Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-01-30
BUTLER Is IN DANGER
Days Away From the Base Of Sup
plies and the Beers May Gut
Him OFF.
MAY HAVE HIM TRAPPED
Address of the Queen n-Appreciates Valor
of Her Soldiers Who Responded When
the British Territory Was
Threatened.

dlSpatch TO the Evening World to-day
says: Buffers danger is now forcing It,
| self ON military experts. The committee
| on national defense Is gravely consider
ing it. Lord Roberts, 1t Is reported, ca
bled the committee that unless Butler
and his forces arrived safely from their
present position to the south of the Lit
tie Tugela river they will be in immi-
nent danger Of having communications
cut. Roberts pointed out that Butler
has with him an immense transport
train, carrying ammunition and sup
plies. This interferes with the mobility
Of his army. Buffers main force is
about twenty 1.-TWO miles from it's base at
Frere and Chievely 1t is between the
Big Tugela river, over which It retreat.
ed, and the Little Tugela river, over
which 1t has to retreat in order to be-
gin march to it's base. Lyttletons
brigade may still be on the north side
Of the Tugela at Potgieters drift,
though 1t is generally believed 1t, too,
retreated over the river 1t will take
days for Buffers army to get back to its
base. Meantime the Beers are in force
at Colenso, only a few miles away from
that base. Last Tuesday they crossed
the river and made reconnaissance of
the British camp, apparently with
view to ascertaining the strength of the
force Butler left behind to guard his
base and communications. The party
that crossed came into contact with
Buffers rear guard and killed several
British. That reconnaissance showed a
purpose on the part Of the Beers to cut
off Butler. Should they hurl an over
whelming force over the Tugela and
crush the British at Chievely they
would have Butler in a trap.
Pretoria, January PA dispatch
from Colesberg, Cape Colony, says
Commandment Delarey reports large
body of British advanced January 25,
and he attacked them, causing the
British to retire after suffering severe
loss. The Boer casualties were two men
slightly wounded. General Grober re-
ports heavy fighting since daybreak
the British in great force endeavoring
to surround the Boer positions. General
Schoemani will hasten to the assistance
Of General Grobler. Schoeman returned
this evening and reports that the Brit
Ish were repulsed. The Beers held their
positions. The Boer loss was four men
slightly and one severely wounded. The
British loss is not known, but must be |
severe.
The bombardment of Kimberly con-
tinues. The other Boer forces are re-
ported quiet.
London. January 30.-The queens
speech at the reassembling of parlia-
ment to-day contained the following:
In resisting the invasion of my South |
African colonies by the South African
republic and the Orange Free State my |
people responded with devotion and en-
.husiasm to the appeal which made to |
them, and the heroism of my soldiers |
p the field and my sailors and marines |
who were landed to cooperate with !
chem has not fallen short of the noblest |
traditions of our military history. |
am deeply grieved that SO many val |
liable lives should have fallen as a sac
rif1ce, but I witnessed with pride and
with the heartiest qualification the pa
trfotic eagerness and spontaneous 10y
atty with which my subjects in all parts |
of my dominions come forward to share |
the common defense Of their imperial |
interests. I am confident I shall not
look to them in vain when I exhort |
them to sustain and renew their exer-
lions until they have brought this |
struggle for the maintenance Of the en-
pire and the assertions of It's supremacy
IN South Africa to victorious conclu-
,ion."
London, january 30.-A special dis
patch from Durham says a refugee who |
arrived there from johannesburg says
The destruction Of the Boer shell fac
.ory at that place January 20 was ac-
The loss, 1t is added, is ir- |
'eparable.
London, January 80, 2:52 p. m.-There |
q an almost complete absence OF news |
from British sources in South Africa |
Up to this hour. The only reliable dis
,atch Of any Importance Is a confirma-
Ion Of the report that General Kelly
commanding the sixth divi-
don. occupied the country about mid
way between General French at Rens-
'erg and General Gatacre at sterks-
rom. From this 1t is deduced that a
uncture Of the three forces is being
made, preparatory to beginning plan
Il advance on Bloemfontein. The Asso-