The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-05-17
British Relief Column Reported
Within 81 Miles Tuesday.
NEWS ANxIOUSLY AWAITED
Butler Forcing Ms Way IniO The TranNsal,
Where lie VIII Join 10 Roberts Ad.
vance, .Rundle, Sweeping the North.
east Free State, Captures Many.

LONDON. May i7.-The British re-
lief column fought the Beers at Kraal-
pan. % miles south Of Mafcking. Tues
day according TO a telegram received
Wednesday AZ Lourenco Marques from
Molopo. 100 miles north OF Mafeking.
This intelligence II accepted here with
some reserve because II is difficult TO
understand how news could have been
30 quickly put on the wire from place
l32 miles from the scene OF the en-
gagemcnt a correspondent OF the
Morning Post. presumably john Stuart.
Is reported to have been captured by
the Beers al kraaipan.
The British public Is keeping expect
ant OF the announcement that Ma
feking has been relieved In army cir.
cles tho opinion seems TO prevail that
this has already been accomplished. al
though two hours after midnight the
war office asserted that news OF the
relief had not been received. The
ateadfast courage OF the hunger bitten
garrison has produced deep impress
sion ani the news Of It's succor Is
awaited with more anxiety than has
been felt regarding any other event
OF ,he war.
Lord Roberts continues passive at
kroonslad. His cavalry are stretching
like q semi-circle screen many miles in
length, without tapping the TANKS.
General Frenoh's cavalry had one live
ly fight after crossing the zand river.
A mixed squadron took kopje and dis
mounted. The Beers suddenly fred
from concealed position. killing many
horses and stampeding the rest. The
Beers then advanced In overwhelming
numbers and drove the squadron of,
capturing scme. The Beers robbed the
dead and looted their saddles A small
brignde OF cavalry drove them of.
Farther north the Hussars charged
the Beers, killing and woundlng many
Of the stragglcrs with sabres and pis-
tolls. Lori Roberts infantry marched
lsO miles In seven days. General Bull
lcr Is moving towards New Castle He
appears to BE- using 25,oOo men against
5000 or 6.OOO
His operations will almost certainly
result In his forcing his way into The
Transvaal, possibly In time to coop
crate with Lord Roberts advance. al
though Genera Butler Is now 2je miles
from johannesburg or twenty FIVE days
march.
General Rumble is sweeping through
the northeast OF the Free State. The
Roers are dissolvlng before him and
some are surrendering. Their main
force is assembled between Fisksburg
and Winburg, but It is without close
Today's installment OF the war story |
from every part OF the war field is.
therefore, seemingly a narrative of
British successes, but with the Beers |
for the last desperate fling |
farther In the interior and with Boer
guerilla parties looting houses and
stores In the northwest section of Cape
Colony, It is not all roses for the Brit
lsh.
THABANCHU. Tuesday, May To-
The British force advanced this morn
Ing twenty miles to the north and west
md took possession OF Mauqatilng's
Mex.
LONDON. May 16.-The war Office has
posted the following dispatch from Gem
'ral Butler, dated Dundee. May lG'
I'VE occupied Glencoe vest srday and
he Transvaalers have now evacuated
The Free Staters on the
orakenburg are much reduced in num-
'ers The Pretoria, Carolina and Lyden-
'urg commanders trekked north from
ilatikulu on the 18th and 14th Of May
With eleven guns. Eleven guns were
at Glencoe, The last train