The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-01-07

VINO may herself be fatherless or mother
less tomorrow. We think as little as pos
sible OF such things. putting them from
us with the light comment that they hap
pen daily elsewhere than in besieged towns
and making the best we can OF a mclan-
choly situation.
The imperial Light Horse guards them
selves at I,adysmith by constructing tun-
pels TO the river hank have made dark
caves in which whole regiments might be
hidden.
Looking out over the plain that
stretches TO the southeast OF the town. :"
writes the Standards representative at
LadysmIth, November 10. 1T is hard TO
realize that VIC are in the midst OF var.
There is not Bper in sight. great
mystery OF peace has fallen on the land
That serene tranquility which fills the
air aud clothes the sunlii hills, carries
one back to some remote English village
on Sabbath morning. The scene, too, is
homelke--yellow stretches of meadow on
which cows are grazing prosperous farms
all around. A puff of smoke, followed
eight seconds later by an angry rush OF
air and desfening crash recalls one TO
the sctuaities of the moment. On the
spurs of those tawny hills that appear not
mile away are twenty-five guns and the
enemy lie concealed along the ridges and
among the patches of green bush which
clothe the ravnes and copies. We have
daily-almost hourly-reminders of their
A. To- In
balloon reports that they are thick on
all sides and can not number fewer than
twenty or thirty thousand"
The same correspondent, describing the
repulse on the Prince of Wales birthday,
SAYS: "At noon. when the enemy had
fallen back on their lager. a royal Asiute
of twenty ne guns was fred by the naval
brigade. Captain Lambton was resolved
that the salute should be effective. One
shot slenced the Imsulwani gun effective
" while another fell in Joubert's camp,
and, according TO a coole who escaped In
the confusion. killed twenty-five men. ,t
must be many years since the national an
them was sung to an accompaniment of
shrapnel.'
or the hard fight at Modder River the
Globe correspondent says; "on the plain
were numerous white crosses, which we
subsequently discovered were marked
ranges set out by the Beers previously.
The fighting line on both sides extended
quite six miles and there was an incessant
fusillade and cannonade for twelve solid
hours. The Beers were never seen by
us. none OF the officers and men TO whom
have spoken since saw Boer. 1t is
certainly marvellous how they always man
a ha
day was terrific. no wind. hot blazing
sun all day. We were all done and liter
ally parched. Our refreshmeut during the
twelve hours was water heated by the
sun in our water bottles"
OF the same battle the Daily News cor
respondent writes: THE historian who
writes a truthful story OF the battle Of
Modder River will have a strange story to
tell, il all one hears is gospel. Stories Of
guides who reported Modder River to be
held by 500 BoeIc; Of "A regiment sent 70
clear them out and finding 1900 Of regl-
ments Ranking the enemy's position within
few hundred yards OF his guns. having
10 retire because they were shelled by
their own artillery. For sixteen hours
the battle ragged. For sixteen hours or a
plain as bare OF cover as the dome of ~,
Pauis, the Infantry advanced by short
rushes In the swetering heat 10 shoot and
get shot FOR sixteen hours the artillery,
innocent of that shelter which tacticians
in books lay down as absolutely necessary.
pounded away at their Invisible foe. The
wounded fell out and were In most cases
left. for the stretcher bearers did not
dare enter the scene of the fire Each
wounded man was made a mark for the
enemy's ri1emen. The wounded were use
full for the Beers; they took the sighting
shots at them and got the range perfectly"
Among the many criticisms OF British
artillery none has attracted more attention
than that written on Novembe- u at
Ladysmith nv the Standards war CORE
spondent. There is fraYkness In, It
which doubtless would never have PASSED
the censor. yet its detail and the evident
knowledge OF the writer upon artillery
matters stamps II with undenlable truth.
however unpleasant reading It makes for
the British public.
Summing up. this correspondent saws,
"The disadvantages under which we have
labored have been demonstrated rereated-
ly. At Elandslaaste two officers and two
men Of the First field battery were wound
ed at range beyond that at which they
could fire shrapnel Except In re-o1n is
sancss our field guns are useless as long
as the siege lasts. The Boer shraune Is
fused for 5000 yards. whereas our fuse
ceases to be effective at 400 va-ds
THE meaning OF this is clear when 7
say that for f1oe yards. or NEARLY. three
quarters of mlle. our artillerymen are
exposed to the fire Of a practically in
visible enemy without being able u fire a
really effective shot In self-defense. In
other words. our guns would never re.
within effective range Of French ~ Ce--
man field battery. This Is the first time
that The British army has fsce' modern
artillery and the lessons to he lesr,ed viii
he Of the greatest value. Already No have
discovered that with the aid of smoSe'eSs
nowder and lone RANGES tho enemv NAV Re
invisible The Beer has anothe- ADVANTAGE
in his Mauser rif1e-which many experts
in our army now declare IN he m0re ac-
curate and trustworthy than the Lee
Metford."
STOOD THEM UP IN A ROW.