Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-06-11
A BOLD RAID.
Beers Destroy q Miles Of
Roberts Railway Connection.
Beers Concentrating at Bethlehem
and Show Disposition to Fight.
Ro' erts Said to Favi Imprisoned All Mae
Residents Of Pretoria.

London. June 1850 A. M-The
Beers have torn up Il miles Of Lord
Roberts vital line of railway between
America Siding and Roodeval. 1t is a
bold raid and vexatious, but it does not
disquiet the military authorities as yet,
for they expect Gen. Kelly Kenny to
drive off the marauders and to reopen
the line.
The rapidity Of the advance of Lord
| Roberts cannot have permitted him to
accumulate large reserves Of stores.
Therefore an interruption of the rail-
way, even for a week, must embarrass
the army and may bring the forward
operations to a standstill.
Nothing has been heard from Lord
Roberts for three days. This raid on
the railway, the strenuous opposition
to Gen. Rumble, and the nimble escape
Of Commandant Gen. Botha's division
forced the war office observers to the
reluctant conclusion that the war is
not yet over, although even the occa-
sional civilian Boer sympathizer can
not sec how the Beers will be able to
do anything to change the result.
Gen Butler is in BOer territory. Dis
patches Of correspondents with him
filed, yesterday At sunset, describe the
corps as camping at Gansolei, close to
the point where the frontier of the
Free State. the Transvaal and Natal
meet
The British marched eight miles.
yesterday" says a Reuter- correspOn--
dent, before encountering any opposi-
ton. The Beers. who had one gun.
withdrew under heavy ordnance fire. to
yriJ AN .sr
This long range. running skirmish
viii doubtless be renewed this morn
ing. Gen. Butler is expected to make
rapid progress now and to throw the
weight Of 20 600 men into Lord Rob-
crts' TransVaal combinations.
The fighting, June s. in which there
were fewer than 20 casualties. was
kept Up an day long The British at
lacking line, three miles in length,
made its way amid the precipitatious
hills. \ Boer gun on Spitz Kop fired
shrapnel rapidly at a range of 400
yards, at the British right flank, but
every shell was buried in the ground
before bursting.
Gen. Rundles and Gen. Brabdnt's divi-
sions are still at Sammonia in the
Ficksburg district. The latest intelll-
Beers are determined to fight to the bit
ter end They are concentrating 1000 men
around Bethlehem. The country between
them ana Gen. Rumble is mountainous
ana exceedingly difficult for military OPP
erations. Gen. Rundle's present care Is
to prevent the Beers getting past him
southwark
Major Wood Of Rundle's staff. rode to
- Ttrnp n1 cod
that Pretoria had been occupied by the
British. How the Beers received the
news is not recorded Altogether 500
Beers have surrendered to Gen Rumble.
Gen. Hunters advance has occupied
VenteIsdorp. 100 miles southwest of
Pretoria. This took place. June Z.
Gen Plumers column is on the Glands
river. northwest Of Pretoria. The Brit
ish are sending detachments right and
left to accept the surrenders of COM
dandoes, horses, cattle and forage. and
to overawe the sparsely settled coun-
try Thus far only one small COM
mando has been heard Of. a commando
at Tail Basch.
Gen. Hunters immediate objective is
Potchefstroom. This town and Rusten-
burg are the largest towns west Of Jo-
hdnnc%hulE. IL IS Ttp"Iteu thdt "
chpfstroom is ready to sub
nit Gen Hunter has warned all
burghcrs that if the telegraph is cut
behind him he will send back and burn
the houses near the line.
The Dutch in Cape Colony appear to
have split. Il majority of them Afrik-
andcr Eund being displcascd by the
unwiIlingncss Of Mr.. Schreiner the
Cape premier. to go to the full length
of the proposed opposition to the Brit
eh.
1t l. reported in London. this morn
ing. that Lord Roberts has imprisoned
on the race course all male residents
~ Pretoria.