New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-25
CRONJE.S STOUT RESISTANCE
BRITISH PUBLIC ANXIOUSLY AWAITING
NEWS OF HIS SURRENDER.
Icopvight: 1900: by The New-Yorf Tribune.l
[BY CABLE TO THE TRIBUNEl

copyright: 1900: by The New-York Tribune
tBy CABLE TO THE TRIBUNE.l
London. Feb. %. L a. m.-The air was filed
yesterday with rurnors Of the surrender of Cen
eraI Cronje and the relief of Iadysmith. One
South African story supplied definite figures.
and several decorative touches. The Boer force
uf 5000 was described as surrendering after
100 men had been killed wounded. General
Cronje was reported wounded. and also Lord
Kitchener. Another bulletin from Cape Town
stated that General Cronje had been shot, and
that his force had surrendered.
Equally elastic rumors were current both in
Natal and London respecting the relief Of Lady
smith, where General Butler and General White
were reported to have come into touch without
opposition. This story was ccntradicted by a
fresh casualty list from General Butler, with
the names Of three officers killed and fourteen
wounded and addendum that, owing to the
continuous fighting Thursday, IT was impos
sible TO estimate the losses of the rank and file
The lists represented seven battalions in Hid
yards, Lyttelton's and the Lancashire brigades
and proved that there had been something more
than a rear guard action the way TO Lady
smith. This lighting was described by special
correspondents occurring near Pieter's, the
railway station about nine miles from Lady
smith. General Wynne. a popular staff officer,
was wounded.
NEWS ABOUT CRCNJE MEAGRE.
The press dispatches were meagre from the
two rival centres OF interest These brought
the tragic story OF Cronje's defence up 70 Thurs
day night when the guns still hammer
ing away al what remained of the Boer laager.
The Smelling from fifty guns had gone
Wednesday and been kept up during the night.
The Shropshire battalion had made a gallant
rush and taken up position two hundred yards
nearer the doomed encampment. Supplies had
come up for General Roberts's army, and Gen
ersl French had taken over one hundred prison
ers. The guns had been working hour after
hour on Thursday, and there were signs that
Cronje prepared to abandon the fight as
hopeless His only hope lay in the arrival Of
e large body of Dutch reinforcements and there
were camp rurors that two thousand Beers
were close at hand IN the north.
Another dispatch described the bonbardment
OF the Boer laager as terrific, and the escape Of
the entrapped force as impossible. General
Roberts was stated to be entirely prepared on
Thursday TO deal with the Dutch commandos
which were seeking 20 break through the Gordon
drawn tightly around the river bed where
Cronje's force fighting to the death.
The War Office was reticent, except when
fresh lists Of casualties we're posted and the in
ference 10 be drawn from its silence was that
Cronje had persisted In his stubborn defencs
Press dispatches from Natal were even more
rnesgre than from Koodoosrand, and the Boer
reports were uninteiligibie.
The effect OF CronJe's retreat and the retire
rent OF General Joubert's forces from Colenso
upon the disloyal Dutch of Cape Colony was
shown in dispatches printed in the afternoon
edition Of THE Times" General Brabant had
opened negotiations with the rebelous com
msndos at Dordrecht, who had expressed de-
sire 10 know the conditions Of submission
CLEMENTS ON THE OFFENSIVE
General Clements had taken the offensive
against the Dutch forces north of Arundel, and
opened heavy artillery fire upon their position
on Friday, WITH a prospect of capturing IL by
assault. An unsuccessful attempt made on
the same day near Cape Town to wreck train
carrying a detachment Of London Imperial Vol
unteers 10 the front
There were belated reports of a successful at
tack by Colonel Pumer upon the Boer camp,
and rumors that he had succeeded in forcing
his way 10 Mafeking. 1t was understood when
the War Office closed at midnight that d.
rect word had been received from either Cen
eral Roberts or General Butler. and the silence
was interpreted meaning that neither had
accomplished his purpose, although both were
IN a fair way TO DO so. General Butler had
clearly met with stouter resistance than had
been anticipated, and while the relief Of Lady
smith had been deferred and rendered more diff
hcult by the strength OF the Boer forces in that
quarter II implied that the reinforcements sent
TO the Free State were Wsaser and less capable
Continued second paEe1