The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1900-05-01
THE BOERS ESCAPE.
French's Cavalry Give up Pursuit
and Return to Bloemfontein.
One Correspondent Describes Lord
Roberts Army as "a Wreck. Be
cause 1t Is without Horses
and without Transports.

London, April JU.-lne only us
patch from Lord Roberts was the
usual list of deaths and sicknesses.
The flood of newspaper dispatches de-
scribing the recent operations throws
no light whatever on the present pO-
sition of affairs or on the great ques-
ton as to when the main advance is
to begin. The Standards announce
ment that Gen. French's cavalry are
returning TO Bloemfontein is clear
proof that there is no further hope of
catching the retreating Beers, and
the London papers are beginning to
display impatience at the practical
failure Of the elaborate operations of
last week.
The Standard says: 1T is disheart-
ening to find that these elaborate ma
neuvers have had so small a result
The Daily Chronicle remarks: I'VE
are reluctant to criticize Lord Rob-
erts, but it is impossible to shut our
eyes TO the fact that during the last
ten days we have gained very little
from our enormous display of force"
Without doubt these operations
have been of a very exhaustive nature
and will entail further delay. The
Bloemfontein correspondent of the
Times. writing on March 3, after the
Paardeberg affair, describes Lord
Roberts army as a wreck" because
it was without horses and without
transport. The Bloemfontein CORE
spondent of the Post speaks now of
the urgent need at present and always
of more horses.
The Daily Mail publishes a state
ment from Col. Lon, who was blamed
for the loss of the guns at ColensO,
that in advancing the guns as he did
he merely obeyed orders, and that the
staff was quite ignorant of the pFoX-
unity of the Boer position.
The sudden decision of the BOer
peace delegates to go to America is
attributed to the fact that the gov
eminent of the Netherlands, after
sounding all the European capitals,
told them they had nothing to hope
from Europe.
Col Dalgety's force at Wepener
numbered LOO. His losses during the
siege were 80 killed and 149 wounded.
1t is reported that there was an ar
tillery engagement yesterday at Karee
Siding, hut no details have been re-
ceived
London. April 3O.--A special dis
patch from Thaba N'chu, dated
Thursday, describing the fight at Is
rael's Poort, which is about seven
miles west of Thaba N'chu, says:
The British artillery shelled the
5opjes all day from three positions.
The Boer positions were extremely
well chosen, consisting of a long
range of very precipitous hills, with
narrow poorts (passes) between, com
manding a vast extent of country.
The mounted infantry made a wide
turning movement, while the foot in
fantry advanced TO within 1000 Yards
under good shelter.
During the afternoon the battle
became general and extended over
frontage of ten miles. The rifle,
Maxim and artillery firing was deaf
ening. At o'clock the Canadians adj
vanced in open order, but, meeting
with a terrific fire, they took shelter
in a donga. When they finally cap
tured the kopie the Beers were seen
retiring north and east with wagons,
and subsequently, when the infantry
made a dash, the rest OF the enemy
fired a few shots and cleared off,
According 10 a special dispatch
from LOurenzO Marques, the latest
authentic estimates of the Boer forces
place them at $4,000, of which $4,000
are at Kroonstadt, 5000 at Fourteen
Streams, 5000 in Natal, 700 about
Mafel1ing, and 900 at Pretoria, while
$50 have been ordered north to in
| tercept Gen. Carrington's force. The
work of entrenching Pretoria is pro-
ceeding.
Several correspondents give the
credit for the Beers clever escape
from the British net TO Louis Botha,
the new cOmmander-in-chief, who, it
is said, directed the withdrawal in
/ person. Bloemfontein is still suffer-
ing from a shortage of water, the
/ Beers having removed the indispen-
sable parts of the water works ma
| chinery, which the British engineers
| have not yet been able to replace.
The Hague, April 3O.-The members
of the IIOer peace commission will sail
| from Rotterdam for the United
States next Thursday evening by the
! HOlland-American lire steamship
Maasdam. DIR. Leyds and DR.. Mueller
will not accompany the delegates.
London, April 3O.-According to a
special dispatch from Thaba N'chu,
dated Sunday, the British troops, now
that the adjacent country is cleared
of the Beers, who trekked hurriedly
in the direction of Ladybrand, win re-
| cuperate for short period.
Minister Dies of ApOPIexy.
Chicago, April 3O.-Rev. Edward
I RavnO1Hc Diarna r,ucfoV. Of fba