The Wilmington daily Republican., 1900-03-05
A GRACIOUS SOVEREIGN.
No Holiday For Victoria While
Britons Are Being Killed.
VERY NEAR STARVING POINT.
LadyEmlth Might Have Held Out An
other Week, But Scarcely Beyond
That-The Relief Came Quite I'm

LadyEmith Might Have Held Out An
other Week, But Scarcely Beyond
That-The Relief Came Quite I'm
expectediy.
London. March 5.--Her majesty has
abandoned her intended visit to the
Italian Rivera and has decided to re-
main at home. Her decision to give
up her customary spring holiday Ia ac-
counted another proof of her deep in
terest In and devotion to the welfare OF
her people. On Thursday she will
come to London for brief visit, re-
naming until Saturday, and she will
undoubtedly receive splendid ova-
tiOn. Her heartfelt, homely dispatches
to the generals In the field and her visit
to Nettley hospital have greatly en-
deared her to her people.
Beyond the signs of q general re-
treat of the Beers throughout Cape
Colony there is little news from the
front. Lord Roberts, In his dispatches
to the war office thus far published.
says little, but he Is undoubtedly ac.
tive in some direction.
A noticeable feature of all the re-
cent operations at the theater Of war
has been the active employment OF col
onial forces which is in marked con-
trast with the policy adopted at the be-
ginning of the war The Australian
colonies have decided to provide the
$500 men Mr.. Chamberlain recently
asked for.
1t is now seen how near Ladysmith
was to starvation and the exhaustion
of ammunition. The town could hard
ly have withstood another Boer assault
or have held out much longer.
The Daily News has dispatch from
Ladysmith which says that the sup
plies on hand were only enough to pro-
vide full rations for four days. The
town might have held out another
week, but scarcely beyond that.
Correspondents who have returned
to Durham from Ladysmith say that
the relief came quite Unexpectedly. At
noon on Tuesday the firing of General
Buffers army seemed to recede in
stead of approaching, and the garri-
son was consequently depressed. Ev-
erybody was startled to hear the gar
rison's AZ gun firing. 1t had not been
used much Of late owing to the dimin-
ishing ammunition.
On hurrying out 1t was found that
the Beers were trying to remove the
big gun on Bulwana by the erection
of derrick. This proved that some
thing extraordinary was happening.
The other garrison guns then directed
their fire on Bulwana with the result
that the Beers were compelled to
abandon the attempt with the derrick.
Later on they placed the gun on a
wagon, which capsized in a donga.
During the afternoon, whenever the
Beers were seen approaching, the
British resumed the shelling of Bull
wana. About 4 o'clock terrific
thunderstorm broke over the town,
Just after a message had been hello
graphed from Wagon Hill that the
Beers were in full retreat.
Other officers said they believed they
could descry British cavalry, but most
people supposed that the wish was
father to the thought.
As soon as the storm ceased the
British guns reopened on Bulwana,
gradually concentrating the fire on the
left and driving the Beers before them,
with the object of preventing the
enemy from hampering any British ap-
proach.
An hour later a party Of British
horsemen could be seen crossing the
fiat, below Bulwana, at distance OF
some miles. 1t is impossible to de-
scribe the excitement and enthusiasm
among the troops that followed. Most
of the townspeople had been driven
into the houses by the storm and did
not learn the good news until later.
The storm broke out again at 7
o'clock In the evening and continued
until O'Clock the next morning. 1t
must have seriously hampered the re-
treating Beers. The British gunners
kept sharp watch to prevent any fur
ther attempt to remove the Bulwana
gun.
The British naval gun was fired at
intervals through the night, and In the
morning force was sent out to look
after the gun and to occupy Bulwana.
Lord Dundonald's force went after
the retreating Beers, while 1000 of the
best men of the garrison went toward
Elandslaagte in the hope of being able
to cut off the enemy.