The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1900-01-11
i|EN. WHITE HOLDS OUT
But the British POsition at Lady
smith Is Critical.
A,iHuH1TIoH FAMINE PROBABLE.
ne Beleaguered Force Cannot De
Rurnished with . New supply-The
upllerss psl.. NJ N epa>s

aFurntshed With New Supp1y-The
DtAculties Confronting General
Duller's Plan Of Relief.
London, Jan. 9.-General White still
holds out at Ladysmith, or did so so
hours ago, when the Beers, ousted
from their footholds inside the works,
suspended their assaults at nightfall.
England has taken heart. The sit
uation, however, Is worse. The be-
leaguered force must have expended
large amounts of ammunition, which
cannot be replenished, and must have
lost q number of officers and men.
which IL counterbalanced, so far as the
garrison is concerned, by the greater
loss of the Beers.
General White still needs relief, and
the difficulties confronting General
Butler are as great as before. The
formers unadorned sentences, as read
and rereaa. suggest eloQuently the peril
In which the town was for IA hours,
and how barely able his 5000 men
were to keep from being overcome.
The chief concern for General White
is In respect of ammunition. Sixty
eight days ago, at the beginning of the
siege. his small arm ammunition was
vaguely described as plenty" His ar
tillery then had 300 rounds per gun.
Some Of the batteries have been in ac-
ton frequently since then, and all were
probably engaged last Saturday. His
stock Of shells. consequently. must be
low, and this will make 1t difficult for
General White to cooperate in move
ment by General Butler.
The entrenchments at Ladysmith, as
described in a message that left day
or two before the fight, and has just
come through, are fortified hills, we'll
covered with rife pits and trenches,
down which the infantry move In single
file to the various posts in absolute
safety. Full rations are still served,
but no whisky or tobacco.
Mr.. Spencer Wilkinson, in The
Morning Post. points out that there is
one division only at Chieveley, another
at Frere and third at Estcourt. As
Chieveley is seven miles from Colenso,
the second division would have had to
march IL miles to get into action and
the third division % miles. General
Buller's $4,000 men and 70 guns were
therefore almost inactive on Saturday.
and when General White photographed
General Butler could really make NO
move but an ineffective demonstration.
England Is preparing fresh arma-
ments. and 20 transports will be on the
way to South Africa during the pres
emit month. According to the program
5000 additional troops and u guns
will soon be afoat. The government
has ordered Vickers Sons & Maxim,
limited, to manufacture a. many 4.7
inch guns and 6-inch quick firers as
can be turned out until Otherwise no.
.ihed.. I ~ =. - '9sfss'.s ~
The Bosr agents, according to the
,iro correspondent of The Daily Mail,
evading British vigilance respect
the importation Of ammunition.
ie correspondent says:
"A large quantity of quick firing am.
unition goes to Ras Jibeutil, from
hich point 1t is conveyed by dhows
ong the coast or trans-shipped to
sssels bound for Portuguese ports in
lst Africa. French steamers touch
6 at Ras Jibeutil before reaching
den contrive to evade search by
ans-shipping at Madagascar to
Gamers apparently not connected
ith European lines. In this way
ey escape suspicion"
The Times publishes the following,
ted Jan. 6, from Modder River:
News from Belmont shows that the
Queensland and Canadian volunteers
have been so energetic in that neigh.
bo.'hood that large belt OF the Free
State across the border has been de.
serted by the Boers."
Last Friday came the report Of Colo.
mel Baden-P -PowelPs unsuccessful attack
at Gametree. It was bold effort, but
the, BoeNfort was impregnable and the
Britons were driven back with great
loss. The British casualties were three
oflcers and IS men killed, one officer
and % men wounded and one trooper