Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-01-25


BY Telegraph to Virgnian-Pilot.
Berlin. Jan. 24.-German press
tacticians are almost unanimous
ly of the opinion that the situa-
tion OF the British forces around
Ladysmith is desperate.
The Berliner Tageblatt prints a
Brussels special claiming that Sir
! Charles Warren has been signal1y
defeated.
A military writer for the Kreuz
Zeitung says the movement to re-
lieve Ladysmith has failed, render
; ing the British line OF retreat en-
: dangered.
.................... Observation-Disclosures.
CONJECTUREs AND FORECASTS.
London, Jan. 24.-4:1O a. m.-Thc
morning papers went to press with con-
>jectures and forecasts OF all sorts,
striving to guess out something from
I. Spions ISop. o-r 49,. a, ~ y, 4
rocky plateau. Eastward for eight
miles are the Boer positions along the
Tugela. Northwestward from Splon
Kop the plateau runs gradually up to
a great spur of the Drakensberg.
General Buffers infantry, to reach
the summit Of Spion Kop must cross q
natural glacs three quarters of a mile
wide and climb 500 feet up a steep
slope.
WHAT ABOUT LORD ROBERTS?
Nobody here seems to know, not even
the War Office what Lord Roberts has
done with his large reinforcements. Six
thousand troops awaited his arrival at
cape Town and since then six thou
sand others have reached there. Mill
tary critics are all hoping that good
share of these 10000 have gone to help
General Butler, and they argue that n
few days wait may make him strong
enough to overcome the deadlock
There are nineteen thousand troops
mt sea. and this heavy weight on the
British side Is expected to destroy the
equilibrium now existing on every field
of operations.
BRITISH LOSSES.
The British losses III, to In xiii XIII
ed. wounded and captured, according
to General Buffers last list, total s.216
men,
BOER REPULSE REPORTED.
Spearman's Camp, Tuesday, January
23.-9:30 p. m.-The British field artil-
lery and Howitzers shelled the enemy
posted on the crest of the ridge this
morning.
The infantry. under excellent cover,
kept I'D an effective rifle fire. The
Beers resigned a kopje, of which the
OH nj Mt
retiring the enemy sheltered themselves
behind a stone wall on the slope of the
kopje, which they held for hours.
This afternoon they ran across the
ravine. The British artillery poured
shrapnel and lvddite into them and the
Infantry took the stone wall.
The British casualty list was small
WARREN'S MONDAY FIGHT.
London. Jan. 25-The Daily Tele-
graph publishes the following dispatch
from Spearman's Camp, dated Tues
day, January %, $50 D. M:
On Monday Sir Charles Warren's
force cannonaded and fusiladed the
Boer position west of Spion Kop near
the Acton Homes road. A lyddite bat
terry co-operated with the other bat
teries and Maxims. Certainly the fire
was efective. causing the enemy Sc
lious losses. The Beers, however, chung
desperately to their works, from which
they are only being very slowly driven.
To-day the enemy fired their guns
oftener. using also the captured IS
FOUNDERS with shrapnel. Our casual
ties to-day were less even than those
of yesterday
Fighting began about in the morn
Ing and continued until dusk. but there
has been nothing like general engage
ment. The naval big guns assisted
from Potgieter's Drift in Smelling the
Boer positions.
PRIVATE TELEGRAArs STOPPED.
New York. Jan. 24.-The Commercial
Cable Company this morning sent out
the following motto:
we are advised that the Postmaster
General at Pretoria announces that all
private kilograms for the South African
Republic will be stopped"
BOERS STRENGTH INCREASED.
London. Jan. PA disoatch to the
Times from Spearman's Camp, dated
Tuesday, 9:soNp. M. says:
The Boers to-day had more guns
and are prepared TO fight almost inter-
mInably, having entrenched their ridge,