The age-herald., 1900-05-22
BRITISH HORSEMEN NEAR VAIL RIVER Within Forty Miles of City of
 Johannesburg. WOMEN LEAVING PRETORIA Details of the Wonderful March of Ma hons Column to the Relief of
 Mafeking Have at
 Last Arrived
WOMEN LEAVING PRETORIA

AAiShi dCSoidiiS lO d uiSiailSi nun ANodASh0O
 Marques, are now close to the Vaal river.
 within forty miles of Johannesburg
 The migration from Pretoria has begun.
 Women and children are being sent in
 trains to Maehadadorp, on the way to Ly-
 denburg. Trains are arriving at Lourenzo
 Marques filled with passengers among
 whom are many Germans, bound for Eu-
 rope.
 Some details of Colonel Mahon's Mafe- king relief expedition are coming through from wayside points. It was one long rush
 to Mafeking C. E. Hands, the Daily Mail correspondent, mentioned in Lord Roberts | dispatch to the war office as dangerously wounded May IS, sent his last message from l Vreyburg May 9, by runner, to Kimberley, | May H. He says:
 ''The mounted flying column, secretly and | swiftly organized by General Hunter, start ed from Barkly and arrived here tonight, covering 130 miles in five days. It is a grand force of mounted men, imperial light , horse from Ladysmith, the Kimberley
 mounted corps, with Royal horse artillery and Pompoms and a selected body of in fantry from the fusilier brigade. A special equipment of lght-sprnged mule transport NOiipiSlSo tiiio SpiSHoiu lOiCS. Neared With Much Rapidity ''The force so equipped, was enabled to
 move with such rapidity that, although
 this is a difficult country requiring vigil
 lant scouting, the Boers were surprised.
 The column moved parallel with the ene
 mys positions on the Vaal at Roordam
 and fourteen streams, actually getting be-
 hind them without firing a shot. So close
 were we Sunday and Monday that General Hunters balloon was visible and his bonn bardment heard.
 A correspondent with General Hunter
 telegraphs as follows from Fourteen
 Streams:
 Colonel Mahon's relieving column left
 Barklywest under secret orders May and
 reached Vreyburg May Il. The Boers
 marched on the right flank of the British
 and strange race followed Mahon press
 ing toward Mafeking with the utmost speed
 and the Boers hurrying parallel in an ef- fort to pass him and to throw themselves across his path.
 "The Boers succeeded. Mahon then turned west during the night. The Boers followed, overlook and attacked him in the bush, but were beaten off, Then as Lord Roberts wired, Colonel Ma | hon and Colonel Plumer united forces at 1 Jamasbi May 15 and Mafelxing was re- lieved three days later, under conditions not yet known here.
 Hunter Planned; Mabon Executed
 A correspondent of the Daily Express says: General Hunter devised and guided the relief, which was daringly executed by Colonel Mahon"
 Colonel Baden-Powelrs hardest blow to | the besiegers was the capture of Comman- | dant Sarel Eloff, President Kruger's grand son, and his men. It is thus described in dispatch from Mafeking, May F: 'Eloff today fell into of the various traps that have been left open for months. At a. m. the enemy, who had been much strengthened during the last few days, fented an attack on the eastern side of the town, while large force, which during the
 night had crept along the river, guided by
 native rebels, managed to enter the Bara-
 long location. This they burned and the
 huts of the natives were blazing fiercely
 for distance of nearly mile.
 "Then, finding that they were unopposed,
 the Boers yelled, Come out, you skulkers.
 Today we take Mafekng.' Suddenly
 Boer cried, Run, here are the rooinek'
 Nearly all fled
 ''The enemy broke into two parties, one
 being penned in the stone cattle kraal and
 the other hemmed in hollow kopje inside
 the other defense. They had no water and but little food.
 Meanwhile a strong party, estimated at 300, ran around the native location and reached the camp close 10 the railway. There they surprised, and, after sharp 1 fighting, captured Lieutenant- Colonel Hor- | ace Singleton and Veterinary Surgeon Dun- l lop Smith.
 l Boers Would Not Surrender
 "The Boers were called upon to surren- l der but they refused, and the fighting was
 resumed for some hours. The Boers lost | heavily. Finally two parties of the enemy 1 surrendered, one party escaping. The l Boeres lost about 150, but our casualties were under 20.
 Angus Hamilton, correspondent of the l London Times is missing" Lady Sara Wilson, in dispatch from Mafeking of May Il, gives the following | description of the final days Of the siege: 'As we near the end of the siege con- | ditions in this little town are perhaps be- | coming more cheerful. The ra;ny season | is apparently over. The weather is splen- l did. Rations are still small, but it is won l derful how little one needs for existence and the new food, drawn from horse and
 OK hides. is great success. The natives 1 prefer it to any other so that the siege 1 has taught them a new food" 1 The railway head is expected to be at l Kroonstad Tuesday. The congestion of 1 traffic al Smalldel delays Lord Roberts ad- | vance but his cavalry continue active 1 through wide radius east and southeast l of Kroonstad.
 | The infantry advance steadily. General l Colville and General Rundle shift their l headquarters each second day The Boers 1 are retreating northward from Harrismith.
 Raiding and sniuping are decreasing Lord Roberts is advised that little re- 1 sistance need be expected south of Kip l riversburg near Johannesburg, where the | natives are digging trenches, but the posi- | ton. according to a correspondent, can be | turned. The same authority thinks it inn probable that there will be any desperate l defense south of Pretoria and that even 1 the capitol of the Transvaal is likely to be | evacuated. The orders from the war office | directing six more siege trains to go out l however, indicate preparations in eXpec- | tancy of siege.