The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-25
PROMENADE OF THE BRITISH.
THAT is THE WAY THE ADVANCE
rs NOW LOOKED UPON.

Durban-First Train to Mnfeking.
London, May 25 3:S5 a. m.-Lord Rob-
erts' infantry advance is delayed at the
Rhenoster river for a day or two, by the
depth of the stream, which is not forda-
| BILE. The banks, which are preclpitous,
are forty feet high. A pontoon and tenn,
| porary bridge constructions are under
way.
| The railway has not been damaged to
| any great extent between Kroonstad and
| Rhenoster. The Transvaalers have Of
| Tended the Free Staters by destroying
their splendid bridges when retiring to
| Kroonstad. They refrained from doing
this on the retreat TO Rhenoster, but now
| they are destroying the railroad and
bridges almost completely north Of the
Rhenoster.
The British troops are in the form of a
crescent, with horns thirty miles apart,
with Gen. French's cavalry on the left
within twenty-three miles of the vaal,
and Gen. Ian Hamiltons mounted men on
the right, within thirty miles of the Veal
The center of the crescent is about forty
miles from the Vaal.
Seventy or eighty miles 70 the left Lord
| Methuen is advancing to the Vaal.
Boer telegrams say that 5000 British,
| with ten guns, are near Vredefort, which
is close to the Vaal and close to Parys.
Calls 1t Promenade.
One correspondent refers to the advance
as a promenade" Another describes it
as "Boer hunt" The Free staters are
pictured as "bolting like hares," at the
IL.
| cording TO writer, do not even find
women and children, as the fleeing farm
ers take their families with them, in con-
| sequence of the reports current among the
| Transvaalers that the British kidnap all
! children over u years of age.
The Boer rear guard was composed of
| Russians, 10 whom was committed the TASK
OF destroying the bridges They also loot
! ed freely.
The embargo of news out of Pretoria
for the last twenty-four hours has been
complete. The movement toward Lyn-
| denburg, however, continues and a refer
| endum on the question of continuing the
| war is going on among the Boer fighting
| men. 1t may be a fortnight before the re-
suits of this singular vote are fully be-
fore the Transvaal government. If the
English view of Boer discouragement is
| one-half right the, Beers will vote to quit.
Situation in Natal.
In Natal Gen. sDartneHs volunteers oc-
| cupied Mount Prospect Monday. Lord
| Dundonalds cavalry is at Firmstones,
near Ingogo. His infantry rests at
Schoenshoogte. The names are all of
fateful memory in the first Boer war.
The British face Laing's Mex, where the
Beers through the range glasses of the
| British, are occasionally visible.
In the march across the Biggersberg all
| the farms except one were found vacant.
| A 10, hFi.1 .1ra had hsaas ffliG had OF
| Waschbank. Trains now go TO Dundee.
Gen. Butler said the best way to celebrate
| the Queens birthday was to repair the
| railway at Newcastle, and every man was
| put to work.
Earl de la War; who was supposed to
have been captured at the time of the
disaster that befell the squadron of
| Bethune's horse, contrlved to escape.
Case of Dubonic Plague.
An extraordinary issue of the Gazette
at Durham announces The death of an
| East Indian from the bubanic plague The
government has put into force the most
stringent preventive measures, but fears
| are entertained that the pestience may get
| among the troops.
| The Transvaal National Bank has sus-
| pend ed gold payments, undsr authorization
| from the government, requiring the ac-
ceptance of bank notes. The institution
| has large assets apparently in London.
|
were seized at Cape Town and $4,000 at
| Durham.
The Birmingham Argus says:
! 1--WE understand that a general election
will be ordered as soon as Lord Roberts
obtains an additional success and the
| government viii ask the country what it
wishes to do with the conquered reDub-
lies"
As Fast as They Can March.
London, May 24-Gen. French has
reached Prospect station. about i've miles
north of Rhenoster river. The Beers are
retreating st aight on the Vaal.
! dispatch from Rhenosi er dated
Wednesday, May 20. 7:45 p. M, says:
| THE general opinion is that we viii ar
rive at Pretoria as fast as we can mar>h
! though the Beers announced to all the
country side that they intend to fight TO
| the death.
| Gen. Ian Hamilton is cooperating in
| the advance en- the right. Thus Lord Rob-
| erts, who rresums bly,, Is a few miles be-
| hind Gen. #. ench. will reach the Vaal be-
| fore the Cnd of he week"
| Natives r port that the Beers have
buried two guns in the Rhencs.er river
In Natal Gen. Buffers forces have
crc ssed into the Transvaal near Ingogo
but are still held at bay at Laings Mex
where the Beers are entrenching them
| selves. With the exception of this pass
| Natal is clear Of B9e s. Thev have Zig
| gun posted. but 1t is doubtful If they will
be able to hold the position when threat
ened by a flanking movement from the
| force that crossed the Ingogo river.
| dispatch from Pretoria announces
| tl4at the first train north. entered Mafe-
king May %, ond that the first train
| south is expected this week. 1t is said
| that the relief of Mafeking was due to a
blGnder of one OF the federal officers, by
which Gen. Delarey was foiled in his
plan to cut off the relief force, after
driving them away from the Moopo river
To Defend johannesburg.
| IT is added that the federals have re-
| solved TO make a determined defense of
the city of Johannesburg. Klimke, the
state mining engineer, has been given six
months leove of absence, presuma bly, for
protesting against the proposition to blow
| up the mines.
] A special dispatch from Newcastle, Ma
rial. says the Russian ambulance corps
with the Boers, is disgusted with their