Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-04-30
At THE SIEGE
Of KIMBERLY
TRYING EXPERIENCES OF AN
ENGLISH FAMILY, WELL
KNOWN IN BUTTE.
THE HORRORS AND HUM0RS
OF A BOER BOMBARDMENT.
| A Baby Starts Life Amidst the Roar o.
Guns and Ra tile Of
Musketry.

Guns and Ra tile Of |
Musketry. |
The following diary kept by an English
man. we'll known in Butte, telling of the
trying experiences OF the Siege of KIM
berley. 1t was sent by Mr. w. Tlmby, TO
Mr., and Mrs. Bray, Roose, England, anu
was printed in an English paper.
1t is significant as giving an idea OF the
state of the people that after the nrst
few weeks the entries are not dated, mere
dates having become insignificant detalls
in the long, dreary and terrible time spent
by the inhabitants until relief and touch
with the outer world was again in sight.
Commencing on Sunday, October H. Mr..
Timby says:
Here we are, closed from the outer
world. We can neither send or receive
letters, but 1 thought l would
writing in hope of posting 1T some day.
When that will be God only knows. We
awe been undr martial law now for two
| weeks. Can't stir out between 9 p. M,
; and 6 a, m. The town is full of refugees,
| and what with mounted soldiers ana po-
| lice n the Town Guard Ito which ! be-
long), all is fuss IN excitement. A fort
, night ago today We had the first alarm.
! All the whistles started blowing at IL a.
M. and everybody ran to the heaps to dis
! over the cause. It turned out that the
! Beers had blown up Modder River Bridge,
| and cut the wires. h afternoon 1t was
| a, sight to see the poor niggers coming
! in with their beds on their backs, pans on
! their heads, and other belongings which
they could carry. Soon after we were cohl-
pletely surrounded.
Sunday, November 12th-Here we are
! again, and still alive, for a wonder. Since
! T last wrote the Beers have blown up u
f! large dynamite magazine, ana. thougn IL
! is a long way out of town, the explosion
was fearful. I was at work, but we hao all
! to tear out of the mine because the Beers
were getting too close. The wife ana l
went to the fort. close to our house,
| could see the enemy on the hills three
! miles away. The shell from our two guns
! burst all about them, and kept them back,
but the stole $50 dOnkeys and cattle next
lay. At night the troops went out ana
gave them a surprise, killing a rev OF
them. We lost one man, and a few
wounded.
SATURDAY., November 1Sth.-The enemy
started to lombard us severely. The bull
let's dropped like hail. first going we'll into
the town. and then they began to pepper
the fort and about our house. HOW we
escaped is a miracle. The shells dropped
all around our house, and all we could do
was to cuddle one another. Maud began
to scream-'Mamma let's go home! The
wife, poor lass, was as white as a sneel
of paper, and I was feeling very shaky on
it myself AS luck would have 1t, a can
came up, an I begged the driver to take
us into the town. He said, Well, be quick,
boss, or I'm off, and, bundling the wife
and Maud in, away we went. Before we
went many yards, a shell fell about four
yards behind the cab We got to the other
side of the town, where we stayed all
night. Next morning I went back. and
found everything all right. A shell drop
ped in front Of a neighbours house, and his
poor wife died of pure fright. Next day
my wife and returned home and founda
pig had got into the yard and eaten up al
the extras we had got in for the siege q
didn't swear). A day or two after the
military authorities took charge of all the
food in the town, nj we were put on fix
ed rations. We can get no butter or milk
the bread is coarse and brown, and we
nave only had timed meat, and now thai
is done
5 Beers still Smelling the town. We have
) to be up before 6 a. m., sometimes earlier
( This morning I had just got the porridgt
boiling. when bang! went a gun: IN
; wife ran out in a blanket, and we hid be
) hind the chimney and stopped at ever,
} boom. I ran out between the shots tt
( stir the porridge, and at last we ate it IL
5 the corner. By-and-bye the shellins
; stopped and we went away, stopping il
: a friends house all nlgnt.
Sunday got three niggers n dug
{ hole in the back yard 6 feet deep ant
3 long and four feet wide: puts sheets o
: iron on top, and covered it with the cart
. thrown out: put sacks filled with sand OIL
top. Now we are safe and feel more con
tent. First shot we hear, down we go.
Sunday, November 26th.-We have ha,
a quiet week, except for a little riff
shooting. If ever the Beers got a surpris
I it was this morning. Our men went ou
in the dark, rushed the enemy's trenches
and took them at the point of the of tn
bayonet. Up went the white flag, AM
they ran like the towards they are. GU
men took thirty prisoners, and We ha'
only one man wounded. l got out in tim
to see them return Under cover of GU
guns, and could not help giving one goo
yelp as they passed.
Saturday following The Beers ar
massing in strong force. About 600 of ou
men went out to give them a turn dur
ing last night, but our s%earchlight made
h mistake and put a light on our own mer
The Beers took full advantage of our mis-
han, and I am sorry to say we lost nine
e teen men and four died shortly after.
e good number were wounded. We are nc
taking much harm for food yet. The Boer
sent word in that they were going t
y lombard us with nine guns. They hav
lone so today. They sent in 500 or 81
q shells, and the only casualty is a nigge
woman, whose head was blown off. It
really wonderful hat so few livs are los
but I am sure God directs the Boer shell
to where the least damage is done. W
hear of the relief column, and expect
severe tussle beforei 1T arrives. Good-nigh
Will write more tomorrow.
% Today we les the troops are at Moo
l. der River, but the Beers are too stron
for them. We can hear the Ca of the
cannons-a continual roar just liz
y thunder. Poor fellows, they are havin
. a hard time of it. We have listened to tt
battle for six and one-half hour toda