Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-02-04
THE EVENING BOMBARDMENT.
winston Churchill Graphically De-
scribes Work of British Guns
Against the Beers

h&hihst the bOers.
Correspondence Associated Hress)
LONDON, January 27.-Winston
Churchill writes to the Morning Post.
under date of Frere Camp, December
"a After describing his arrival at
Durham, after escaping from Pretoria.
he continues:
Yesterday | rode out to watch. the
evening bombardment which we made
on their entertainments with the 4 7
guns. From the low hill on which the
battery is established the whole scene
is laid bare. The Boer lines run In a
great crescent along the hills. Tier
above tier of trenches have been seor-
ed along their sides and the brown
streaks run across the grass of the
open country south of the river. AZ
ter tea Iii the captains tent, Com
mander Limpus. of the Terrible. in
vited me to look through the teleseope
and mark the fall of the shots. The
glass was one of great power, and
could plainly see the figures of the
Beers walking about in twos and
threes, sitting upon the entertainments
or shoveling away to heighten them.
We selected one particular group near
kraai whose range had been care
fully noted, and the great guns were
slowly brought to bear on the unsus-
pecting target. | looked through the
spy hole at the tiny picture-three
dirty beehives for the kraal, a long
breastwork of newly-thrown-u earth.
six or seven miniature men gathered
into little bunch, two Others sky
larking on the grass behind the trench.
apparently engaged in boxing
match. Then | turned to the guns. "A
naval officer craned along the Seven
teen-foot barrel peering through the
telescope sights. Another was pen
Cling some calculations as to wind and
light and other intricate details The
crew stood attentive around. At last
all was done / looked back to the
enemy. The group was still intact.
The boxers were still playing-one had
pushed the other down A solitary
horseman had also come into the piet-
ure and was riding slowly across The
desire of murder rose in my heart.
Now for a bang. bang / jumped at
least a foot and arranging the teIe-
scope, but there was plenty of time
to reset it while the she'll was kissing
and roaring its way through nearly
FIVE miles of air. found the kraal
again; the group was still there but
all motionless and alert like startled
rabbits. Then they began 10 bob into
the earth. one after the othern Sud-
denly in the middle of the kraal there
appeared huge fash. billowy bali
of smoke and clouds OF dust. Fang.
| jumped again. The second gun ka1
fired. But before this shell could
reach the trenches dozen little fig
ures scampered away. scattering in all
directions Evidently the first had not
been without effect But when turn
ed the glass to another part Of the
defenses the Beers were working away
stolidly, and only those near the ex-
plosion showed any signs of. disturb
ence
1.-THE bombardment continued for
half an hour. the shells flying some
times into the trenches, sometimes
among the houses Of Colenso and al
ways directed with marvellous accur-
dcy. AT idSt AnS guns were COVERED
UP again in their tarpaulins. the crowd
Of military spectators broke up and
dispersed amid the tents and soon it
became night
Mr.. Churchill gives rather a dismal
forecast Of the future that confronts
the Ladysmith force:
'Ladysmith has stood two months
seige and bombardment Food and
ammunition stores are dwindIlng.
Disease is again increasing. The
strain on the garrison has been in
spite CT their pluck and stamina Sc
we're one. How long can they hosd
out? Il is difficult to say precisely.
because after the ordinary rations are
exhausted determined men will e1t
horses and rats and beetles and such
like odds and ends. and SO continue
the defense But another month must
be the limit of their endurance and
then II no help comes Sir George White
will have to fire CT all his amnuni-
ton, blow up his heavy guns, burn Al.
wagons and equipment and sally s14it
with his whole force In q fierce <sS~.
deavor 10 escape Southwark. Perf1&1S