Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-10-14
b0ER MODE
OF ATTACK
Is Shown By Their Actions
Near Mafeking.
BRITISH OUTNUMBERED
A Second Arm0red Train Was
Destroyed Today--Teleg-
raphers Captured
WATER SUPPLY IS CUT OFF
SO the British Forces Will Have to
Evacuate Some of the Towns
Settlement This Time Must be
Conclusive.

| London, Oct. 1.-THE Exchange Tele-
! graph company has received a dispatch
from Capetown dated this morning say
ing the Beers have blown up another ar
nored train carrying telegraph opera tors
from Mafeking.
7! The Beers, it is reported, have seized
the railway station north of fourteen
streams between Vryburg and Kimberly,
Fighting is still continuing in the neigh
borhood.
According to dspa tches from the front
the Beers have made several attacks up
on Mafekng all of which have been re-
pulsed.
In connection with the rumored attack
upon Mafeking. a dsuuietinS report from
burg and Marico commanders have
crossed the border and entered the Roo
igrnnd territory between Lichtenburg
and Mafeking. blowing up the bridge
over Maloppo river and destroying a
train load of dynamite and the track.
AS Mafeking depends upon Rooigrond for
its water supply. significance of this
move is the evident dispatch from Pre-.
toria dated October IA, which says:
General Koch wires from Natal bor-
der that his commando has occupied
Botohas pass and also captured the rail-
way station
Latest reports from every burg say
the armored train that was destroyed
at Kraaipan contained in addition to
Nesbitts force, a number Of worllmen
and six residents of Marigogo, south Of
Mafeking, who on hearing of the Boer
advance took refuge in the train. The
following dispatch from Ladysmth has
cen received at the war office:
Sir George Stewart White went in the
direction of Van Reenans pass at 3 a. M
F'riday) but failed to draw the Beers
to the pass. He returned to Ladysmith
where he now is. No engagement oc-
cured"
The capture of the train on the vest
ern border Of the Transvaal is the be-
ginning of the few antcipate ted reverses
AT the outset. The Boer plan is now
unfolding itself. II seems to be to
strike simultaneously at different points
with view of obtaining strong strategic
positions in Natal before the arrival of
British reinforcements. At all points
the British are faced by Hoer forces su-
perior at least in number.
The most dangerous position. especially
since the loss of the armored train. is
between Mafeking and Vryburg.
Colonel Baden Powell who is in COM
mand at Mafeking is man of the great
est courage and energy but he has only
-,"oo men, many of them irreguars whose
hehting capacity is not known. The
fact that he has moved out of Mafeking
indicates some apprehension and in all
likelihood he will have to stand fierce
assault or prolonged siege,
General Sir Stewart White command
ing in Natal is estimated to have abour
600 men stretched in strongly entrench-
Ell positions from Ladysmith to Dundee.
lie is man of great resources and has
the valuable assistance of General Sir
William Percy Symons, experienced in
MI hghting in India and of General Sir
Archibald Hunter. experienced in Soudan
1t is now expected the session of par
llament will not exceed two weeks. The
opposition will devote its energies to en-
deaVor to extract from the government
some information on what conditions
peace will be concluded and as to tha
future position of the Transvaal
The sixth failure in the race for Ameri.
ca cup caused intense disappointment
here