The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-02-08
British Are Moving Forward in
Four Columns.
'sBObs" is Now Directing the
Entire Advance.
SERIOUS FIGHTING.
Buffers Losses Already Reach
Into the Hundreds.
Much Artillery Firing All Along
the Line.

New York. Feb. s-A Tribune dis
patch from London says:
Gen. Roberts campaign has opened
with unknown objective points and the
concentration of his forces carefully
concealed, but with signs of activity
and unity of purpose all along the line.
The reinforcements which have reach
ed him since he assumed command at
Cape Town, are estimated at over 10000
and there has been large increase in
the number of guns. The battahons
landing within three days have been
rapidly sent to the front and many
changes in the transport service had
been introduced. A marvellous amount
of work has been done during the weeks
when he was reporting from day to day
that the situation was unchanged.
The time for action has come and
there is evidence that a single mind
controls the operations in four widely
separated districts and that four dis
trict armies are carrying on the war
in accordance with a definite precon-
certed arrangement.
1t is a campaign SO superior to the
strategy which has been going on in
newspaper offices for the last ten days
that ambitious military writer's are
content to watch the march of events
under "Bob's" directions. The results
recorded at midnight on official author
ity were hardly commensurate with the
activity displayed in so many direc-
tions but there had not been time for
anything more than a partial resump
tiOn of hostilities.
Gen. Butler had recrossed the Tugela
on Monday afternoon. This was admit
ted at the war office early last evening.
The news had already reached Fleet
street, to that effect from LOurenzo
Marques, with the additional details
that the crossing had been effected al
two drifts and that it had been covered
by a tremendous artillery fire. One
Boer rumOr represented that the Brit
ish had been driven back at one drift.
But no serious fighting was reported on
Tuesday from Dutch sources, although
the artillery had been hammering away
throughout the day. The press dis
patches from Natal had been stopped
at the filing line and the only detail
which was allowed to come through
from Durham was the fact that General
Butler had ordered a hundred addition
al stretchers from the coast.
The war office had no details for pub
HcatiOn, but there was no attempt to
disguise the real object of the move
ment. Gen. Butler had started for La
dysmith and probably by the most di-
rect road from the drifts commanded
by the naval guns on Mount Alice and
ZWart kOp. The best information OBJ
Potgieters and at Skiet Drift lower
down and was advancing on the two
roads leading through a more open
country than that around SpiOn KOp,
the distance to be traversed to Lady
smith being about Is miles.
The official view seemed to be that
the wedge would be inserted east of
Brakfontein and the Dutch army drawn
out into ground more favorable for the
British operations. There was no def
mite information when the war Office
ErIr. til
Gen Butler has been reinforced is un-
known. but he is believed to have 5000
more troops than when he first crossed
the Tugela for his turning movement
and he is certainly stronger in artil-
lery.
Gen. Roberts and Gen. Kitchener
were reported by several correspond
ents as having started on Tuesday for
for the censor to pass when there were
so many points of attack.
The first rumor of fighting from the
Orange River district came from Sterk-
strOm. where Gen. Gatacre's OutpostS
We're reported to have been fired upon
at Penhoek and at Birds River siding.
These outpost affairs on the line of
railway toward Dordrecht were ap-
parently trivial incidents in the larger
movement against Stormberg.
Great activity was reported in the
Colesberg district but no positive re-
suits were known.
No further details of Gen. Mae
Donald's reconnaissance or turning
movement west of Gen. Methuen'S s
camp had been received at midnight.
BULLER'S LOSSES.
London. Feb. 8.-1:13 p. m.-Gen. Bull
Ter has cabled to the war office that
the approximate British casualties in
the fighting at POtgieter's drift up to
noon Tuesday are: Officers. two killed
and fifteen wounded non commissioned
officers and men,216 killed and wounded.
MacDONALD'S POSITION.
NIodder River, Feb. Seen. Macdonald
maintains his position at KOedesburg
drift His movement has evidently dis
concerted the Beers and at the same
safeguards the operations of a pOr-
tion of the Belmont garrison in the di-
rection Of Douglas where there are still
few Beers.
The British casualties till now are
two men.
The Ninth Lancers made several at
tempts to draw out the Beers but werS
unsuccessful. The British hold the high
est portion of the kopje. the Beers posi-
tiOn being on the lowest portion OWN g
to the steepness of the southern slope
of the kopje it is impossible to mount
artillery. The usual daily Shelling here
continues The OutpOStS report that the
Beers are making advanced trenches in
the open plain in frCnt of Magersfon-
tein drift, presumably to prevent the
British horse and field artillery from
approaching within range of their posi-
tiOns
MUCH ARTILLERY FIRING.
Rensberg Feb S-The Beers posi-
tion was vigorously shellled with lyd-
dite for an hour this morning eastward
from opposite Slingerfontein and west
ward from the top of Coles KOp a fif-
teen FOUNDER shrapnel gun paying spe-
cial attention to the sites of the Beers
guns. which have been unusually active
lately