Evening journal., 1900-05-25
The DiSpirited Beers Now
Are Voting ON the
War Situation
FLEEING BEFORE IICTORS
Whether the Unequal Conflict Shall
be Continued Depends on
the BOer Referendum
BURGHERS ARE MYSTERIOUS
Lord DundOnaId'S Cavalry sat Firm
stones and His Infantry Rests
at SchOcnShOOgte
DURGHERS ARE MYSTERIOUS

London. May 25.-Lord Roberts In
fantry advance Is delayed at the Rhen-
oster river for a day or two by the
depth OF the stream, which Is not ford
able. The banks. which are precipi-
tous, are 40 feet high. A pontoon and
temporary bridge constructions are un-
der way.
The railway has not been damaged
to any great extent between kroonstad
and Rhenoster The Transvaalers
have offended the Free Staters by de-
stroying their splendid bridges when
retiring to Kroonstad. They refrained
from doing this on the retreat to
Rhenoster. but now they are destroy
ing the railroad and bridges almost
completely north of the Rhenoster.
The British troops are In the form
OF crescent, with horns 30 miles
apart, with Gen. French's cavalry on
the left, within 25 miles OF the Vaal,
and Gen. Ian Hamilton's mounted men
on the right, within 30 miles of the
Vaal. The center OF the crescent is
about 40 miles from the VaaL Seventy
or eighty miles to the left Lord Me-
thuen Is advancing up the Vaal.
Boer kilograms say that 5000 British,
with ten guns, are near Vredefort.
which Is close to the Vaal and close 10
Parys. One correspondent refers TO
the advance as a promenade" An
other describes It as a "Boer hunt"
The Free Staters are pictured as bolt
Ing Hike hares" at the first sight Of the
British. The latter, according to one
writer, do not even find women and
children, as the fleeing farmers take
their families with them, IN conse-
Quence OF the reports current among
the Transvaalers that the British kid
nap all children over u years OF age
The Boer rear guard was composed
OF Russians, TO whom was committed
the task of destroying the bridges
They also looted freely.
What the Beers are doing is an alb
solute mystery. The embargo OF news
out OF Pretoria for the last "a hours
has been complete. Such shreds OF in
formation as the correspondents al
Lorenzo Marques have picked up dc
not illuminate the Boer designs anC
dispositions further than that the
movement toward Lydenburg contin
ues and that referendum on thi
question of continuing the war is 60
ing on among the Boer fighting men
II may be a fortnight before the re
suits Of this singular vote are fully be
fore the Transvaal government.
the English view OF Boer discourage
ment is half right the Beers will vot
to quit.
Although the Beers retreated fror
Kroonstad without shot, their lat
position showed that they meant fight
Along the steep sides of the sout
bank were cunningly constructed rih
pits, resembling the defenses OF PaaI
deberg These pits extended for 1
miles. A number OF gun emplacement
had been blasted In the rocks, and 70
seven miles the grass had been burr
in patches, with a view of markn
the ranges.
In Natal Gen. Dartnelps volunteer
occupied Mount Prospect Monday. Lor
Dundonald's cavalry is at Firmstone
near lngoge. His infantry rests
SchOenshoogto. The names are all
fateful memory In the first Boer wa
The British face Laings Mex. whel
the Beers through the range glasses
the British are occasionally visible
Earl de Ia War;. who was suppose
to have been captured at the time
the disaster that befell the squadrs
Of Bethune's Horse, contrived to G
cape. He lay all night with a woun
ed leg behind an ant heap. reachil
the camp next day
AS the railway is now open north
Mafeking, an abundance of provisio
Is entering the town, plenty of flo
and meat and a few luxuries. 7
telegraph messages will probably col
from Mafcking direct over the mort
ern route In a day or two.
South Africa has another innictl,
An extraordinary issue OF The Gaze
al Durham announces the death Of
East Indian from the bubonic plag
The government has put in force /
most stringent preventive measur
bur fears are expressed that the pest
ience may get among the troops.
According TO private letter sml
gled through from Pictorial to Lourer
Marques. President Kruger now favl
surrender. on the ground that C,
tinuance OF tho war would ruin
property OF the burghers He ]
thrown upon the commandants {
onus OF deciding what course to D
sue.
Civilian prisoners released at P
toria report extraordinary actiy
during the last two weeks on the II
way from Pretoria to Petersburg.
many as 20 trains are run daily, an,
is possible that a large proportion
them have been used to remove s
plies northward for safety.