The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-01-15
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british suffered for water-Story ny
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Londch. January ltThe Modder River
battle with its many dramatic incideaie, IT'S
heavy losses and long duration proves d lever
falling topic for the war correspondent lucky
enough to nave witnessed H.
Julian Ralph In the Daily Mail, gives II
lengthy and vivid account OF this engagement
"a common reliance OF the Boer," he writes
was upon gin, Empty gin bottles. bottles
still containing gin and one full bottle OF toat
liquor were to be seen stuck in the loose dirt
OF the trenches,
Speaking Of the Boer losses this correspond
ont declares First in the mind OF the Boer
is the desire to hide his dead ana TO lie ABOUT
their number II is IRON their own that they
most desire to hide the truth. 'rne prlsonera
VIC took all said that only eighteen had been
killed, but the deserters sad the loss OF Ire
was very great and at the river alone 100 SNero
sunk with weights For my part / shall nos
DC surprised il we learn SOME day That Ia
KILLED alone the Beers lost quite 800 After
every battie the veldt has been dotted with
Boef horses IN consequence OF the custom OF
bringing two horses Tor each well-to-do nan
and having the loss OF riders by death ana
wounded. But the both previous batuehcldS
combined showed no such number OF rideritss
horses as Modder River, had lost mine IN
the night. but IN the nrst nall hour OF the
next morning ! took my choice OF tour ana
hal my pick OF hundreds OF them saddled and
briGled before I had gone hall over the held
One word as TO that phase OF their warfare
which must be touched upon In Justice IN
every account We correspondents write OF H.
With my own CTes, being upon the scene, /
saw the Putt-Putt gun and the nro or pe
Z sharpshooters trained upon our ambuaucea
I three times and upon OUR stretcner bearers
on innumcrable occasions-in fact whenever
they rose 10 their feet ION the right OF the
ljne) ana attempted TO perform their work.
Ralph relates the following hardshlpa
which lack Of water imposed on Methuen
men during their march toward kimberley
I'VE never Joke about water now. he sald
The hrst time we really appreciated II We
were starting out from Orange river. we
were marching and Watching the day break
( In breaking II seemed 70 rend the oarth
Z blanket Of atmosphere ana let the sun hfat
out upon us as II We were so many thousand
! stokers in the broiling belly OF d ship. on aui
I on we marched. IN heavy sand, or over stones
or stumbling across iurroWed grouna-aii
gaspng like fishes thrown on a. beach. AZ
I FIRST our lips dried and cracked, then our
morths parched and finally our ihroats De,
came as II they were coated with plaster OF
pnris. The hair shriVfled on our hanus' ana
our feet grew dry as deyNed bones mere an y
there a man fell forward on nlh ua'us an S
knees or stumbled out OF the ranks ana
lurched prone on the geldt We came 70 me
Finhans, a yellow looking house all apoat
which we're trees. In ana OUT OF Ns sSI1
horses and mules passed in scores ann Dehluu
the house the Tommies crowded IKE bees
around a toney not. hlling their cioth nottlrs
from Stone tank while other fommies
walked around and around sort Of Nlnaiass
! that pumped new water into me tahh Livery
man filed his bottle, cmptied IL do"n MS
throat and filled u again water mania, a
| thirst madness, was upon the men we pau
dled IN spilled water and the SOUNDS u mao
In pouring gurgling and zpiashing we're %
delicate music to al our cars We nave
Boers but above all We nave learner 'he
value OF water"