Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-03-14

fOntein or merely that he is In the
environs, thus belatedly confirming
Lord Roberts advices to the war office
this morning.)
LONDON, March 13.-Midnight.-In
the Hobbies in the House of Commons
rumors that Mafeking had been reliev-
ed were in circulation this evening, but
they still lack confirmation.
LONDON, March Is, 10 a. m.-The
war Office has received despatch from
Lord Roberts announcing that after
fight with the Beers, Gen. French &C.
cupied two hills close to the station
commanding Bloemfontein.
Lord Roberts dispatch from Ventors
Wei at 500 o'clock this morning, fol-
lows:
81 directed Gen. French if there were
time before dark, to seize the railway
station at Bloemfontein and thus Sc
cure the rolling stock. At midnight
received a report from him that after
considerable opposition he had been
able to occupy two hills close to the
railway station which commanded
Bloemfontein.
"a brother of President Steyn has
been made prisoner.
'sThe telegraph line leading north
ward has been cut and the railway
broken up.
81 am now starting with the Third
cavalry brigade, which I called up
from the seventh division near petrus-
burg, yesterday, and the mounted in
fantry, to reinforce the cavalry diyis-
ion. The rest of the force will follow
as quickly as possible"
The war Office received the following
additional despatch from Lord Rob-
erts:
MENTORS VLEI, March IL, $3.50 p.
m.-Our march was again unopposed.
We are now about eighteen miles from
Bloemfontein. The cavalry division
is astride the railway six miles south
of Bloemfontein. There are 321 men
wounded and about sixty or seventy
were killed or missing.
"Col. Umpheley has died of his
wounds, Lieut.. Pratt, of the Essex
regiment, was wounded severely. The
wounds as a rule are more serious
than usual; owing to the expanding
bullets which are freely used by the
Beers"
LONDON, March IA, 4:30 a. NJ
Nothing can be said on the advance
on Bloemfontein, beyond Lord Rob-
erts' own dispatches. Nothing rore
has been permitted to come through.
Doubtless Lord Roberts himself is full
ly occupied with important military
operations. The despatch from Cape
Town saying that Gen. French has
arrived at Bloemfontein," probably
does not mean that he has entered the
city. Lord Roberts message may
mean either that the Beers have cut
the railway to the north or that the
British cavalry have done SO. II the
former, then it may be assured that
no rolling stock has been seized, but
by general assumption the latter inter-
probation is regarded as correct.
LONDON, March ia dispatch to
the Times from Mafeking, dated March
5, says the garrison at that place were
then feeling acutely the stress of the
siege. They were reduced to the use
of horse flesh and bread made from
horse forage, while the water was par
asitically contaminated. Typhoid, dys-
EMERY and dipththeria were epidemic,
but it was impossible to isolate the
victims. The sufferings of the women
and children were terrible and there
were deaths in the women's lager
daily. The native population was
starving.
The military operations are progress
sing favorably They had been ex-
tended to the brick fields, whence the
enemy had been expelled.
A number of cablegrams have been
received from Mafeking to-day. in
GLIDING one to Birmingham firm ask
ing it to ship goods Immediately, thus
indicating the belief of the speedy re-
lief of the place.
The indications are that Col. Plumer
was at Lobatsi March 3, and as it is
only fifty-seven miles thence to MAIZE
king, definite news ought to be speed
lily forthcoming.
LADYSMITH, Monday, March H.
The main body of the enemy Is in po-
sition at Biggarsberg. General Jou-
1<oxt II HI<r<<<xn e.ses -,