Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-26

fed the war Office that the bullet had been
extracted from General Symons' wound and
that he was doing we'll. ~
other dispatches from Capetown say that
advlcos from Mafeking confirm the state
ment that fifty Beers were killed by the ex-
plosion of two tracks OF dynamite purposely
sent out by Colonel Baden-Powell to draw
the Boer fire.
The offer Of General Cronje, the Boer COM
mander in the vicinity of Mafekng, TO
Colonel Baden Powell to exchange prisoners
referred to Captain Nesbtt and others Of
the armored train wrecked at Kraaipan.
Some significance Is attached at Cape
town to the proclamation issued at Pretoria
by the Transvaal government with the view
to safeguard British property. The situ-
alton in the west is becoming complicated.
The Boer proclamation of annexation and
the claims of a victory at Glencoe are
likely to induce the Dutch to side with their
countrymen already in the field. 1t Is also
believed that the Dutch beyond Griquatown
are only awaiting encouragement to declare
for the Transyaal.
Advices from Philipstown yesterday say
that the searchlights of the Kimberley de-
lenses were visible the previous night and
that therefore Kimberley is still intact.
Defense of Kimberley.
The latest dispatch from Kimberley gave
| details of the arrangements made by the
British commander, Colonel Kekewiche, for
| the defense of the town. The meat con-
sumption Is limited to one pound daily, a
| fire brigade has been formed and its mem
| bers are prohibited from joining in the de-
fense of the place, as their services are
| likely to be otherwise required.
| dispatch from Maseru dated October "A
| says Commissioner 1agden was then start
| ing to meet Lerothodi and other Basuto
| chiefs at Putiatsuz river, where the chiefs
| have assembled at the request of Lerothodi
| to pledge loyalty to the queen. dispatch
| from Durham dated October 90 says informa-
| tion has reached there from Melmoth, Zulu
land, that on Sunday large Boer force was
| approaching. The inhabitants forthwith
entered Fort. Maxwell anticipating an at
| tack at dawn on Monday.
According to a Brussels dispatch, DR..
Leyds, the diplomatic agent Of the Transvaal
| in Europe, has issued statement that the
Beers have now nearly 100000 men in the
field, made up as follows: Boer regulars.
S5 900; artillery, 1850; police, 1,750; Orange
Free State troops, $4,000; Natal Beers, 5000;
Bechuanaand and Rhodesian Beers, 5000;
foreign legion 600; Americans, 1000; Ger
mans, 5000; Dutch Belgiaus. 1000; Irish
1000; Scandlnavians, 600: French, Swiss and
Italians, 200. The Jews, it appears, are do
ing police work.
A special dispatch from Pretoria, dated
| October "a, purports to give an interview
with one of the highest Transvaal ex-
ecutives, who is quoted as having urged that
| while the British successes were as yet un-
| important, there was still time for an
amicable settlement, as he believed the
| Beers had been misled as to the real issue
RumOr of Foreign Aggression.
The extent of the British preparations re-
vealed by today's information causes a
| strong reiteration Of the rumors of serious
| foreign complications. 1t is now said that
| Rear Admiral Lord Charles Beresford will
| command the Mediterranean squadron and
details of the activity at the dockyards and
naval stations are coming in hot and fast
| The Associated Press learns, however that
whether or not Great Britain seriously fear!
| Russian or French aggression, the nava
| preparations have been under consideration
for several months and 1t was thendmiralty's
| intention to put them in force as soon al
war was declared, deeming it necessary tc
! increase the active strength of the navy il
order to insure the large fleet of transport:
against every possible contingency.
Whether later developments have trans
formed the admiralty's precautionary meas
ures into preparations for a naval demon
stration necessitated by European hostility
is the question Of the hour and it is as much
a mystery to many high naval officers as &c
the public The exact condition of affairs
consists Of ordering the naval resrves to be
in readiness to rejoin their ships at twenty
four hours notice, while all the cruisers OF
the reserve class have been notified to be
ready to sail in the same time limit. These
| vessels, though at the dockyards, are never
out of commission and are always supposed
to be ready for immediate manning.
dozen cruisers, ranging from 5000 to II 00C
tons. are now only waiting the word tc
embark the crews.
In addition to these preparations work
on the uncomplete6 vessels is being hurried
day and night. The special attention being
paid to the cruisers is taken by naval au-
thorities to indicate that Great Britain in.
tends to form a menacing flying squadron
using the term 'menacing" because tht
naval force at sea now is ample to convoy
the troops and is capable of preventing any
interference in South African waters.
| Attack on ArmOred Train.
A dispatch to the Morning Post from Kim.
berley, dated October 81, via Orange river
October "a, says:
An armored train was engaged this even.
ing; one OF our men was killed and tive
trucks of dynamite were removed from thu
town for safety and were blown up by tn,
Beers. The Boer loss is uncertain.
The Boer artillery moved around, tryint
to draw the force covering the town, Their,
was small engagement, but nothing o
} consequence happened.
We are completely isolated, but as safe a;
a bank. Not one man has left. Rain Il
approaching.
Our troops found the enemy cutting th,
line today, and Maxim gun on the trail
did good work and cleared away the wreck
ers.
STRICKEN GENERAL IS BETTER
! Bullet Extracted from SymOns' WOun,