The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-05-24
NEARING TRANSVAAL
British Cavalry Across the
Rhenoster River.
THE PASSAGE SHARPLY DISPUTED.
Pretoria Reported Ready For a
Years SieGe-The Relief of Mafe-
king and Entering of the
Troops Described.

LONDON, May 24.-Lord Roberts is
drawing near to the frontier of the Trans
vaal. His infantry masses are 81 miles
north of Kroonstadt, at the Rhenoster
river. Some thousands Of cavalry are al
ready across the river.
The Beers are retiring toward the Naal
with their heavy baggage. They are re-
ported from Pretoria as already across
that river. Twelve thousand men and IA
guns compose the retreating army. Trains
continue to run from Veronniging, ut the
Vaal, to Pretoria.
Foreign engineers assert that Pretoria
is able to stand a years siege. According
to advices from Laurence Marques the
Pretoria Notifications are described as
complete, but Johannesburg has not vet
been placed entirely in II state of defense.
The Transvaal government papers and
the war chest have been removed to Ly-
denburg.
Foreigners continue to leave the re-
public. The Dutch cruiser Friesland is
in Delagoa bay, so it is reported to fur
nish an asylum to the fleeing Hollanders
and passage to Europe.
The Roer forces continue to dwindle.
Some of the correspondents assert that
probably only about $4,000 Of the har-
diest fighters yet remain, although there
are detached parties in various parts Of
the Transvaal.
The war office has published the follow
ing from Lord Roberts. dated South Bank
of the Rhenoster river, May 70, 1:3O
p. M:
I'VE found on arrival here this morn
ing that the enemy had fled during the
night. They had occupied strong posi-
ton on the north bank of the river,
which had been carefully intrenched, but
they did not think it advisable to defend
it when they heard that Ian Hamilton's
force was at Hebron and that our cav
airy, which had crossed the Rhenoster
some miles lower down the stream, We're
threatening their right and rear
The bridge over the Rhenoster, sew
eral culverts and some miles of railway
were destroyed
Ian Hamilton's force drove the Beers
under Ret De Wet before them from
Lindley to Hebron. The passage Of the
Rhenoster was stoutly disputed. Our
loss might have been heavy but for a well
concerted plan which brought Smith Dor
rien's brigade on the enemy's flank Just
at the right moment
The officer commanding at Boshof re-
ports that upward of $50 Free Staters
have surrendered during the last few
DAYS and that they have given I'D $50
rifles, 100 horses and large amount Of
ammunition.
"KelIy-keDnv renorts that three COM
NAMES of yeomanry who were sent 10 re-
| country between Bloemfontein and Bo.
sbof have returned to Rloemfontein. hay.
inn nerformed the duty exceedingly
we'll ="
Msfslinc disnatcbes contnne N nour
| ;r+o + ondo, ra,.,;na .ho aya,,+s NINA.
d;ate,v nrarad;no tbo rol;ef and tho nntry
of the troons The corrnsnondents ayrae
| thar tho Canadian orti,Iorr Noior Nm.
| don's seven guns did snlendid work
some of tham asvert that Tho Cenad;,ns
ala "ahsolutalv essential uorl in ~,
6ghtin,"
Ahont = in the ere,;ro ~ tho dor ho
fora thu ral;af altar Colonsl M,Lnn an,
ColoneI plumer had defaated tho Roer,
nine miles from Mafeking Major Kari
Davies and nine scouts entered Tho town
Tho Roers were tben ratreot;,a A.
on the following morning 600 mon in
tludinp tbe Canadians arrived VIII
them were 20 wagon loads NJ food vhicl
were received with wild damonstrat;one
The armored train and a detacbman,
then pushed forward 70 Gametree fort
the scene of the unsuccessful, sortia i,
December. The Beers had evacuated /
on the east. They were nnrsued and III,
| ,orr,rro,3,,t +o,ouronh;. H.
Thursday afternoon. closed his disnat,,
thus:
Eve caught I'm with tho retreotin,
Beers and have them now surrounded "
A dispatch from Mafeking, daled Ma
Is, saws:
1.-THE whole town Is animated with
keen sense of exultation over Yesterday
victory. which was comnlete decisiv
and farreaching. The military positio
shortly after sunrise was extraordinar,
All the outlying works of the town we,
intact. The British had lost hardly an
men. and vet three bodies of fedora
right inside the British lines had bee
surrounded, cut off and given an opDort,
ujty TO surrender, which thew had d.
clined,
"Commandant sarel Eloff did not rea
Ina tbot liz srnnor+, had Loor At
back, and he informed A messenger III:
tina town was Mt his mercy iowa,
noon there was n lull in ths fyhtin
rvervhodv st hoadouarters went
breakfast and the commissariat renuis
tioned for horse SAUSAGE bread and W.
ter for the men on the fighting lin
There was no thought of half ration
Everv one got all he could eat
"The British in the start, moving fro
rock To rock. gradually drew in their ii
Gle around the federals, whom they co
ralieu hhe e"t'e IN oniPoulu. ,'hoi