The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-05-03
ROBERTS IS
IN MOTION
Operations on a Great
Scale.
|DEWETSDORP IS OCCUPIED
Beers Massing in Front of Generals
Hart and Brabant and Fight
ing Going on.

LONDON, April "a. - Winston
Churchill wires from Wakkerstroom,
under Mondays date, as follows: Com
bined operations on a great scale are
now in progress and General Rundle,s
force is still confronting the Boer posi-
ton before Dewetsdorp.
LONDON, April 25.-The reports
that the siege of Wepener has been
practically raised were apparently pre-
mature. The Boer attack upon Colonel
Dalgety's northern position. as de-
scribed from Maseru, was probably
final attempt to rush the garrison be-
| fore securing a safe retreat, and as
| Colonel Dalgety successfully repulsed
the attack, little further anxiety is felt
on his account
Lord Roberts has now spread a net
with some 10000 or more men and $50
guns, covering the whole western semi
circle around Wepener, while General
Hamilton has occupied the water
works, practically without opposition
The Seventh Division, under General
Tucker, assisted by naval guns, has
made demonstration from karee Sid
Ing, the Beers showing some opposi-
ton. At the same time brigade NOV
ed out from Gien to take up position
on range of hills at Gennaadenale,
/ north of the Modder. The water works
1 were found nndamaged with the ex-
! ception OF the removal. of the sliding
waves OF the pumping engines.
The Beers now can only escape, with
out risking an encounter, northward to
Ladybrand, and the chance Of a sue
cesstul outcome of the plans of Lord
Roberts depends on whether the Brit
ish troops can reach Thabanchu and
Ladybrand before the retreating COM
mandos from Dewetsdorp and Wepe-
ner. ).
| All the correspondents report that
the roads are in terrible condition,
which accounts for the slow progress OF
the British columns, and if the Beers
are as well informed of the
British plans as they hitherto have
been, they are likely again to escape.
1t is now within three weeks of the
date for the British occupation of Pre-
toria, and although the present opera
tions, as suggested in some quarters,
/ INdy NC Tie DSS Vi the ma1n dQ-
vance, it is not certain that they will
not entail a further halt at Bioemfor-
! tein.
Advices From Roberts.
LONDON, April 25, 1855 p. m.-Lord
Roberts has telegraphed the following
message to the War Office:
'BLUEMFONTElN, April 25.-Dew-
etsdorp was occupied by Chermside
without opposition at $50 this morn
/ Ing"
LONDON, April %, 4:57 p. m.-The
War Office has received the following
dispatch from Lord Roberts:
BLOEMFONTEEIN, April 25.-
! Pole-Carew's division reached Roode-
kop yesterday evening without casual
ties. The advance was covered by
cavalry and horse artillery, which
drove back the enemy with heavy
losses, their dead being left on the
ground. The mounted troops halted
for the night at Gootfontein, and at
1880 this morning were crossing the
Modder river at Valsbank, in accord
ance with my instructions to French
to endeavor to place himself astride
the enemy's line Of retreat French's
| arrival near the Modder evidently,
however, alarmed the Beers, who evac-
uated their strong position near Dew
etsdorp during the night, and it was
occupied by Chermsde's division this
morning. The mounted infantry, un-
der Ian Hamilton, drove the enemy O..
the kopjes in the neighborhood of the
waterworks without casualties OH cur
side.
'The Highland Brigade marched
twenty-four miles yesterday to sup
port General Hamilton and haltel I4l
the night at Kip Kraal, four miles
short of Sannahs Post
"Brabant and Hart are still a few
miles short of Wepener, and the num-
bers of the enemy appear to have
somewhat increased during the last
\ few days. But it is not likely there
will be much trouble in the neighbor-
hood OF Wepeaer once Dewetsdorp is
occupied by our troops.
Il inspected the City Imperial Vol
unteer Battalion yesterday on their
arrival at Bloemfontein. They are in
fine form and look very workmanlike
Il also inspected the first company
| of Imperial Yeomanry which has ar
rived here. The men turn out smart
and their horses are in an admirable
condition.
Wepener Occupied.
| HERSCHEL, Cape Colony. Tuesday.
April 24.-It is reported that the Brit
| ish have occupied Wepener after heavy