The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-01-01
FALL 0F HELTETIA
Beers Capture a Strongly De-
Tended English Post.
CAPE COLONY INVADED
Enemy in English Territory
and Are Very Active.

London, Dec s1-The war Office has
received the following dispatch from
Lord Kitchener:
Pretoria, Dec. $3.50 a, m.)--General
Lyttleton reports thae our post at Hell
vita was captured yes erday morning by
the Beers. About % were killed and
wounded and 200 taken prisoners.
Colonel Kitchener reports that he is
following with small force in the track
Of the enemy. HeIvitIa being reoceupled
by Reeves. who has been reinforced
from Belfast
Helvetla was very strong position on
the neutrality-suspicious. railway and
was held By a detachment Of the Liver
pool regiment Am asking for further in
formation
London, Dec. 31.-While Lord Kitchener
sends bad news for England on the clos
ing day of the year, the press continues
to take surprisingly hopeful view Of a
grave situation and Of revelations Of an
enormously wide field Of Boer activity.
General Dewet is still at large. kim
berley. is isolated. The Beers are in force
enough to have captured a strong posi-
ton at Helyiua, in the Lydenburg dis
trict, while. judging from Lord Kitche-
ner's very recent advices. no progress IS
being made against the Boer invaders in
Cape Colony.
According TO further kilograms received
yesterday. Zerust is practically besieged,
but has provisions sufficient for five
months The garrison at OttcshoOp has
been withdrawn to Lichtenburg.
A dispatch from Carnarven, dated yes
terday, reports that the Beers VINO have
been threatening that point were driven
off and are being pursued
1T IS evident" says a belated mes
sage from Krugersdorp. dated December
%, that the Boer commissariat in the dI-
recton of the Magaliesburg is well sup
piled and that until the country between
here and the MagaHeburg is properly
cleared of Beers they viii continue to
concentrate there the ground being par
ticularly adapted to their methods Of
warfare"
The Beers admit that in their fight
with General Clements al Nooitgedacht
they lost $50 men.
1T is understood that Lord Kitchener
cannot ask the colonies officially to send
troops" says q Durham dispatch dated
December % "but he desires it to be
known in Australia and Canada that
Australians and Canadians arriving in
Natal VIII be eligible for immediate en-
listment in the irregular corps, which is
proceeding to johannesburg for five
months service"
To emphasize Lord Kitcheners covert
admission that no progress is being made
against the invasion Of Cape Colony, q
correspondent at Burghersdorp, wiring
Saturday. reports as follows:
Two fresh commanders are entering
the colony. One has already crossed near
Knapdaar, and the arrival Of another is
momentarily expected in the Steynherg
district. The Beers are said to have two
or three horses each. though in bad con
dition- They have no guns or transport,
but are well supplied with Lee-Metford
rifles and ammunition. Captured Beers
say that the intention of these camman-
does is to roam about and wait until
General DeYet appears upon the scene
All dispatches arriving In London
agree that the Cape Dutch show no in
oiinadon to rise but on the CONTRARY. ap-
pear to be tired of the war and DESTROYS
of peace. Many refuse to supply the
Beers with food and are willing to give
information to the British regarding Boer E
movements
Details of the Greylingstad affair show
that while Colvlle's column was pursu-
ing the Beers a second force Of 100 Of I
the enemy was seen moving toward the /
camp where the British transport was in /
spanned. The small British force made +
a plucAy stand until endorsements ar /
rived with artillery ana after q severe (
fight the Beers were defeated. The Brit (
ish losses altogether were killed and +
g wounded and missing. The Beers ara I
said to have 81 killed.
Lord Kitchener. wiring from Pretoria +
Saturday. December %, says.
There is not much change in the (
IN Cape Colony. The eastern .
force Of the enemy appears to have +
broken up in small parties at Utrecht +
and to be moving about rapdlv in the I
same district. evidently waiting FER sup
port from the north.
'sThe last report states that the vest
ern force IS moving TO Caruvou. De
Iisie and Thornycraft are In close pur-
suit
French has occupi.d Vent r=6orp (
Clements reports that he IS orr SAB on (
the road 70 Butenbure The eastern Ine +
was blown 10 nea- Pan and train was I
held up on the Standerson Iirs nea- Wal (
station
London De a-Ge-erai Ktch-ns-
telegraphinE from Pretoria Sunday. De-
cember 81. says.