The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1900-01-24
BULLER'S GUNS ARE HEARD
Relief for Ladysmith Apparently
Near at Hand.
BRITISH LINE ADVANCE
Some Heavy Fighting is Expected
Before the Two Armies Make
a Juncture.

lief force is steadily working northward.
Heavy fighting occurred yesterday. The
Beers are retreating.
London, Jan. 20.--Telegrams from the
front indicate that the northward march
of the relief column moving towards La
dysmith is proceeding steadily. The au-
thOrties here seem satisfied that notwlth-
standing Gen. Buffers forces are within
sight OF Ladysmith, the besieged place
is safe at present from serious attack.
No news OF real Importance was made
public up to $50 o'clock this afternoon,
and there was nothing to show that the
general engagement so frequently ru-
mored, has yet commenced. though, OBJ
yiously, news of such battle is mOmen-
tarly expected.
There is every indication that a big
fight for the western roads Qeading to
Ladysmith) will take place today,
writes the London Leaders military crit
ic in the issue of today Saturday,
though it may have begun yesterday;
All the artillery of Gen. Warren and
Hildyard were not across the Delfts yes
tcrday morning and the ammunition
train and most Of the heavier guns were
probably then still south Of the Iugela
These indications. as we'll as Gen. w ar
rtn's longer mar,h, point to the serious
effort beng made today"
The war critic Of the Morning Post
says: ''Sir Charles Warren's intention
is to turn the right flank of the Beers
presumably those facing Gen. Lyttleton,
but whether he proposes to attack that
flank. as he would by descending the val
ley of Blaaubank spur, or to march right
round it by the valley of Sand river. can
hardly yet be determined. The light
ing. when it comes, may be expected to
be heavy and continuous and the losses
may be severe Far from their base
at Chievely, with the river behind them
tween them and Ladysmith the positions
of the British forces is not an easy one"
Risky and Audacious.
The whole movement is considered as
risky as it is audacious, but it is neces-
sary. If it proves successful the position
of the enemy will be a serious one. 1t
will be attacked in front. on the flank and
in the rear If the plan fails the position
OF the British force will be equally bad.
War One Hundred Days Old.
Yesterday was the one hundredth day
Of the war.
change. Kimberley reports, ''All well,
but anxious for news" Mafeking the
same.
Lord Methuen made another recOnnois-
sance Gu the new Boer laager, but by the
time his forces arrived on the scene the
Beers had disappeared.
Dispatch from Lord Roberts.
London, Jan. 20.-4:25 p. m-The only
war office dispatch made public up to
this hour today is that brief report from
Field Marshal Lord Roberts. under to-
days date. saving in substance that Gen.
French has extended his line to the east.
further threatening the Boer lines of
communication. Otherwise there is no
change in the situation.
Lord Dundonald's Career.
Lord Dundonald. who is the first of
Gen. Buffers leaders to do anything
noteworthy, is considered keen soldier
He commanded the Second Life guards
for some time, resigning last year. When
the war broke. out he took with him to
the front a Maxim and a number of vol
unteers. Upon landing he was speedily
given the leadership of an irregular body
of cavalry. -
Lord Dundonald is between 40eand so
years of age He was at Elton with Ar
thur Balfour, Lord Rosebery. and other
leading men. Today he is the head of
the Coo.lrane family and the twelfth
earl. He is the grandson Of that famous
~
rane, and evidently inherited some of his
ancestors fOndness for mechanical in
ventiOns. A few years ago he invented Il
new gun carriage. which was taken up
by the military authorities. The war
office has just ordered lot Of motor tri-
cycles for dispatch riding at the front.
Report from Boer Com IN a nder.
The Boer accounts of the passage of
the Iugela river are given in the two
following dispatches from Commandant
Viljoen's camp on the upper Tugela, via
Lourenco MARQUEE. dated January IS:
Jan. 16.-Buller's second move was q
reconnaissance in force with an armored
train and a large body, supported by
cannon, toward ColensO last night A
heavy bombardment ensued and thereup-
on the British retired, having wounded
one of our men. No reply was made
This move was a feint to cover extensive
side of the Tugela have been warned by
the British to leave their kraals, as the
tight will commence shortly"
The second dispatch runs thus:
Jan 1.-THE night was unbroken
save for slight rifle encounters between
outposts, which led to nothing. At day
break the enemy was located as before
He had not brought a single gun across
the river. But from the ridges of Swartz-
kop battery and half Of siege guns
opened ON our position at 5 a. N. The
bombardment was probably the most
frightful ever witnessed on land. Ere
quently five heavy naval guns fired stimuli
taneously at one schanze Gntrench-
menO."
People Leaving Colesberg.
Rensburg, Cape Colony, Friday, Jan.
ia gentleman who has escaped from
Colesberg reports that the Dutch inhab
itants who are sympathizers with the
Beers are proceeding to the Orange Free
State in anticipation of the evacuation
of the town. Mr.. Vanderwalt, member
of the Cape assembly, has already gone.
The Boer force there is estimated to
number from 6OOO to 1000 men, besides
strong force at Norvalspont The Brit
ish shells did much execution eastward
of the town The Boer loss, up to date,
is probably 200 men.
Carefully-compiled figures, from Re
publican sources, some of which have
been investigated and found to be cor
rect, show the Boer losses up to date
are, approximately, 6425 men, including
1000 casualties during the siege Of Lady
smith.
a Grand .on of Dom Paul Captured.
Spearmap's Camp, Natal, Jan. 90
lilo a. m.-The firing OF field guns was
heard early this morning from the left