Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-04-09

however. is strongly protected. Brit
ish pickcts at Springfield, miles dis
tant were attacked, today, by Beers
advancing from the water works Re
mounts are rapidly arriving The
British are in high spirits and anxious
to advance.
Pretoria. Wednesday, April At is
officially announced here that at the
BIpcmfontein water works the Repub-
lican forces captured II officers and 362
men with II guns, two ammunition
wagons and mules.
Simonstown. Cape Colony Saturday,
April Tt now appears that no fewer
than 30 Beers escaped from the old
camp, last evening. Nine have since
been recaptured. The prisoners eff
fccted their escape by cutting fence
under the sentry bridge. while the SEN
try was above. A driver Of a sanitary
cart was offered G200 to carry off the
prisoners. a new tunnel has been dis
covered in the direction opposite to the
former one. 1t had been completed to
within five feet Of the point for
breach.
The first announcement of the escape
was as follows:
Cape Town, April 6-The Boer pris-
oneTs at SimonstoWn made whole
sale attempt To escape, today. and IA Of
them succeeded in getting away.
In the confusion one of the prisoners
was killed ana another was wounded
Sentries have been placed at differ
ent parts Of the town. and the station
is under military supervision.
London, April 9-4.50 4. M.-When
it is borne in mind that all the dis
patches from the front are severely
censored. ,hero is little in toddy's news
to bring satisfaot ton tn England. AS
suranccs that nothing need be feared.
even if the always and telegraphs are
cut and Blo"mfOntein is isolated, to-
gether with the news that the ladies
ana other civilians are being ordered
away. dp n.- augur well. There are
rumor4 from cape Town that the tele-
graph wires --,re already out. yester-
day Sunday. and also that the Hus-
slrs. VINO w re scnt to the relief OF th1
Royal IIi+l Rifles are also missing al
though probably those are the outcome
pf B1-r cNalGcratiOns designed TO en-
courage the burghers. The attempt OF
Gen. COlvilie to catch the Boer leaders
in conference III ReitfOntein failed.
probably as usual because Of the lack
Of cavalry. The results Of these seri-
Gus checks to the British arms is that
the whole Free State is up again and
that the Beers are full of activity over
the entire field
A belatcd Boer dispatch says that
b2yonets were being made for the
Foreign Legion under the late General
Marcuil.
The Peers are b0lstinG that the
CulcshurG and Stormbcrg commanders
numbering Gnro, with 10 cannon and
many wagons, have gotten safely
through, thus performing a 'magnifi-
cent strategic feat"
a BOer account Of the Bloemfontein
water works affairs says: col Broad
head evacuated Thaba N'Chu, owing
tu the advance Of Commandant olivier
from the south. The federal troops
found the British camp in peaceful
slumber without a sentinel or an out
post to give the alarm. Gen. De Wet
Immediately placed guns and the com
mnndoe- in such positions as to sur
round the British, who did not have
time to recover from their surprise
The cape Town correspondent of the
Times. discussing the affair says: "All
the details only serve to bring out
clearly the marvellous Cleverness Of the
Beers. no less than the marvellous care
lessness and improvidence Of the Brit
ish officers whom. it would seem. no
series of disasters xviii ever teach to
keep wide awake.
The Beers in COL. Broadwoods rear
drove his force into the party at the
drift exactly as cartridges are driven
to gun. At the drift itself as each
wagon descended the hollow, it was
shown which way to drive. SO as not to
block the convoy. When the guns ar
rived. the trap was all clear again for
their reception. As one who was pres
cnt said lit was like a cloak room.
The Beers politely took your rifle and
asked YOU kindly to step one side.
There was nothing else for YOU to do.
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