Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-13
Are to Compel a Raise OF
the Kimberley Siege.
IN THE BESlEGED CITY
The Death List Growing at an Alarm
ing Rate-The BOer B0mbardlent
Is Increasing Daily and the Town
May Soon Fall.

London. Feb. IS. Ais a. m.-Lord ROD
erts has gathered $4,000 men. with whH''
according to the best military opinion IN
London, he purpose turning the lei, Y
the Magersfontein lines near Jaccosoa''
entering the Free State, compelling Gem
eral Cronje to raise the siege at kimoer-
ley and thus making his first step to-
ward Bio~3mfontein.
Yesterday Lord Roberts announced the
appointment OF General Sir Henry Col
vile, hitherto commander of the guards
brigade, to the command of the Ninth
division. which is being formed and vii.
consist probably 10 a great extent of COL
onial troops. General Colville will be sue
ceeded by General Reginald Poie-Carew.
Lord Roberts tells the correspondents
that when he gets down to business they
shall have ample opportunity to send
news. His chief press censor yesterday
issued new rules and in future all written
communications are to go unchecked.
Only kilograms will be censored. For the
next few days little news is likely to get
through, but later there will be more
freedom. Thus says the censor and the
last clause may be interpreted to mean
that something is about to happen.
Kimberley, 20 miles away from Modde,
river position, is in sore straits. Details
of the December death rate show that in
a population of 1900 whites and IL, 1000
mlacks, the mortality was GO whites and
1873 blacks per 1000. The infantiie death
rate was Gil per 1000 among the whites
and 9l2 per 1000 among the blacks. En-
teric fever was prevalent
This %frightful state of things in De-
cember cannot have improved and the
fighting power Of the garrison must have
been greatly diminished.
Meanwhile the bombardment by the
Beers has increased n there is immi-
nent danger of TIE town falling under
the very eyes of Lord Roberts. 1t is
believed in circles close to the war Office
that he will move at once. Scouts have
approached within 1000 yards Of the Beer
entertainments at Magersfontein. They
have found these strong and ascertalned
that they are used as dwelling places.
Naval guilners are constantly watching
the eneiny's line with strong glasses and
they declare that there is an appreciable
diminution in the Boer forces.
In Natal the Boer commands south
of the Tugela occupy Bolds farm AND
several MINES west OF Chieveley. Two
Thousand Roars, with three runs. are ad-
v~ancing through Zululand toward Natal
The war office is making preparations
to continue the stream of troops for
South Africa. Four large steamers have
been chartered. Japan agrees to let thu
Armstrong; transfer to England four ma
val quick frers that We're built for her,
consenting to wait for the execution or
her own order until hostilities in South
Africa are over. Several European
powers. by similar consents as to guns
being constructed by Vickers sons and
Maxim, enable England to secure 100
MaXims.
Two thousand men are constantly en-
ployed at WOolrich arsenal and all the
gun and ammunition factories are work
ing night and day to execute government
orders. The weekly output Of four firms
Is 4,000,O goo rounds.
Outside of the requirements for South
Africa, Great Britain is accommodating
immense stores of war material Con.
siderable divergence Of opinion exists as
to the adequacy of the governments mil.
itary proposale, even now. The military
expjerts and newspapers. while acknowl.
edging the difficulties to he met, complai
tina nothing is said about measures ne.
cessary for the immediate emergencies
in South Africa and declare that the
governments scheme is nrainty directed
to a large increase Of volunteers, un.
trained and ~unorganized men, while
nothing is being lone to re a large
well organized force, ready to take tn,
field.
The only point that meets with uni
versal approval is the ~ounca O.
the creation of 43 batteries, which Lore
LansdoWne has explained are to consis
OF 10 Founders of the newest and mos
modern type and the further announce
mant that the reserves of stores and am
munition, which Lord L~ansdowne ha,