Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-01-26
IT IS PRACTICALLY ATASTANDSTILL
British Infantry Separated from
Beers by Only 1,4OO Ynrds-Dny-
light Attempt to Close the Gap
Would BE Deadly.

w uaSs aSo. In front OF him, at about
q l,4oO yards, is the enemys position, west
, OF Spions kop. 1t is on higher ground tina n
, Warren's position, SO it is impossible to
see into it properly.
/, 1T can be approac hed only over bare
open slopes, and the ridges held by War
ren are so steep that guns cannot be placed
r on tnem But we are shelling the enemy's
. position with howitzers and field artillery,
? placed on lower ground behind infantry.
Ihe enemy is replying with Creusot and
, other artillery. In this duel the advantage
, rests With US, as we appear to be searching
ms trenches, and his artillery fire is not
causing us much loss.
An attempt will be made tonight to
seize Spions Kop, the salient of which
forms the left of the enemy's position, fac
ing Irlchards Drift and which divides IT
from the position facing Potgieters Drift
1t has considerable command over all the
enemy's intrenchments"
4 At "a Standstill.
London, Jan. 24.-Gen. Buffers great
turning movement, of which so much
had been expected, has come to stand
still. His carefully worded message to
the war office telling this, after silence
OF two days, reads like an apology and
an explanation. Gen. Warren holds
the ridges, but the enemy's position is
higher. The British artillery is play
ing on the Boer positions, and the Beers
are replying. The British infantry is
separated only by 1,40o yards from the
enemy, but an approach to the steep
slopes, across the bare open, would ex-
pose the British to fatal rifle fire.
Gen. Buffers plans have reached their
development. He declines to send his
infantry across this zone against
formidable positions by daylight, and
| dlscioses his purpose to assault the
Spion kop heights during the night.
This appears to be the key to the Boer
defenses.
If he takes it ard thus commands
the adjacent country, an important
and possibly decisive step will be
accomplished.
Look for Worse News.
The Morning Post and the Standard |
touch lightly upon the unpleasant fea-
lures of the dispatch and take hope
from the projected night attack, but
all things considered, the dispatch
looks like preparation for worse news.
Apparently Lord Roberts has moth
ing whatever to do with Gen. Buffers
operation. Gen. Butler and the war
Office communicate with each other di-
rect. Buffers scheme was conceived
before Lord Roberts arrived at Cane
HSw DAY and he is ap sdfsdfu4 Sne aet that the
Judgment of Lord Roberts has not
been brought to bear upon the move
ment does not add to public conf
dence.
More British Captured.
London, Jan. 24.-It was reported on
the stock exchange Tuesday that two
battalions of British troops have been
captured by the Beers.
Whites Headquarters Smashed.
Head Boer Lager, Ladysmith, Jan.
22-The quarters of Gems. White and
Hunter were smashed this morning by
shot from Long Tom" 1t is not
known whether any of the occupants
of the building We're killed.
Continue to lombard Kimberley.
Kimberley, Jan. 21.-The Beers con-
tinue an active and heavy lombard
ment of this place
A BOer Account.
London, Jan. 24.-The following ac-
count of the fighting is from Boer
sources:
Boer Head Lager, Ladysnith. Monday,
Jan. PA battle has been raging along the .
oliviers Hook road since Saturday between
the Beers, under Pretorius, and 5000 Brit
ish. The fighting is in full swing a Spions
Kop. The Beers under Botha and Cronje |
have been sent thither. The British else |
where are only making a reconnaissance of i
the Boer positions. President Steyn was |
under fire at the foremost position of the |
Free Staters.
Fought Until Dark.
Boer Camp, Upper Tugela River, Sunday,
Jan. Platter Commandant Botha checked |
the British advance yesterday morning, 1t |
was expected that there would be no fur
Their action until tomorrow. This after
noon, however, signs were dscerned of
an intended movement in the British north
ern camp. When the heat, which was
more frightful than any yet experienced,
had worn off, the British cannon started
in full force, and the infantry advanced
| in extended order. Gems. Botha and
Cronje held the high hills over which the
road to Ladysmith passes. When the
mauser fire opened pandemonium of
sound filled the air. The vindictive crash
of lyddite shells, the sharp volleys of lee
! metfords, and the whip-like crack of maui
sers were interspersed with the boom of
| the Boer maxims. The battle ended with
darkness, but not without evidence of exc
CulloA AIMING tue brlllSn lnat were mani
| fest at sunrise. Field Cornet Ernst Emilio
| was killed, nor did the generals escape UNI
scathed.
At the central position, Swart Kop, where
the other road to Ladysmith crosses the
nils, the British advanced from low kopjes
on the banks of the Tugela unmolested
Then they entered the zone of mauser fire,
| and although their naval guns kept up
| the usual terrible racket, the advance was
| stopped and the British had to count out
| their dead and wounded. Commandant
| Viljoen and two burghers were knocked
senseless by an explosion of lyddite, but
| Commandant VilJoen recovered. Field
| Cornet Hebron was wounded and on re-
fusing to surrender, was shot.
Deny Use of Explosive Bullets.
The British loss was probably insgnif-
| cant. They complain that expansive bull
lets in mausers were found in the field and
| soft-nosed bullets with lee-metfords. The
! Beers admit that sporting n.ausers were
occasionally found, but that they deny
| the charge respecting expansive bullets
/ Not shot was fired by the Beers with
| cannon or rife at the Swart Kop position
this side of the river. One thousand in
fantry and battery advanced into the
! second row of low hills between the re-
publicans and the river. Heavy cannonad-
ing proceeded at range Of 1000 yards, but
the Beers maintained the silence of death
! the advance was stopped, and this morn
ing they had retired TO their old positions.
War Situation Unchanged.
Roberts reported from Cape Town
| Tuesday that the war situation is I'M
| changed.