The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1900-02-01
Invasion FEARED?
British Cabinet Secretly Dis.
cusses Naval Plans.
TEN THOUSAND MEN DETAINED
General Butler Claims to Have
Found the Key to Ladysmith-A
Plan to Invade Orange Free
state Is Indicated.

NrhhGc EESe
State Is Indicated.
LONDON, Jan. 31.-It is now known
that the cabinet devoted much of it.
discussions on Saturday to the mobiliza
ton of the fleet. Nothing was settled
except that until further security to the
home coasts has been obtained by navai
preparations the Eighth division shall not
be sent to South Africa.
This decision to delay the Eighth di.
vision at time when endorsements
are so urgently required may only mean
that transports are not yet available and
that the division will embark when the
shipping is ready.
The mobilization of reserve warships, If
such a course shall be determined upon,
would be of the utmost Importance.
One thing is certain. Ter thousand
men, all ready to go to South Africa, are
detained for reasons of which the public
has no knowledge.
The Cape Town correspondent of The
Daily Mail, telegraphing yesterday, says:
"General Butler on Monday read the
following message from the queen to Sir
Charles Warrens force:
Il must express my admiration of the
troops during the past trying week, es-
pecially Of, those regiments you specify,
and OF the accomplishment of your ar
duous march,
General Butler told the men that they
ought not TO think because they had re-
tired from their position that all their
work was of no avail. On the contrary,
in his opinion, they had gained the key
Of the road to Ladysmith, in which he
hoped to be within a week.
General Butler then called for cheers
g.. 81. ,,,h, ,ab hoo arl fn,
miles around"
A dispatch from Sterkstroom, Cape
Colony, says
General KellyKenny's column has
occupied Thebus Station, between Steyns-
burg and Rosmead."
The railway line on which Steynsburg
and Rosmead are situated runs on the
eastward of Steynsburg to Stormbere
Junction. near which General Gatacre is
operating. To the northward of Ros-
mead Junction, on another line of rail
way, is Colesberg, where General French
now is. The place occupied by General
Kely-Kenny is, roughly, hundred miles
from General Gatacre's base of opera
tions at Sterkstroom.
General Buffers operations have cost
312 men so far officially reported within
ten days.
The latest reports from the fighting
around about Spion kop show that
1000 men were killed in the assault on
the hill by the British and its recapture
by the Beers. The Beers report that
l,500 British dead were left on the field
after Spion kop was abandoned. Whole
regiments were annihiated.
The losses at Spion kop make the total
British killed, wounded and missing thus
Tar in the war number 10,26S. OF this
heavy total 6,93S were lost in the cam
paign at Ladysmith.
A special dispatch from Frere camp,
dated Friday, Jan. 26, 9:10 p. m, says:
81 have just ridden in here, having left
General Buffers forces in the new posi-
tions south of the Tugela to which they
retired in consequence of the reverse at
Spion kop.
1.-The fighting, both before and aftei
the occupation of the mountain, was of
desperate character. Spion kop is a pre-
cipitous mountain overtopping the whole
line of kopjes along the upper Tugela
On the eastern side the mountain facel
Mount Alice and Potgeter's drift, stand.
ing at right angles to the Boer centra,
position and Lyttleton's advanced posi-
ton. The southern point descends in alb
rupt steps to the lower line Of kopjes
OH tHc WESTERN OppOSlte the TlSHt
outposts of Warren's force, it is inac.
.essibly steep until the point where the
aek joins the kop to the main range.
Then there is gentle slope which allows
easy access to the summit.
''The mex was strongly held by the
Beers, who also occupied heavy spur
parallel with the kop, where the enemy
was concealed in no fewer than 30 rifle
pits and was thus enabled to bring tc
bear upon our men damaging cross fire
the only possible point for British at
tack being the southern side. with virtu
ally sheer precipices on the left and
right.
''The ridge held by our men was faced
by a number of strong little kopjes at al
angles whence the Beers sent a concen
srated fire from their rifles, supported bJ
Maxim Nordenfeldt and a big long
range gun. What with the rifles, the
machine guns and the big gun, the sum
nit was converted into a perfect hell
The shells exploded continually in oul
ranks, and the rifle fire from an absolute
" unseen enemy was perfectly appalling
'Mortal men could not permanently
hold such position. Our gallant fel
lows held it tenaciously for "a hours ant
then, taking advantage of the dark night
abandoned 1t to the enemy"
Carload of stamped Envelopes.