The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-03-15
LORD ROBERTS
IN BLOEMF ONTEI
Continued from First Page.)

(COnt1nued from tlTSI idSt.J
ALWAYS shall do so, but an alliance is inn
possible We were brought to the verge
Of war four years agoGfor the sake Of Mr.
Cleyeland's reelection and a pretext for
a diplomatic quarrel, will never be want
ing when the anti-Engish elements of the
republic have TO he conciliated.
SIEGE OF LADYsMITH.
The siege Of Ladysmith, with
ats narrowing experiences, has
passed into history: yet. it is only
now that the British public has chance
to get a connected account and to learn
the details of the sanguinary struggles,
which accomplished dts relief. The latest
malls only take the graphic story up TO
General Buffers third attempt, when, on
February 9Th, for the second time, ne
crossed at Potgeiter's Drift, and after
three days lighting was forced to retire
from Vaal Krantz. To this series of
actions Bennett Burleigh devotes four
columns of the Daily Telegraph.
The key OF the Boer position north OF
the Tugela. was Vaal Ilrantz. To reach
this, the Royal Engineers were forced to
bridge the river at Hunger's Drift. To
cover their operations, a demonstration
in force was made against Brakfonteln, IN
which Wynns had an all-the-morning
fight with considerable loss. This dld
not prevent the Beers locating the bridge
builders and trea ting them to a hail of
Mauser and machine-gun fire as they fin
ished their bridge. Wynns' men retired
in good order under a destructive fire. and
after a three-hours' artillery duel, IN
which the British guns were almost
smothered by Boer shells, Lyttletons
brigade was launched against Vaal
krantz After fighting every inch of the
way across a mile of broken country.
they carried the 70O-foot hill with cold
steel, only to be harassed all that day
and the next night with artillery fire.
The Beers fired the dry grass and by
its light shelled Lyttleton's men all night,
| but they stuck to their position. On the
final days fight, Bennett Burleigh says:
THEIR GREAT GUN.
Before sunrise, the enemy startled the
camps by firing from Doom Kloof, their
ninety-six- FOUNDER Creusot gun. Their
shells burst In every direction. several
falling at no great distance from General
Buffers headquarters. Our big guns
| and naval I2-pounders bent all their ener-
| gies to knocking out the Boer 1O0-pound-
| er, but without complete success. We
blew up ammunition wagons and what
not, but the big gun itself was so we'll
covered that 1t apparently could not
be reached. When our bursting 8Lyddlte
! ceased to make havoc around their bat-
terry and pit, out again tthe long black
muzzle of the Boer gun would be run and
recommence firing. Evidently ut was
| mounted in such a way that it could run
UP on an inclined pair of rails. During
the course of Tuesday afternoon General
Butler had given up hope of penetrating
the Boer lines I learned as much from
his own lips.
He was deeply cha grined that the mat
tiers had turned out so, and thought It
unwise to assume graver risks
! PLUNIBR AT LOBATSI.
LOBATSI, Thursday March S.-Col.
Plumers force reached here Tuesday,
March 9Th. It is believed that only sin
! gle bridge southwark has been DESTROYED,
/ and that otherwise the railroad is intact
/ within five miles of Mafeking. Col Pu VI.
! mer has already dispersed several Boer
police posts. in the neighborhood, and Is
actively pushing his advance southwark
sALIsBURYSsAN ANSWER.
WASHINGTON, March The answer
i Of Lord Salisbury to the message from
Presidents Kruger and Steyn, which was
l transmitted through our Governme Mt, was
/ received at a late hour last night by
Secretary Hay through Ir. " hite, our
charge a London. As already indicate
1 in the london despa tches, the answer IS
declination of the appeal:
IT has been transmitted t o S5Ace Gilbert
Hay United States Consul at Pretoria,
who will submit II TO he ). two ps t!ls
i dents.
This marks the end Of the first {. over '''A'
lures Of peace.
IT Is believed here. however, .that 3anotn:
ers effort will soon be made by the Beers q
II TO- tain sneacA fh,oi nh fesour4aE may be