-02
.RUMOPED
RELIEF OF
KIMBERLEY.
Gen. 1Esthusn Expects to Form a
Junction With the Kimbsr-
ley Forces To-day.
COLlSBERG DUTCH RETURNED
While Attempting to Blow Up q
Bridge at COlsnsO the Beers
Were Driven Back.

LONDON, Dec. 1.-WhIle the rumors
OF the relief OF Kimberley current on
the stock exchange to-day may be pre-
mature in their literal sense. there
seems no doubt that the pressure on the
garrison has been much llghtened by
General Methuen's successes and the
actual relief Of the place is likely to be
fact very soon.
A clue to the urgency reasons which
dictated General Methuen's hurried
march may be found In Governor MIL
ner's hint to the relief committee at
Cape Town to prepare for the reception
Of 10000 refugees, indicating that the
garrison must have reason to fear the
reduction of Kimberley by starvation
and disease.
The most recent news from Kimber-
ley comes by way of Pretoria and al
most seems to show that Kimberley
and Mateking are acting in concert
with General Methuen. for at the time
the battle was raging at Gras Pan both
Colonel KeEewlch and Colonel Bader-
Powell made corties and assailed the
beleaguerers. The result of the Mafe-
king sortle Is not known but. according
to dispatch from Pretoria, Col. Keke-
wIch inflicted considerable loss on the
Beers, two shells killing nine and
woundlng seventeen in a group. Of
Beers.
It is reported that General Methuen
resumed his march northward wednes-
day and expected to form junction
with the Kimberley forces Saturday or
Sunday,
1t Is suggested In some quarters that
the Boer forces have been withdrawn
from the north OF Cape Colony and may
be hurryIng to attack General Meth
uen's rear; but as relnforcements have
been pushed rapidly forward from
Orange river and De AaF. 1t Is claimed
they ought to clrcumvent such designs.
A special dispatch from Pretoria,
dated Sunday, November q tt,,tSee
was another sortIe from Mafeking.
Saturday, November 25. on the morn-
ing of that day the chartered police at
tackled Klofra fort with great determIn-
alton. The fight was progressing when
the dispatch was sent.
Several ambulance trains left Mafe-
king November 25 for the free state.
where heavy lighting was expected dur
ing the then coming week when the
Beers, 1t was added, would resist the
advance of the British In the direction
of Kimberley.
The brief kilograms coming from Ma
tai and the central theatre Of the war
convey little information about the sit
uatlon. Naauw Poort reports that half
the Colesberg Dutch who responded
to the Boer summonses for military ser
vice have now returned to their homes.
SO, perhaps, the serious civil troubles
hampering General Gatacre may be
lessened and the military operations
under his direction will commence.
So far as known the Ladysmith relief
force Is stlll at Frere. though the bridge
was perhaps sufficiently repaired to
permit of Its passage November 50, in
which case the opposing forces may al
ready have come In contact near colen-
SO, where. apparently, the Beers are
strongly entrenched on the north side
of the river.
A special dispatch received here to-
day from Frere. dated Tuesday, Novem-
ber %, says that while attempting to
blow up q 5OO-foOt bridge over the river
ut coIenso, the Beers were driven back
by British artillery and mounled In
fantry.