The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-10-30
BATTLE OPENS.
Beers Begin ShellingLadysmitb
With 4O-POunders.
Fire Is Soon SiIenced by British
Artillery.
ADVANCE TO CHARGE.
Transvaal Forces Move on the
Enemy's Left Flank.
Skirmishing Has Been Going on
For Some Days.
British Army Reported to Have
Surrendered.
ADVANCE TO CHARGE.

Surrendered.
Ladysmith, Oct SOL so a. mfr
ing commenced at 20 this morning, the
Beers shelling Ladysmith with 40
Founders.
After seven shots the British guns
succeeded in silencing the Boer fire.
A force of Beers is now advancing on
the British left flank.
PRELIMINARY SKIRMISHING.
New York, Oct. 3O.-A dispatch to the
Herald from London says:
The Daily Telegraph publishes these
dispatches from its special correspond
ent in Natal. Bennett BurIeigh:
Ladysmith Saturday: The inter
change of shots between the pickets of
both forces ceased Friday at sunset
The Beers show extraordinary keenness
in their endeavors to entrap our scouts
Gen. French's force consisting of five
battalions of infantry. six battalions of
artillery and a considerable number of
cavalry bivouacked Friday night at
Mount Bulwan. They were unmoIested
by the enemy who retained their posi-
ton upon rough low kopje.
Arrangements had been made to as
sault the Beers position but these
were negattved in the morning, our pa
trols finding the Beers gathered in
strength.
Moving to the north of the enemy on
this side of Matawans Hook, our scouts
became visible from the high groves
looking over Ladysmith at a distance
four miles away and they were fired
upon. Since then cannon and cavalry
fire have been constantly interchanged
Large bodies of Beers have been seen
south OF 11ntWa Iona.
A large centrifugal pump is being
erected for the purpose of making the
town Independent of any outside water
supply. Our troops are all well.
The enemy apparently, still retain
their positions of Saturday lying to the
northeast and west of Ladysmith.
Their sharp shooters persist in com
ing down the guIlies and trying to sur
prise our scouts. Happily they meet
with no success, as our troopers are all
right and pay them back with interest
Gen. Lucas Meyer has about 1000 men
laagered east of Mount BulWan. Gen.
Joubert'S force has not yet reached
Elandslaagte. The Free Staters have
laagers and guns on the hills to the
northwest of HepWOrth Reds farm,
which is four miles north of here.
A small recOnnoitering force is out.
At present our troopers are resting
here and the situation is satisfactory.
Large supplies are already stored in
the place and more with some cattle
have arrived.
1he free state Beers appear to have
moved most of their force near the
scene of Tuesdays action at Malawans
Hook. Probably six to seven thousand
of them are there with guns. Relative
ly few Beers are left guarding the
Drakensberg passes.
A SUPREME EFFORT.
London. Oct. 3O.-A dispatch of the
Associated Press from Ladysmith this
morning which was sent at express
rates came through in the remarkable
of r che
which the stage of war operations has
reached and that the expected attack
on Ladysmith by the joint Boer forces
has opened.
A dispatch from Durham at 9:45 this
morning supplements the Associated
Press dispatch with the information
that the BOer shells were chiefly direct
ed at the station and that no damage
was done up to the time the message
from Durham was forwarded.
That the heavy guns of the Beers
from which much was expected
should be silenced so speedily as in
dicated in the Associated Press dis
patch from Ladysmith is a matter of
great surprise, but the subsequent ad-
vance of the buTgher force on the Brit
ish left flank shows the attackers were
in no way dismayed thereby and were
still full of the self same confidence and
daring which they have already exhib-
tied on various occasions.
Apparently the Beers have concen-
trated for a supreme effort at LADY,
smith. They have withdrawn their
forces from other points, which they
consider mOmentarily to be of less i'm
pOrtance. The ease with which thew
reOrganized the German CORPS. which
was almost annihilated at Eiandslaagte
and General Lucas Maiers column.
shattered at Talana Hill, show how
great are their recuperative powers and
their fertility of resource. The perse-
verance the Beers have shown in trans
porting heavy ordnance and posting it
in commanding positions has forced
admiration even from their enemies.
Unless the present attack is merely a
feint to occupy the British while the
invaders are cutting off communication
southwark the battle which opened this
morning may decide the issue Of the
war so far as fighting in the open is
concerned, as unless the eighteen or
twenty thousand Beers about Lady
smith are able to destroy the twelve
thousand British there they can hardly
hope to cope with General BuIlers'
army corps; so it may be expected the
Beers will return to the attack of Lady
smith, after they are beaten off SO long
as they have a gun in position and men
willing to face the British. for they
must be fully cOgnizant that the news
of their success will bring thousands of
sympathizers and adventures to their
standard.
The active operations of the last few
days have shown cavalry, under mod
ern conditions, armed with long range
weapons in an entirely new light. prov
ing them able to work as infantry, both
alone and in conjunction with foot sol
diers. Those cavalrymen have shown
themselves able to hold infantry posi-
tionS against mounted infantry, which
under previous conditions, they would
have been forced to relinQuish while the