Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-04-07
English Worried Over the
Last Blow Received.
HEAVY TASK FOR THEM
Roberts Will Have Difficulty Holding
Railr0adS-BoerS Have Cut Tele.
graph Wires and Appear In Large
Bodies at All Points,

London, April Z, 1870 a. m.-Not a word
regarding the disaster at Reddersburg
has been allowed to come through except
the dispatch of Lord Roberts. 1t is there
fore impossible to form any notion as to
II has happened. Meanwhile, the
British public is beginning to realize the
immense difficulties to be overcome even
before Pretoria is reached and is reviving
premature ideas with respect to the time
when the war will be over. No one be-
lieves now that it will have ended by the
beginning of June.
The latest disaster more particularly
illustrates the heavy task involved in
holding the railway. This body of some
500 British troops without guns which
disappeared so completely within IS miles
Of the great British army, had for it's
business to guard a section of nearly ~
miles of railway between Bloemfontein
and Springfontein. If it could thus be
spirited away. how is Lord Roberts to
insure his continually extending commu-
nications? Other pertinent questions are
being asked of the successive "unfortu-
nate occurrences The foremost is. why
do not the British troops entrench? 1t
is argued hi that if this had been done.
even 500 men might "a held out until
reinforcements arrived. 1t can not be
concealed hat the utmost alarm is be-
ginning to be felt. 1t is said that the
ROerS WHO captuIou lue bFltlStl az IcA-
dersburg belonged to Olivier's
do. If so, he has not retired north. and
hopes are expressed that he may still be
cut off.
1t is asserted that 400 rebels surrend-
cred during General Clements northward
march. The Beers will do their utmost
to hold Ladybrand and Thaba Nchu.
both being rich grain producing districts.
A correspondent of the Morning Post at
Springfontein, t~elegraphing Thursday,
says he is glad to be able to report that
increased precautions are being taken in
patrolling the railway. 1t is said that
most of the prisoners capture at Boshof
are foreigners.
The report that Mr.. Steyn had been
appointed to the command of the Free
Skaters and the further report hat the
Free State has arranged a loan from
the Transvaal for war purposes are both
confirmed.
Ten thousand remounts from South
America are due to arrive during the
coming week at ports of Natal and
Cape Colony.
Another Boer version of the fighting
with Colonel Plumer's force says that
four officers and so men We're taken pris-
oners at Ramathlabana 1t appears that
the names of Cecil and Granville, which
We're originally supposed to indicate two
of the officers captured at the time.
should have been read together as the
name of one officer.
AS numerous prisoners are now held on
both sides and the numbers are about
eaual, the question of exchange was
mooted in the house of last
evening. This ELECTED a reply that the
government had no intention of propos-
ing an exchange.
London. April THE Daily Telegraph
has he following from Boshof, dated on
'Thursday:
Lord Methuen's Mafeking relief force
was concentrated here to-day. The Beers
are in force a few miles distant on the
Naal river. This town is practically de-
serted, all the men being with the COM
mando under Commandment Duplessis.
who controls the district.
"A Boer hoisted a white flag and then
fired Immediately after, killing a British
officer. The murderer was instantly shot.
London, April The Bloemfontein
orreSpOnde of the Morning Post. fale.