Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-05
But No Actual News Given
Out From the Front.
LADYSMITH GARRISON
Is Holding Out and it is Believed That
General Butler is Making His Third
Attempt to Relieve the Beleaguered
City.

London, Feb. 5. 4:30 a. m.-Althoush
there is no actual continuation of the re-
port that General Butler has re-crossed
the Tugala on a third desperate attempt
to relieve Ladysmith, it is known that
the war office has received several South
African dispatches which have not been
published, and if the advance is an ac-
tual fact the secret is being we'll kept.
There are newspaper dispatches in
plenty from Spearman's camp up to Sum
day, but there is no hint that an advance
has been begun and it is ssuned in some
quarters here that Lord Dundonald's re-
connoissance in the district of Honger's
poort may be the only foundation for the
statement thai General Butler has start
ed. On the other hand dispatches from
Lad ys1nith rather indicate that the ad-
vance is in operation by reporting heavy
firing on Friday and Saturday from the
directions of Potgieter's drift and CO.
1enso.
A dispatch to the Daily Chronicle from
Ladysmith, dated yesterday says: -
report has reached us that one brigade
has crossed the Tugela."
The reports that the Beers are recon-
centrating around Ladysinith are also an
indication that preparations are being
made to resist General Butler or for an
attempt to reattack upon the garrison in
anticipation of his advance. The fact,
however. that no firing has bean report
ed un,ler yesterdays date, either from
Ladyamith or Spearman's camp. might be
interpreted to mean either that the at
tempt had failed or that General Butler
hod y,o~oly made q dpn4nnStraflO n on
Friday or Saturday.
Various rumors are current. One says
that General Butler is again attacking
Spion kop from the side Of General Lyt-
tleton's camp. Another is nat he re-
ceived information from the owner Of
Spion Kop farm and crossed by fords
further west than richards drift. The
military authorities in London think It
more thar likely that the crossing would
he made east of Swartzkop. Speculation,
however, is useless. The public can on
Ivy wait in patience and it may be said
also, in trepidation. Nor is the feeling
of anxiety much relieved by the POSSIBLE
ity that General Butler has become con-
siderably reinforced since the disaster at
Spion koD.
London, Jan. 24.-CCorrespondence Of
the Assocta ed Press.)-Wa letters from
Ladysmith ~monupo.iZe to-day's London
papers. The Times correspondent at
that place writes under date Of Dec. 10:
1t is impossible to express the ~feelins
OF CONSERVATION With which the news OIL
General Buffers check on the Tuge'a
their minds that the period of forced in
activity was at an end. No one for a
moment imagined that the southern force
would be anything but successful. Or
Dec. II heavy firing had been heard in
the direction of CoiensO, while on the fol
lowing day the pickets ON Caesars caanI
and Wagon hill had seem The smoke made
by the bursting shra pnel. Then we wait.
ed for news-waited breathlessly for or.
ders to be given to the flying column
composed of the D~evonshire and Man.
chester regiments and the Gordon high.
landers, to leave camp to complete de-
vastation which the southern force had
begun.
Men and woIne congratulated them.
selves in the streets when they heard
that one OF our heavy guns had been SEN
to Wagon hill to cover the movements d
the advancing columns, but the silence
was prolonged, though the heliograpi
winked ceasele ssly from the hill tops, III
rumor had it's way and stories We're TOLD
of a splendid yitory, of deserving Beers
of fleeing Dutch and slaughtered burgh'
ers, but nothing from headquarters. De,
cember 16 was Dingnan's day. the ann
versary or the declaration of the indie.
pendence of the South African republic
by the tliumvirate in 1880. 1t was though
that this would be a suitable date for u:
to crush the power of the rebel state.
Day daWned. and with the advent o.
the sun the big gun of Bulwayo opened
a spiteful fire. The twenty rounds were
fired into the town. The Beers had re.
membered the salute which we had fred
on the Prince of Wales birthday. Grim,
ly on Dingnan's day they returned the
salute ANA with the result that there were
three casualties from he fire. This sa.
lutte was the song of the dying wan. Ii
a fit Of brayado The enemy had fired inrc
us before removing the gun to escape the
advance from the south.
A story came from Intombi camp thai
the Beers had sent them a number o,
Wouf'1ed Dutch for treatment. Excite.
ment an high and a speculative photo.
grapher circulated a notice ITO the effec,
that-now the siege was practically at al
end. he would be happy to take a mas!
group of the civilians who had surviv.
ed. But on Saturday night a sinister or.
der appeared. The batteries attached
to the dying column were semi back tt
their positions in the line of defense. Or
the morrow the following general orde]
was published to the garrison:
The general officer commanding. tn.
Natal field force egrets to have TO an,
nounce that General Butler failed t.
make good his first attack on Colenso
Reinforceqnents will not, therefore. ar
rive here as early as was expected. Si
George White is confident that the de,
Tense Of L~adysgnith will be continued by
the garrison In the same spirit n man,
ner as il has been conducted until tn,
general officer commanding in chief /,
South Africa does relieve it,"
The news was received with blank dis
may. The disappointment was over
Wheiming. Then, as the situation be
gan to be studied calmly, the tension
was relieved.