Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-02-15
INSIDE BGER FRONTIER
British There For the First
Time Since the War.
ROBERTS TURNED cRoNJE's LINE,
Has at Iesst 10000 infantry, 1000 Cav
airy and 15O Guns--Relief of Kimber-
ley within Reach and wny to Blocm-
foutein seems Easier.

LONDON, Feb. 15.--4:20 a. m.-The
British army, for the first time since the
war began, is inside the Boer frontier
Lord Roberts, with at least &c, 900 infan
try, 1000 cavalry and 100 guns, has
turned tho Maeersfontein lines, before
which the British forces have been en-
campcd for ten weeks, and with half his
corps he is already operating In Free
Stote territory.
A battle has not yet been fought, bui
large tactical advantages have. been
gained. Tho relief Of KimMrley il
within measurable reach and the way tc
Bloemfontein is appreciably easier.
LONDON, Feb. 15.-The. war office
made public dispatch from General
Lord Roberts, which contained the fol-
lowing;
"DEKIEL's DRIFT, Feb. i4-s:iO a. M.
General French left this point at sc
yesterday morning, with three brigades
cavalry, horse artillery and mounted in.
fantry, including several Colonial contin,
gents, in or toder seize crossing Of the
Modder, distant about "a miles. He re.
ports, by dicpatch, dated 5:35 p. M, that
he has forced a passage at Clip drift,
and occupied the hills north Of the river,
capturing three of the eneiny's laagers,
with their supplies, while General Cor.
don, of the Fifteenth Hussars, with his
brigade, who had made fcint at Ron.
deval drift; four miles west, has seized
it and second drift between that and
Chip drift, together with two laagers.
General French's performance is
brilliant, considering the excessiue heat
and a binding dust storm which ragged
during the latter part Of the day.
Owing to the rapidity Of his movo
ments, General French met with but
slight opposition, and his losses were
small. Lieutenant johnson, Of the In.
niskilling Dragons, is the only officor
reported severely wounded.
1.-THE Sixth division was last night on
the north bank Of the Riet at Watervsl
Drift and is moving to support the cav,
airy. The Seventh division Is here and
will go on this afternoon.
-Four officers and 90 men had to bt
sent last evening, in the returning o2
wagons, to the railway line, Frustrated
by heat and exhaustion"
LONDON, Feb. 15.-The Daily Tele
graph received the following, dated
Tuesday, from it's special correspondent
at Frere:
On Sunday the Beers advanced dowr
the Iadysmith road toward Potgieters
Three hundred men on horseback, with
others, proceeded to point where they
began to construct new rows Of trenche,
at right angles to the road. This wa,
about two miles north Of tho drift.
A party Of Beers also crossed the Tu
gela, now very low, about six miles be
low Potgieters Drift, where they snipeG
the South African light horse, who re
pulsed them. }3e
Several other skirmishes have taker
place and the Boers are evidently anx
ious about their positions. They have
heen throwing up defensive works from
Trichardt's drift and the Spion Kol
range eastward to the Hlangwana ani
Monte Cristo hills, both on this side O
the Tugela. They also have three
wooden bridges spanning the Tugela il
the bend, and wire rope. apparatus fol
the conveyance Of food and ammunition
across the river"