The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-02-08

killed Wednesday. 1t is believed here
this includes the wounded. The Beers
also claim that $50 of the English
troops surrendered at Spion Kop.
The Boer Side.
BOER HEADQUARTERS (Modder
Spruit, upper Tugela), Wednesday,
Jan. "a, midnight (via Lourenzo Mar
.quez, Thursday, January 25).-Some
Vryheid burghers from the outposts on
the highest hills of the Spion Kop
group rushed into the Iaager saying
tnat the Kop was lost and that the
EngIsh had taken it. Re-enforce-
ments were ordered up, but nothing
could be done for some time, the hill
being enveloped in thick mist
At dawn the Heidelberg and Caro-
lima contingents, supplemented from
other commandos, began the ascent of
tine hill. Three spurs, precipitous pro-
| jections, faced the Boer positions. Up
! these the advance was made. The
4 bot5ss We're left under the first terrace
/ of rocks. Scaling the first hill, the
! Beers found that the English had i'm
proved the opportunity and intrenched
! heavily. Between the lines of trenches
was an open veldt, which had to be
rushed under a heavy fire, not only
| from rifles, but of lyddite and shrapnel
| from field guns.
Three forces ascended the three spurs
co-ordinately, under cover of fire from
tne Free State Krupps, a creusot and
a big Maxim. The English tried to
rush the Beers with the bayonet, but
their infantry went down before the
Boer rife fire as before a scythe. The
Boer investing party advanced step by
step until 2 in the afternoon, when a
white flag went up, and $50 men in the
front trenches surrendered, being sent
as prisoners to the head laager.
The Boer advance continued on the
two kopjes east of Spion Kop. Many
Beers were shot, but so numerous were
the burghers that the gaps filed auto.
matically. Toward twilight they
reached the summit of the second
kopje, but did not get further.
The British Maxims belched fame
but wall of fire from the MauserS
held the English back. Their center
under this pressure, gradually gave
way and broke, abandoning the posi-
ton. The prisoners speak highly o.
the bravery of the burghers, who, de
spising cover, stood against the sky
line edges of the summit to shoot tn,
Dublin Fusileers sheltered in the
trenches. Firing continued for som,
time and then the Fusileers and thu
light horse serving as infantry threw
up their arms and rushed out of tn.
trenches.
The effect of the abandonment o
SpiOn Kop by the English can hardl,
be gauged as yet, but it must prove t,
be immense. An unusually high pro
portion of lyddite shells did not ex
plode.
Serious for Ladysmith.
LONDON, Jan. Recommending OIL
Warren's retreat from Spion Kop, tn
Times says:
"The consequences of this lates
: check may be very serious to the gal
: liant Ladysmith garrison. 1t is impos
sible to estimate the next movement
1t may be that General Butler will b
compelled to retire from the gr0unt
he lately won; but in any event W
may be sure that the British peopl
will not show themselves wanting il
fortitude and steadiness. The Govern
ment would be we'll advised to call ou
Immediately all the militia and to ex
pedite the dispatch of the Eighth Divi
sion and of the Fourth Cavalry Bri
> gade, No doubt Lord Roberts vii
I strain every nerve to enable Genera
! Butler to renew the attempt to reiiev
Ladysmith
Buffers Losses.
t LONDON, Jan. 30-GeneraI Butler
: operation has cost 912 men so far off
: cially reported within ten days. 1t wa
b officially announced today that the los
{ of officers in the Spion Kop fight wa
V p killed, 20 wounded and missing;
total of 4S. Applying to the 206 Spio
Q Kop casualties reported today th