The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-05-25
ROBERTS DELAYED.
Depth Of River Will Not Permit Of the
Passage Of Troops.
---------.--
RAILWAY NOT MUCH INJURED.
Free Staters Are Pictured as Boiling
Like fiares Before the British.
RUSSIANS COMPOSE BOER REAR GUARD
BubOnlc Plague Is Said to Have Broken
Out 10 Africa.
NEWS OF BOER MOVEMENTS is LACKING
Htroyed-Case OF Plague Discov-
crcd-Erce statcrs Holt.

london. May 20. $3.50 a. m.--Iord Rob-
orts' infantry advance is delayed at the
Rhenostor river for day Or two by the
depth OF the stream, which is not ford
able. The banks. which are procipitous.
are forty feet high. A pontoon and tenn
porary bridge constructions arc under
way.
The railway has not been damaged TO
any great extent between Kroonstad and
Rheuoster. The Transvaalers have Of
Tended the Free Staters by destroying
their splendid bridges when retiring to
Kroonstad. They rcfrained from doing
this on the retreat to Rhonoster, but now
they are destroying the railroad and
bridges almost completely north OF the
Rhenoster.
The British troops are In the form OF
8 crescent with horns thirty miles on the
Vaal and General Ian Hamilton's mounted
men on the right within thirty miles OF the
VAIL. The center of the crescent Is about
forty miles from the Vaal. Seventy or
eighty miles to the left LORD Methuen Is
advancing up. the Vaal
Boer kilograms say that 5000 British
with twenty guns are near Vresdport.
which IS close to the Vaal and close 20
Parys. One correspondent refers TO tho
advance AZ "a promenade" Another de-
scribed 1t as Beer hunt"
The Free staters are pictured as bolt
Ing like harss' at the nrst sight OF the
British, The latter. according to one
writer. do not even fnd wofnon and chill.
dren, as the fleeing farmers take theif
families with them. in consequence OF the
reports current among the Transvaalers'
that the British kidnap all children ovor
u years OF age.
The Boer rear guard was composed OF
Russians, to whom was committed the
task OF destroying the bridges. they also
looted freely.
What the Beers arc doing Is an ahso-
lutte mystery. The embargo on news out
OF Pretoria for the last twenty four hours
has been complete. Such shreds OF intor-
nation as the correspondents at Louren2o
Marquee have picked up do not illuminate
the Boor designs and dispositions further
than that the movement toward Lydenburg
continues and that referendum on the
question of continuing the war is goiag
on among the Boer lighting men. It may
be a fortnight before the results or thiS
singular vote are fully before the Trans
yaal government. II the English view Of
Boer encouragement Us one-half right,
the Boors will vote to quit.
In Natal General Dartnell's volunteers
occupied Mount Prospect Monday, Lord
Dundonald's cavalry Is at Flrmstonc's,
near lngogo. His infantry rests at Schoan-
ahoogte, The names are all OF fatefui
memory In the FIRST Boer war.
The British face Laings nek, where tho
Beers. through the range glasses OF tho
British, are occasionally visible.
In the march across the Biggarsherg,
all the farms. except one, were found va
Gated. temporary bridge had been tin-
ished at Wzschsbank. Trains now 60 TO
Dundee. General Butler said the best
way to celebrate the queens birthday was
to repair the railway 10 New Castle and
every msn was put to work.
Earl De La War; who was supposed
to have been captured at the time OF the
disaster that befell the squadron OF Be-
thune's Horse contrived to escape. He
lay all night with a wounded leg behind
an ant heap, reaching the camp next day.
AS the railway is now open north OF
Mafeking, an abundance OF provisions is
entering the town, plenty OF iiour and
meat and few luXnries The telegraph
messages will probably come from Ma
felilng direct over the northern route in
day or two.
South Africa has another infictlon. Az
extraordinary issue OF the Gazette AZ Dur
ban announces the death OF an East In
40 from the bubonic plague. The gov
eminent has put into force the most
stringent preventive measures, bn! fears
are expressed hat the pestilenee may get
among the troops.
The Transyaa National bank has sus-
pended gold payments under authoriza-