El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-03-13
THB STATE CAPITAL
The British Occupy Two Hills
Close To The Railway
Which Command
The City

LONDON, March 13.-Lord Roberts
reports to the war Office from Venter
vleit that his cavalry forces have
reached the doors of Bloemfontein
His dispatch is dated March 13, is
timed 500 a. M. and is as follows:
81 directed General French, If he
had time before dark, to seize the rail
way station st Bloenfontein and thus
secure the rolling stock.
''At midnight l received a report
from him that after considerable op-
position he had been able to occupy
two hills close to the railway which
commands Bloemfontein.
"A brother of President Steyn has
teen captured. The telegraph line
leading uorthward is cut and the rail-
way broken up.
81 am now starting, with the third
cavalry brigade, which l called up
from the seventh division near Pet
trusburg yesterday, and mounted in
sion. The rest OF the force follows as
quickly as possible" "
Bloemfon tefn is not naturally a
strong position. It was made the
Orange Free State capital without
regard to its military importance or
defense. 1t stands on a high plateau,
exposed on all sides and without the
shadow of a natural barrier to the
west, whence the British were ex,
pected to advance. All around the
town the country is sterile and un-
fitted for agriculture. The soil is
covered with boulders, tufty grass
snd low brush, which alone relieve the
otherwise dead monotony of the plain.
Bloemfontein's principal building is
the capitol. which supports lofty
tower. Normally, the population of
the capital is only 1000.
The only permanent fortiica tions at
Bloemfon tein are those on the east |
The town is protected on that side by q |
long ridge, which rises 300 feet above |
the level plain. From this ridge mounts |
kopje upon which the Free Staters
they were in constant fear of danger
from British aggression. This fort
would not have been of much service
without long range guns, and even
these would not prevent an enemy
from shelling the town on the west.
CONDITION AT MAFEKING.
LONDON, March 13.-A dispatch
from Mafeking. dated March 5, printed
in the secoud edition of the Times,
says that the suffering of the women
and children is terrible, and that 1
women are dying daily. The native
population is starving. The only food
is horse flesh and bread made from
horse forage. All water is contami- r
mated.
GATACRE'S OPERATIONS.
SToRMBERG, NJ arch II. delayed. J. ,
3einforcements are being sent to Gen.
Iatacre to enable him to take the
wagon bridge over Orange river at
3ethulie. Gatacre's losses through the
3oers cannonading from north of the Q
iver have been SO far only two
rounded.
BRITISH CASUALTIES
atch from Lord Roberts, dated March
=, 9:30 p. m. telling Of yesterdays
vents and made public at the war Of
ce this morning reads: "Our march Z
oday was again unopposed. We are =,
ow Is. miles from Bloemfontein. The
svsIry division is astride the railway
miles south of Bloemfontein.
''There are 32O wounded and about =
xty or seventy killed or missing. Col
npheley died OF his wounds. The
ounds, as q rule are more serious
Ian usual owing to the expanding
lllets which have been freely used by :.
lie Boers.'' :;
Five cars OF brown sugar passed &C
trough FL Paso over the Southern pt
acifc. This sugar came all the way st