The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-05-09
The ENGLISH
PRESSING ON
TO KROONSTAD
Free staters Seat Of Government to
he Transferred to Heilbron,
Fifty Miles Northeast.
BOERS NORTH OF THE STAND.
General Hunter Occupies Fourteen
Streams With oppositiOn--BOers
Leave Clothes and Ammunition.

LONDON, May 9, 4:1O a. m.-FOur
thousand British cavalry watered their
horses at Stand river, Monday. twenty
I'VE miles beyond smaldeel, where Lord
Roberts continues to date his dis
patches.
The scouts who have been searching
the country for miles along the stream
have found no Beers south of the river.
The enemy are iaagered in unknown
force on the north bank.
Thus the British advance guard is
within forty-fye miles of Kroonstad.
The Free staters, in the expectation
that Rroonstad will speedily become
untenable, are. according to informa-
tion from Loureuzzo Marques, prepar-
ing to transfer their government to
Heilbron, a little more than fifty miles
northeast.
The proclamation of Lord Roberts
appears to have little effect upon the
inhabitants Of the invaded districts.
Every farm is found deserted except by
the women and children. All the men
are away fighting.
Beers Escape With Transports.
Correspondents at headquarters are
now wiring freely concerning the Incl
dents connected with the occupation of
smnldeel Some evaporation is ex-
pressed at the ease with which the
Beers escape with their transports be-
fore the very eyes Of the British. For
instance, when the British entered
Smaldeel the Boer OK wagons coolly
outspanned only five miles nway as II
in contempt Of the ability Of the Brit
jsh to overtake them.
Lord Roberts is described as rightly
unwilling to sacrifice his horses for
the sake of a comparatively minor ad-
vantage" Nevertheless the waste OF
horse flesh in spite Of all precautions is
enormous.
smaldeeI is a village of only score
OF dwellings, but 1t expanded in one
night TO vast canvas city and the
glow Of the camp fires was like scene
In an iron smelling district The city
Is likely to fade away in day by the
Immediate progress OF the infantry to
Stand river.
Tidings From Mafeking Gloomy.
The tidings from Mafeking are gloom
fer than ever. Everybody there has an
empty stomach and a plnched face.
The natives are no longer given to
porridge and the whites now have moth
ing but a quart Of that substance and
pound OF horse sausage daily. Every
thing else eatable has gone. insufficient
food, wet trenches and cold nights are
deadly to the health of the garrison.
This information comes from reliable
natives. Lady Sarah Wilson, under
date of April "a, says:
1.-THE Beers now number 4,50O includ-
ing young Eloff, president Kruger's
grandson, who has sent for six more
guns"
The MafekIng correspondent OF the
Times, who also emphasizes the GraV-
lty OF the situation, says:
ut Is impossible to ignore the fatal
significance Of Colonel Baden-P Powell's
reference to the hardships endured by
the women and children, among whom
many deaths have already occurred.
THE commlssarint Is holding GER
tain stock OF food stuffs in reserve for
use in the dIrest extremity
British Column Reaches Taungs.
The British column Is reported to
have reached Taungs. thirty miles
north of warrenton. According to Pre-
torln advices. the British are nearing
Vryburg, which is half way between
Warrenton and Mafeking. General
Hunter Is probably not In personal
command OF this relief column.
His forces embrace twenty thousand
infantry and from 5000 TO 5000 horse
men, an army far greater than has
hitherto been supposed. Lord Methuen
Is apparently subordinate, While the
relief column is moving towards Vry-
burg, General Hunter is apparently pre-
pairing an orderly advance northeast
along the Vaal river to participate in
the Pretoria advance as Lord Roberts
left flank.
Cape Town correspondents learn that
an important movement in Natal is ex-
pected within the next four days, Gem
eral Butler IS rapidly completing his
transport organization.
Kruger's Tenacity Of Purpose.
The proceedings of the Transvnnl
Raad indicate President Kruger's I'M
diminished tenacIty OF purpose. In the
course of the debate he said that should
he be sent to st. Helena the Republican
cause would still go on. Generals
Louis Botha and Lucas Meyer are in
Pretoria, consulting with the Volks-
Taad.
A dispatch from Maseru. Basutoland.
date Tuesday. May 8, said:
Lord Roberts rapid advance has
confused the Beers. who ore holding
the roads between Wepener and CIoco-
ian. along which continuous stream
Of wagons and cattle has been proceed
ing northward for days. on Monday.
some Of these countermar6hed and the
herds got into an lneNtricable muddle,
the Beers not knowing which way TO
turn"