The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-07
GRIM HORRORS OF THE WAR.
SOLDIERS DRANK WATER FROM An
ENGINES STEAM PIPE.

ish-Men suffer From Intense Heat.
Living Underground at LadSsmith.
Terrible Battle at Moddcr River.
British Artillery Faulty.
Correspondence of the Associated Press.
London, Dec. So-"The men were crowd
ins around the engines in line Offering
the drivers fabulous prices for a cup of
water, writes the Globe CORE spondeut,
describing the close Of the battle at En-
slin "but it was useless.
The drivers had been threatened with
eourSmartial II they supplied any, as there
was great difficulty in keeping sufficient
supply for the engines. l saw one soldier
lying fiat on the line under an engine
catching a few drops in his mouth from
steam pipe.
Such extracts as these from the mailed
descriptions of the fighting in South Africa
give some faint idea Of the conditions un-
der which it is being carried on. Belated
as these letters are by the time they ap-
pear in English papers, they throw much
needed light upon the campaign. so bar
reuly reported over the censored cables.
The heat that drove British soldiers to
drink gratefully from the exhaust pipe
of an engine after seven hours lighting
at Enslin, where they lost l79 killed and
wounded. has proved serious factor in
the care of the wounded. Surgeon Makins
formerly Of ST. Thomas Hospital, writes
under date of the field hospital at Orange
river;
During an eight days stay some GO
wounded men have been passed through
the hands of the royal army medical
corps here. In one night alone 500 patients
arrived from the fight a Modder river
Yesterday the thermometer registered l25
degrees Fahrenheit in some Of the tents.
The journey from here to the British hos
pital at wynburg takes twenty-eight
hours and emphasizes the difficulties due
10 the immense length of the line OF COM
munication."
narrowing mt Lndysmith.
The doings of the besieged at Lady
smith have been fully described in the re-
cent letters If the Beers continue to so
closely hem in and continuously lombard
Whites force the besieged promise to be-
come fun fiedged cave dweDers for ac-
dording to the Daily News cores spondent
a: Ladysmith. the prevalent tendency
there is to burrow.
Some people" writes the authority
having spent much time and patient
labor in making burrows for themselves,
hnd life there so inrolerabiy monotonous
that they prefer 10 take their chances
above ground. Others pass whole days
with wives and families, in solitary misery
where there is not light enough 90 read or
work. scarcely showing head outside
from sunrise 10 sunset. They may be
seen tro0ping away from fragile tiu-roofed
houses ha.f an hour before day-break, car
rying children in their arms. or a eat or
monkey or monsoose or cage Of pet
birds. and they come back similarly laden
when the night gels too dim for gunners
10 90 on shooting.
There would be a touch Of humor in al
this II K were not so deeply pathetic ia
its close associ alton with possible trage-
dies. one never knows where or at what
hour a stray shot or splinter viii fan.
and it is pitiful sometimes 70 hear cries
for Dolly from q prattl.ng mite who may
herself be fatherless or mOtherless to-
morrow. We think as little as possible of
such things. putting them from us with
the light comment that they happen daily
elsewhere than in besieged towns. and
situation"
Fight at Modder River.
OF the hard fight at Modler river the
Globe correspondent says;
ION the plain We're numerous white
crosses which we subsequently discovered
were marked ranges set out by the Beers
previously The fighting line On both SD
extended quite six miles, and there was an
incessaut fusiliade ana cannonade for
twelve solid hours. The Beers were never
seen by US; none of the officers and men
10 whom have spoken since, saw Boer.
II is certainly marvelous how they always
manage 10 hide themselves
THE heat yesterday was terrific; No
wind. a hot. blazing sun all Gay. We were
an done and literally parched; our only
refreshment during the twelve hours was
water heated by the sun in our water bot
ties.
OF the same battle the Daily News COR
respondent writes:
"The historian who writes a truthful
story of the battle OF Modder river VIII
have a strange story 20 tell, If all one
hears Is gospel. Stories Of guides who re-
Dorted Modder river 20 be held by 600
Beers: Of a regiment sent to clear them
out and finding 1900 of regiments flank
ing the enemys position, ana within
few hundred yards of his guns having TO
retire because they We're shelled by their
own artillery. Modder river was an Ala
mo It was a soldiers fight. Grit dog
gedness and pride Of caste made us mas
ters Of the trenches. For sixteen hours
the battle RACED For sixteen hours on
plain bare Of cover as the dome Of St.Paufs
the infantry advanced by short rushes in
the sweltering heat 10 shoot and get shot
For sixteen hours the artillery. innocent
of that shelter which tacticians in books
Law down as absolutely necessary. pound
ID away at their invisible foe The wound
ed fen out and were in most cases left.
for the stretchcr bearers did not dare to
enter the zone OF fire. Each wounded man
was made a mark for the enemy's rife
men. The wounded were useful for the
Boers-they took sighting shots at them,
and got the range perfectly"
Artillery Is Criticised.
Among the many criticisms Of British
artillery. none has attracted more atten-
ton than that written on Nov. ~ at Lady
smith By the Standards war correspond
ent Summing up, he says:
''The disadvantages under which we
have labore1 have been demonstrated re-
peatedly. At Elandsaagte two officers and
tfs L..