The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-05-28
BEYOND VAAL RIVER
Lord Roberts Victorious Ad.
vance Still Continues.
BOERS PREPARE FOR A FINAL STAND
Gntsrand Mountains the Chosen Spot.
Large Quantities of Dynamite For
Destruction of johannesburg
Mines-Talk OF Surrender.

LONDON. May 2S.-When Lord Rob
erts wrote his first dispatch on Trans
vaal territory yesterday shortly before
O'Clock in the afternoon, he was 81 miles
from Johannesburg and II from Pre-
toria. His immensely superior forces
had passed the Naal river, their last
great natural obstacle, at three points.
The Naal forms curve of 80 miles
from Parys on the west to Zand drift on
the east. The concave of the curve is
toward the Free State. Thus Lord Rob
erts, advancing along the railway, was
in a position to strike any part Of the
crescent by shorter lines than those by
which the Beers could REINFORCE the
threatened points. The Beers reiterated
almost without a show of defense. Gen
eral French and General Hamilton ap.
parently did not fire shot.
or Lord Roberts immediate force II
men belonging to the Eighth mounted i'll.
fantry were the first to ford the river
They came upon a Boer patrol footing
at Niljoen's drift, and a skrmish lasting
ten minutes followed. Two hundred
Beers tried fecbly to hold the Nerccnig
ing colliery, but they were dislodged.
ten miles north of Verccniging. Their
main body is moving toward the KliE
river hills that cover the south side Of
Johannesburg.
While Lord Roberts 10000 infantry
10000 horse and $50 guns are moving Oh
Johannesburg and Pretoria through
parched and deserted country the situa.
ton at the Transvaal capital, as it was
last Friday, is thus described by an OBJ
server who sent his message by private
hand to Lourenco Marques yesterday:
"'rhc situation, both from a military
and a political point of view, has become
very critical. President Kruger yester.
day admitted for the first time that mat
ters are very grave The Bocr determi.
nation is to trust everything to a last
stand on the GatSrand mountains, to the
north Of Potchefstroom, where 5000
Kaflirs are digging trenches. To that
point every available man and gun have
been sent.
1.-THE whole Of the western border of
the Transvaal from end to end is defense
less, and General BadenPowcli can
march in when he likes. Lord Roberts,
on the other hand, will encounter the
greatest resistance. The Beer cndeavor
is to lure the British into appearing to
threaten Johannesburg with attack. an
excuse thus being given them for the de-
struction Of property. The Transyaal
government will not dare destroy the
mines or property without an excuse.
Much dynamite has been sent down The
line, and 100000 cases lie ready al Zuur-
fontein near johannesburg,
General Louis Botha and General
Lukas Meyer have pleaded for the pres
ervation of property. Both are large
landed proprictorS and fear confscation,
but they have not received satisfactory
replies from President Kruger
Meanwhile many French and German
Adventures have come forward with
schemes and inventions for blowing up
the British troops. Some of these have
received tacit permission 10 experiment.
One German invention is for use on
railway, where it lies perfectly concealed
until the weight of a passing train en-
plodes the charge.
General Lukas Meyer says surrender
would be at once proposed by the Beers,
but that everybody fears the ignominy
of being the one to make the proposal.
He declares that he is assured that his
men will not stand President STEM
and Mr.. Reitz, the TranSvaal state secre-
tary, are strongly opposed to peace, but
Mr.. Kruger is not so much against it,"
The war office has received the follow
ing from Lord Roberts, dated Nercenig-
ing, Sunday. May 81. 80 y. H..
I'VE crossed the Naal this morning and
are now encamped on the north bank.
The advance troops, which crossed yes
tcrday, were only Just in time to save
the coal mines on both this and the other
side Of the river from being DESTROYED,
Our casualties were four
"Radcn Powell reports that the rail
way between Mafeking and Bulawayo
has been restored and that supplies are
being brought into Mafeking. He says
tn" Canadian artillery joined Colonel
rlumcr from Beira with incredible IA
pidity.
Lieutenant Wcbhcr was taken pris.
oner at Hebron Il few days ago. lie
went there on telegraph duty. 1t was
not known that our troops had been
Temporarily withdrawn"