New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-01-07

thick on all Sides" and cannot number fewer
than twenty-~or thirty thousand.
The same correspondent describing the repulse
of attack on Ladysmith the Prince Of
Wales's birthday says:
- At noon when the enemy had fallen back on
their lager royal salute of twenty one guns
was fired by the Naval Brigade. Captain Lamb
ton was resolved that the salute should be eff
fective. One shot silenced the Isumbulwani gun
for the day, while another fell into JOuberts
camp and-aecording to coolie that escaped
In the confusion-killed twenty-five men. 1t
must be many years since the national anthem
was sung to the accompaniment of shrapnel and
94-pound steel shells shrieking through the air.
AT MoDDER RIVER.
OF the hard fight at Modder River THE
Globes correspondent says:
On the plain were numerous white crosses
which We subsequently discovered were marked
ranges set out by them previously. The fighting
line on both sides extended quite six miles, and
for twelve solid hours The Beers were never seen
by u.s. none of the officers and men TO whom
have spoken since saw a Boer 1t is certainly
marvellous how they always manage to hide
themselves.
The heat yesterday was terrific; no wind.
not blazing sun all day. We were all done and
literally parched; only refreshment during
the twelve hours was water heated by the
in our water bottles.
OF the same battle THE Daily News's" corre-
spondent writes:
The historian who writes a truthful story OF
the. battle OF Modder River will have a strange
or guides who reported Modder River to be
held by six hundred Beers; of a regiment sent
70 clear them out and finding twelve thousand
VI regiments Ranking the enemys position and
within few hundred yards of his guns having
to retire because they were shelled by their
artillery! Modder River was an Alma 1t was
a soldiers fight. Grit, doggedness and pride of
caste made us masters of the trenches. For six
teen hours the battle ragged For sixteen hours
a n
PauFs, the infantry advanced by the shortest Of
PUSHES in the sweltering heat TO 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 to enter the zone of fire. Each wound
ed man was made mark for the enemy's rifle
The wounded men were useful for the
BCerS-they took sighting shots at Them and
got the range perfectly
INFERIOR BRITISH ARTILLERY.
Among the many criticisms of British artil-
lery none has attracted more attention than
that written November II at Ladysmith by
THE Standards war correspondent. There is
-frankpess in 1t which doubtless would never
have passed the. censor. yet it's detail and the
evident knowledge of the writer upon artillery
matters stamp 1t with undeniable truth how
ever unpleasant reading 1t makes for the British
public. Summing up, this correspondent says:
bored have been demonstrated repeatedly. At
Elandslaagte two officers and two men of the
21st Field Battery were wounded at range be-
yond that at which they could fire shrapnel
Except in reconnaissance, our field guns are
useless as long the siege lasts. The Boer
shrapneI is fused for < 900 yards whereas our
fuse ceases to be effective at 4, 100 yards. The
meaning OF this will be clear when l say that
for l. 100 yards-Or nearly three-quarters of
mile-Our artillery exposed TO the fire of
practically invisible enemy, without being able
to fire a really effective shot in self-defence.
In other words guns would never get within
effective range of French or German field bat
terry We must have a gun that will shoot with
much greater accuracy at {, 900 yards and a fuse
that is effective at 5000 or 5000 yards. Our
equipment is unduly heavy. Our guns carry
too much weight. The double teams that
brought the 21st Battery to Elandslaagte-a
distance of fifteen or sixteen miles-had not
ounce left in them. This is the first time that
the British army has faced modern artillery. and
the lessons to be learned will be of the greatest
value Already we have discovered that with
the aid of sTnokefess powder and long ranges the
enemy may be invisible, even when he is raining
shot and shell upon us, and that, days may pass
without disclosing the position of some of his
gums and howitzers. The Boer has another adj
vantage If not in his Mauser rifie-which many
curate and trustworthy than the Lee-M etford-
at any rate in the possession Of field glasses.
There, is scarcely man in their ranks who
has not a powerful binocular. by the aid of WHICH
he is able to make good shooting at extraordi-
nary distances Our equipment in this respect
is deficient, and should be improved without