The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-02-21
WAR In THE WEST.
Lord Roberts Has Advanced Thirty
Miles from JacobsdaI.
THE RAILROAD Is NOW OPEN.
Methuen viii Be Sent to Kimberley
with Supplies.
AN IMPORTANT BATTLE Is RuMORED,
An Unofficial Report Says Lord Kitchener
Has Engaged General Cronle.
Beers ARE RETIRING FROM COlESBERt
Lord Roberts Is Pressing Toward ths
N IMPORTANT BATTLE Is RuMORED,
An Unofficial Report Says Lord Kitchener
Has Engaged General cronle.
Beers ARE RETIRING FROM COltSBFRt
Capital of the Free State Hoping
To Occupy II.

London February 20--The war Office
has issued dispatch from Roberts, the
main Importance OF which is the fact that
# is dated Paardeberg, 1905 p. m. Mon
day, Paardcberg is thirty miles cast OF
Jaeohsdol. The dispatch announces that
the railroad to Kimberley is open and that
Methuen will proceed there with reinforce
ments forthwith and that large supplies
viii be forwarded to the town,
London, February sn,--Whatever good
news may have been received from the
front is carefully guarded, In spite OF the
queens announcement 10 the fourth bat
talon OF Lincolnshire militia this morning
prior 10 her departure from Osborne house
for Windsor. that good news has been re-
oeived from the seat OF war. the war otAce
officials solemnly averred they had re-
celyed no ncws up TO lao O'Clock this
afternoon. unofhcially 1t is rumored that
Kitchener has brought Cronje to stand
stll and engaged him and 1t Is added the
war office Is now only awaiting the result
OF the battle. This, however. though
plausible. may be premature. In any case,
the confident hope that Cronje has been
cut of from Bloemtontein continues TO
prevail in London and especially in view
OF the detailed dispatches saying the Free
} staters, when they saw the extent OF tho
: British forces. were in favor OF surren-
. dering,
. The FIRST train for Kimberley LEFT Cape
. town last night. and the noighborhood OF
. the famous siege is thoroughly cleared Ct
. Beers,
+" London, February 81, AIS a. m,-Gen-
9 eral Clements reports that the force con-
9 fronting him has been greatly diminished.
9 Twenty thousand Boers are estimated to
have gone from the Goldberg district alone
. The Beers are also rctroclng their steps
from Zululand Thus they are relaxing
q their hold on all sides in order to assemble
to oppose Lord Roberts. lie Is pressing on
steadily toward Bloemfontein' THIS u
3 shown In this ineonscquontial telegram
9 from Paardeberg, nifty or sixty miles away.
Doubtless he is miles behind the column
6 that is pursuing the Beers and the neH'
important move may DO the occupation OF
Bleomfontein,
Nothing has been heard from the CHASE
q Of CronJe for two days. Although the las
. words of the war office last night STATED
there was no news for publication. there
. is strong disposition to believe tina
. favorable Information has been received
but is being withheld for the operations
. which will eliminate In something oSn
9 elusive. Owing to lack of transport, tn
9 British are net likely to Invade territor'
. excerit where Lord Roberts is operating
. craddock. Cape Coioney. February TO-
. Details have arrived here with respect y
. the capture OF the British convoy at hie
q river 1t appears that the wagons wer
. laagered near the DRIFT and that the con
Q voy was attacked by 1000 Beers WIN tou
. guns. The Smelling continued all day. On
9 hundred and eighty wagons were CAP
Q tured. containing provisions ana tof1s'
. IIalf the drivers and leaders were killed
: are missing.