Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-05-30

TO rake Away the Railway Roll
ing stock.
LONDON, May 29-The following
dispatch has been received from Lord
Roberts:
"GERMISTON, May 20, 80 p. NJ
We arrived here this afternoon w a
out being seriously opposed. No cas-
ualties so far as | am aware in the
main column, and not many, l trust
in the cavalry and mounted infantry.
The enemy did not expect us till to-
morrow and had not, therefore, car
ried off all their rolling stock. We
have possession of the junction con-
Meeting johannesburg with Natal Pre-
toria and Klerksdorp by railroad
Johannesburg is reported quiet and
no mines, understand have been in
jured.
l shall summon the commandant in
the morning and if as l expect there
is no opposition, | propose to enter the
town with all the troops at noon"
Gormanistan is the suburb southeast
of johannesburg railway junction and
Gen. Roberts mentions it in his mes
sage to the war Office probably be-
cause Elandsfontein station is further
eastward.
Additional evidence that the mines
are intact comes in message received
by mining company here to-day from
its johannesburg representative dated
May %, via Delagoa bay, saying "All
right"
Lord Roberts dispatch is regarded
as announcing the virtual occupation
of Johannesburg and apparently the
Beers have again effected a retreat as
there rs no mention of any prisoners
or captures, except of rolling stock.
There will be some little anxiety
pending the actual occupation of Joh-
annesburg as there are rumors that
the town has been mined with the
intention of blowing up Lord Roberts
and his staff on their entry into that
place.
LONDON, May 80, $3.50 a. m.-Lord
Roberts is bivouacking in the suburbs
of johannesburg and intends to make
a victorious entry at noon to-day.
Judging from his dispatch, he must
have private information regarding the
disposition of the garrison in the fort,
as he does not seem to expect opposi-
ton.
Lord Roberts cavarly have flowed on
beyond johannesburg. A portion is
understood to be at Zuurfontein, seven
miles north of johannesburg and with
in twenty miles of Pretoria. Lord
Roberts, although with a broken bridge
at Vereeniging and wrecked railway
behind him, has somehow managed to
get forward sufficient supplies for his
large force.
AS he has been able to do so much
1t is considered possible that that he
will be outside of Pretoria Friday.
The rapidity of his edvance is thought
an extraordinary achievement, even
by grudging continental critics.
The Beers who were expected to
fight along the line Of hills known as
Klipriversberg, abandoned the eastern
end of the range, near Lord Roberts
advance line, but they stood their
ground on the extreme right near Van
Wycks Rust, where they met Gen.
French's turning movement. The fight
continued all day and the result is as
yet mere conjecture Probably the
Boer rear guard succeeded in keeping
Gen. French off and is now in the
hills northwest of johannesburg.
The Standard has the following adj
vices from Pretoria under Mondays
date:
The Transvaal government has
opened or is about to open, peace nego-
tiations. 1t has cabled a final inquiry
to it's agents abroad asking whether
any hope exists of aid"
Dispatches from Lorenzo Marques
yesterday described President Kruger
as wavering, but demanding a guaran-
tee that he shall not be exiled to st.
Helena
The fighting burghers still continue
to desert and the total collapse of the
Boer military organization is not far
off. Bennett Burleigh, wiring from
Lord Roberts's headquarters at Vereen-
inging on Sunday, says:
Il doubt if President Kruger can
muster $4,000 men. as many of the
burghers have gone to their homes"
The stauncher Beers are sending
their families with wagons and stores
to the zoutpansberg district Whether
Pretoria will be defended is uncer-
tain, although a Pretoria message,
dated Sunday, pictures the work of de-
Tending the capital as going on with
"feverish activity"
Pretoria is situated in a wilderness
of kopjes and ranges and is provided
with defenses that require at least
twenty thousand men to man them
properly. There may still be one hard
nut for the British to crack.
Free State Annexed.
CAPE TOWN, Monday, May 2S-
Lord Roberts yesterday announced to
his troops the annexation of the Free
State, which hereafter will be called
the Orange River State"