The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-05-15
'ENTHOSES
LONDON.
Beers Likely to Fall Back
on Laing's Nek..Mafe.
king Attacked.

| London, Tuesday, May 15-Onc,
more cannon have begun to speal
in earnest in the north of Natal
News reached London yesterday
that Generol Butler had moved ou
in force from Ladysmith and wor
an important victory, driving thu
Beers from their strong positions
in the ragged de6les Of the Big
garsberg.
| The enthusiasm displayed III
London when the news concerning
Buffers success arrived clearly
manifested the popularity of the
general, for the sentiment of the
country was aroused in his favor
by the recent discussion of the
| Spion Kop dispatches, therefore
the news was hailed everywhere
with quite as much satisfaction as
was the news of the occupation Of
kroonstad by Roberts the other
day.
Driven out Of the Biggarsberg
the Beers will have no choice but
to fall back through New Castle
upon the enormously strong natur-
al fastness at Laing's Mex and the
lngogo River region, which is DOM
mated by Majuba Hill. However,
no one believes an attempt will be
made to attack the Beers at Laings
Mex by any other than turning
movement. It remains to be seen
whether Sir Roberts will cross The
Buffalo River by Landmarks Drift
and attack Vryheid on the way or
will advance by New Castle to
Utrecht.
The position in the Orange Free
State has almost ceased to count.
The last hours of the siege of
Mafeking are likely to be amended
by some exciting news. Perhaps
the latest is contained in messags
received from the Daily Mails Lo-
renzo Marques correspondent. One
dated Monday says the news from
Pretoria is scanty and misleading.
The Beers, however, attacked Ma
feking on Saturday and managed,
by the aid of artillery, to set the
kaffir location on fire. Further
lighting followed. Then wiring on
Sunday, the correspondent adds
the relief column is clearly making
progress.
If the Beers succeeded in ser
iously affecting their movements
we should have plenty of details.
We have, however, next to none.
Some further information given in
the Standard and Diggers News of
Saturday seems to indicate that at
Fourteen Streams the Bores have
been outstripped. The telegram is
as follows:
Christiana, Wednesday, The
British are still advancing along
the railway at Harris River and are
also busily repairing the bridges
at Fourteen Streams. When the
burghers arrived north of Taungs
the British had already left the
town. They were driven back by
the burghers. At present the
enemy have made no advance on
Christiana.
Obviously, the Beers are under
the delusion that Hunters force is |
advancing northward in conjunc.
lion with the Mafeking relief COL |
lmn. They do not seem to realize
hat Hunters force forms an in
:egral part of the extreme left Of
he main army under Roberts.
London, May 15.-The Daily
Telegraph has the following from
Bennett Burleigh, its correspond
mt with Lord Roberts:
Kroonstad, May 13.-Fully 200
ocal Beers hid in the river banks
n order to escape commando duty.
These men and others have now
and taken the oath of
allegiance.
Our troops are rapidly concen-
rating, and it is hoped the requi-
lite locomotive power will be here
N Wednesday,, as Lord Roberts
las determined to press the pur-
uit.
1t appears that on Thu rsday last
Paul Botha and Mr.. Macdonald,
1embers of the Volksraad demand.
ID that the chairman should call a
Meeting to sue for peace. i.
London, May 14.-President
teyn has gone to Hebron, not
,indley. He has declared the FORM
r the new capital.
-Four hundred burghers have
iven up their arms in kroonstad's
Although the bridge
cross the Valsch has been de-
troyed, a good deviation exists
here the road ran before the
ridge was constructed.
The Transvaalers are reported
} be massing at the Vaa1.
A dispatch from Cape Town,
ated to-day, says a proclamation
i'll be published this week annex.
e the Orange Free State. 1t 10
lso said that General Botha (the
,mmander-in.chief of the Beers
rces) threatens to resign if any
are made for the
anton destruction OF property.
kroonstad, Sunday, May ID
here were more casualties in the
lvalry division May 10 than re-
,rted by me. have been unable
get an exact account of what &C.
lrred, as the commanding officer
lptain Elsworthy, was killed and
70 officers were wounded at the
inc time and have been sent to