Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-02-26


played great enthusiasm
'sThe country west Of the railway
from CaDetown TO Kimberley, Is grad
uallv settling down. A detachment has
started from De Aar for Britstown aud
Douglas and Prleska will shortly be
visited b. our. troops,
"Methuen's account Of the admirable
manner in which the Kimberley hos
pital is managed made one desire TO
send some OF our sick and wounded
there
800 PRISONERS. TAKEN
No diminution Of confidence In Lord
Roberts Is felt, however, and the public
Is ready to believe that he has good
reasons for not mentioning Gen. Cronje
in the official dispatches. Probably he
is in no hurry to end q situation which
Is daily bringing small parties Of Beers
I'm a vain endeavor TO reinforce Cronie.
These he can deal with IN detail Lord
Roberts has already CAPTURED over 500
Beers, and at this rate he viii soon
have quite a respectable array OF prls-
oners TO hold as hostages for the 5000
British already In Pretoria.
Gen. Cronje's refusal TO accept the
offer Of Lord Roberts regarding the
women and children indicates either
that the position Is less desperate than
has been supposed or that he has been
able 10 dig an absolutely safe place
for them.
A dispatch TO the Morning Post from
Kimberley, dated Friday, says. Gen.
Cronie Is reported 10 have plenty OF
provisions but to be running short Of
ammunition. Mr.. Rhodes is extremely
hopeful that the war has reached It's
concluding stage"
DELAY is GAIN.
Spencer Wilkinson, reviewing the mil
itary situation IN the Morning Post,
SAYS: THE probabilities are that the
Beers have not been able to collect a
large force 10 attack Lord Roberts.
Gen. Cronje's surrender may occur at
any moment But the Boer commander
knows what he is doing. He Is not sac
rificing lives for nothing. Every day
he can hold out means the delay OF a
day In Lord Roberts's advance and the
gain Of a day for the besegers Of
I,adysmith.
Therefore Lord Roberts Is acting
rightly in tightening his grip IN order
10 hasten the removal OF Gen. Cronje's
force and Gen. Buffers steady advance
Is the best help that can be given Lord
Roberts"
The Times publishes the following
from Paardeberg, dated Wednesday,
February 2lst: Gen, CrOnje's forces
have good cover from the British ar
tillery fire and have considerable stores
Of provisions"
A dispatch from Paardeberg, Orange
Free State, dated Feb, 30 says: Gen.
Cronjes position is more hopeless than
ever. The British are gradually clos
ing IN on all sides. our guns dominate
the sloping ascents from the river on
all sides, and by the rush OF the Shrop-
shires on Wednesday night up the river
bed, the Beers lost 200 yards space In
their cover Last night, Thursday
there was a terrible rain and thunder
storm.
"Deserters say the British fire has
been very deadly and affirm that Gen.
Cronje himself Is willing to surrender
but Is overborne By the young Beers
from the Transvaal.
There are women and children with
the B0er force. Gen. Roberts proposed
10 let them pass out OF danger, but this
NuEktSlNHs dS Mtil US vie HlNHtl VI
medical aid, has been rejected.
The kopje captured by the British
last Wednesday. when fifty prisoners
We're taken. Is a most important strate-
glcal position. Its possession should
enable us to repulse any Boer rein.
forcements from the eastward
FOURTH DAYS TERRIFIC BATTLE.
A correspondent at Paardeberg, o. +.
s., telegraphing on Wednesday last,
says: The fourth day Of Gen. Cronjes
fine defense opened In startling fashion.
Soon after dawn a most terrific rattle
Of rifle fire broke out, Weakening the
sleeping camp. IL was the heaviest fire
during the war, and all awaited with
foreboding the news Of Its effect. II
soon developed that the GlOucesters
and Essexs mad lost their way and had
biyouaoked, in error, close to the Boer
lager on the north side Of the river.
As soon as they were perceived by the
enemy, the latter fusiladed. Wonderful
TO tell, the British casualties were
practically none
There was desultory firing all day
long on both the north and south
banks. Gen. Knox's brigade holding
and pushing forward the line south OF
the river, while Gen. Smith -Dorrien, on
the north side, worked toward the
lager. Meanwhile Gen French ad-
vanced in far easterly direction near
a kopje held bv a strong force OF
Cronje's men. reinforced BY a Lady
smith contingent. At the same time
Gen. Brcadwood's brigade, with bat
terry Of horse artillery, took up posi-
tons 10 the left and rear OF the same
kopje
The front OF the hill was thoroughly
searched by artillery fire. Suddenly the
Beers bolted from every side. toward
Gen. French. who headed toward the
drift, Smelling vigorously. A great
number escaped. but many were killed
by shrapnel and about forty were cap,
tured
LAS soon as the kopje was evacuated.
this correspondent visited H. The po-
sition was found 10 be wonderfully
strong naturally and to form the real
key 10 the position IN the case OF de-
Tense against Boer reinforcements ad-
vancing from the east.
BAD FOR THE BoERS.
"our first engagement with the Lady