The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-13
PATTERED LIKE HAIL
AWFUL STORM OF BULLETS EN-
COUNTERED BY THE BRITISH
AT MODDER RIVER
FACED DEATH cHEERFULLY

British Troops Are Forced to
Face In tho Fighting I'm South
Africa-London Newspapers Extol
the Bravery of the Marines, who
Met the Hail of Bullets.
LONDON. Jan. 12-British war CORE
spondents are pouring In through the
mails columns of descriptions of the oper
atoms in South Africa Those recently
printed refer briefly to the battles of Ora.
Pan and Modder river, for it is yet toe
early for the publication of full accounts
OF Buffers defeat at Colenso. The Times
correspondent at Modder river has writ
ten a graphic account of the long, fierce
battle that takes It's name from thai
stream.
For the whole Of the day." he writes
the guards brigade lay on the open veldt
In heat that was actually ITO degrees
IN the shade at midday. Meanwhile the
left flank had not been idle, and after the
general had personally led them to the
summit Of slight rise that commanded
the only possible means of crossing the
riyer-the dam that had been built tc
turn the Modder river into an ornamental
water for the picnics of the Kimberley
excursionists-they moved in echelon to-
wards the edge of the river bank, on the
enemy's left
That 1t could even be attempted tt
cross the river sliding sideways through
the rush OF water over the paddles OF
the rickety iron bar by one clinging to
the short supports in full view of the Cd.
posite shore was an act Of reckless hero
ism, against which even the wary Cronje
had not provided. This, however. Is
what was actually done, and 1t would be
difficult to find parallel for the stubborn
pluck OF the men who accompanied Col
Barter across the 300 yards Of dam and
Weir. One by one, some four hundred oil
them crossed. Then detachment Of the
Royal Engineers, showing how well they
could take their part in the forefront OF
the lighting line, followed them; after
that some more Of the Yorkshire light in.
fantry. Little by little the force was col.
lected, which cleared several Of the near.
est houses on the right and effected ar
occupation Of the irrigation patch, from
which they were never dislodged.
Early In the afternoon the general was
shot through the thigh. and for some
orders, were compelled to act independ
emily of the other, the only communica
ton being a warning to the following bri
gade not to fire upon the first, of which
there was some danger"
AFTER THE BATTLE.
The scene after the battle Is thus de
scribed by the same writer:
Most people who have stayed at Kim
berley know of Modder river as a recre
alton ground, thinking ofit, in fact, mucl
as London regards Maidenhead. Neve
has 1t been anything but frivolous littl
patch In the heart Of the veldt. The pun
1shment for Its giddiness has been sudden
and extraordinary. The place Is desert
ted, the walls and roofs perforated lik
a colander; the water, churned and be
fouled by 10000 animals, rolls over ant
over the dead that were hurriedly thrown
into it's eddying hollows, with q weigh
attached that has in many cases prove,
insufficient. The bridge lies, on its RUNE,
piers, twisted length Of scrap iron, an,
the dead horses fill every nook in tn
riverside woods.
THE chapel, with iss little wooder
cross, near the river stood in the thick O
the fight and now lies a crumbling mas
Of adobe walls, with Its shattered earth
en- altar and most of it's seats. There Il
no square rood within this extinct para
disc that does not bear witness to tn,
fearful effect Of modern weapons"
BRAVE MARINES.
The conduct Of the marines of the nava
brigade at Gras Pan is a source of an
ending praise from all correspondents
The Times representative at the battle
writes:
"The naval brigade advanced in ex.
tended order, but In converging upon the
position to be taken they unconsciously
found themselves closed in, and in that
formation, attempted the ascent The
fire directed upon them was terrible and,
distinguished by their swords, the officers
were the first to fall Commander Ethel
stan was mortally wounded fifty yards
from the first slope, and one by one the
rest fell as they adj anced, many with.
two or three bullet wounds. The slaugh-
ter was appalling to watch; the gallantry
displayed was useless under the pitiless
iron hail that was but slightly checked
by the redoubled Smelling of the rein,
forced battery. With a cheer, the York
shire men-by a curious coincidence they
had been conveyed from Mauritius by the
very men to whose help they now came
ran up, pouring upwards q tremendous
fusillade towards the crest of the range.
''Of course they lost heavily, but their
open formation and the impossibility of
distinguishing officers saved them from
the concentrated fire that had deprived
the naval detachment of their leaders,
and little by little the thin line of khaki
crawled ur to the top. The storming line
was now so near the crest that the guns
could only be directed upon the Boers
enfilading the position from the spurs OF
the kODio on the left and almost in a
calm, Lieut. s. c. Taylor, closely followed