The sun., 1900-02-01
RUMORED MOVE By BULLER
Reports Strong in London That the
Commander Has Not Yet Given
up All Hone OF Advancing
to the RELIEF or
Ladysnith.

| Another dispatch to The Times from
Ladysmith. dated Jan. 2S says: THE
garrison resolved the news with forti-
thde. The privations of the siege will
fall more heavily ON the sick. The gar
fison has arrived at healthier phase,
and disease has been wesded out. The
health of the garrison was less robust
during the first pinch than now There
is no horse sickness, and the rains have
given supply of grass. We can hear
Buffers guns still working"
message from Ladysmith by nelio-
graph, sent on Sunday to trere, says:
we know now that General Butler has
failed. There is u natural disappoint-
ment, but little dcspondtncy.
From Observation hill many of the
Boer movements are yisible-also, some
times, the doings Of Buffers men.
After our men evacuated Spion kop
the enemy quickly brought up guns and
fortified the position.
The Boer laagcrs on the plains beyond
l4adysmith are again full Of men. who
returned after tile retreat Of tho British.
- new laager was formed tllS morn
ing on the heights near Colenso. The
Eoers have great force Oh the plains
thcrenhout Re-cnlorccmcnts arc an
aarently coming from the Tlansvaal
The British guns are still on Mount
Alice.
There is strong rumor in camp that
General Butler is advancing along anoth.
er line"
BuiIer May Try Aignin.
When The mtion has almost resigned
itself to thc fill Of I.adysmith. there
comes from I'LL quarters in Indication
that General Bplar will make another
attempt to relieve the besicgcd place. If
The Daily Nails report Of General Bul-
ler's statement that he hoped to be in
Iadysmith within week could be i'm
plicitly relied on, news Of further serious
lighting would be expected shortly. Bit
the papers are loath to believe what The
ST. james Gazette characteriZes as ..un-
Wanantable boasting," if true. More
over. the war Office throws cold water ON
the dispatch by issuing Il statement that
It has no news contirmate,y Of such
move as General Buffers reported speech
indicates.
\ ct the dispatches from Ladysmith and
Cape Town give Il strong impression that
there is s0m3 hing more than rlImor in
all these reports. So, while all definite
opinion must await further news, it does
not seem at all unlikely that another dps
perate effort will be made to succOr Cen
eral White.
The latest advices from I.adysmith
showing the existence of better condi- |
tions there than generally believed to be
the case, have been received with intense |
satisfaction, though there is no llnreason- |
ing 0verconhdence. as may he judged |
from The Pail Mall Gazette's remark. |
Let us. while preparing for the worst, |
hope for the hest
The possibility Of General Butler
making another dash appears to de-
pend greatly on the exact position
of General Lyttlrton's brigade. Beyond
the understanding that it is on the
north side Of the Tugea river, every
thing is matter of supposition. 1t will
easily be seen that if General Lyttleton
still holds the drifts on the north side
General Butler retains the openings and
might attempt another advance by way
IF Potgieter's or some neighboling drift.
But the vagueness regarding the position
IF General Lyttleton resolves All this
nto the purest surmise.
From the other columns there is not
much news of any kind, and ii would re-
lure something of overwhelming impor-
ance 10 distract from the absorbing in
crest IN Ladysmith's dilemma. Pre-
there will come some stereo.
yped message from Lord Roberts saying
mere Is no change in the situation.
The story OF Spion Ixop.
However, there are interesting cable
dispatches telling the story of Spion kolr
Winston Churchill says that CAPTAIN
'holneycroft, who replaced the wounded
General Woodgate. is the hitherto IN
aimed officer who gave the order to n.
IIe md fully instifes him in 50 daiug
hlrehil says the ROcr losses were q. t-.,s.
I than those Of the British.
\ dispatch flUm Spearman's farm. I;jt- !
i EhalsdAy. Jan. 2J, describing ,ap !
ght AMI retirement from Spion i.aD
lys: |.
We filed down sadly but III pcpfeet or !
ei. Tie Kings Royal rides eap5Hel !
as struck down Al the memeni Il .l.io- i
raph message ordering tie ie,i 4 Aent !,
as handed 10 him.
The enemy is holding than giving
.ryices.
The surgeons who asccnlpd the hill
ere allowed to remove on. wounded, !
he scene at the top "aiS il fearful ana ;
rlibe witness to tac aaS.r,rc.iy mess Of
. artillery. All duy oar S.lct h1r banr- /
$ were busy carrying down men. !
Splon kop was not Il disaster, for we |
81 neither guns nor wounded 1t was f
mply a bloody action wherein lodg-
ent was effected which proved untan. i
'le. AT dawn there was heavy shelliny. /
I'd General Woodgate was seriously /
ounted. There We're urgent demands II
at new commander be sent immetli- 4
ely. Re-caforcements were sent, and il
lptain Thorneycroft was appointed
iSadier general commanding the whole
roe on the hilltop.
''I,here was bitter. bloody struggle 2
the day. the Beers concen- :
lting every man and gun on the place. "
Va British artillery was unable to cope T
IN the superior range of the Boer guns. +
lring the afternoon it became evident a
ut our men could not endure another a
v on the hill. !,
Every effert is now being made to T,
ccor the wounded, many of whom are r,
II on the summit of the hill'' q
Kitchener on For Natal. O.
It Is repsrted here that General Lord tt