Arizona republican., 1902-02-14
A PICTURESQUE
 WAR INCIDENT
A Detailed Description of the Drawing of Kitchen
 er'S Net.
A Scientifically Planned Movement Is Defeated Only by the Remarkable Bravery and Dash of the Boers.


 which have just reached here of Kitchener's combined movement to drive out the Boers from the incIosure of the blockhouse lines show that the conflict was very picturesque and the most exciting incident of the whole campaign. Although apparently sur rounded by an impenetrable ring of fire and steel, the Boer's dauntless bravery and dashing charges ultimately result ed in the majority's escape from the meshes of Kitchener's close drawn net. The British commanders scheme was the most extensive ever carried out during the present war. It consisted of a continuous line of over fifty miles In length.
 Lord Kitchener personally directed the operations and was soon in close touch with every detail of the move ment. The Boers. though hard pressed. shrank from attempting to cross the railroad. which was patrolled through out the night by armored trains equipped with powerful searchlights. The train lights were supplemented by stationary searchlights and the spec tacular effect was most striking. By the side of the railroad were the lark forms of men lying in trenches or standing doing sentry duty. The gloom of a moonless night was intermittently relieved by the sweep of the search lights.
 The battle at Heilbron ragged from Q o'clock Friday night until Saturday morning. From various positions be- hind rocks the Boers kept up a vigorous fusilade, hoping to find a weak spot in the line. Simultaneously others charged but again and again were the Boers repulsed. leaving dead, wounded and prisoners in the hands of the British. At the outset of the preparations the Boers realized that the operations were net \merely an ordinary drive but a movement threatening them with total annihilat ton and General Dewet assem- bled his whole force and discussed the situation with the commanders, with the result that the Boers split up into three forces. On Thursday night 300 Boers- headed by Van Golfers, rushed force of imperial light horse, yelling: Storm. burghers." About 100 burghers got through, but the remainder, en- countering a tremendous fire, were turned back.
 Friday nights conflict ebbed and swelled over an area of forty to fifty miles. in which the long hunted, har- rassed and desperate men endeavored to find outlets. The Boers one spot got within tnlrty yaruS or the 'brltlSn firing line, but barbed wire baked the burghers and forced them to retreat.
 The firing never ceased. Aided by electric searchlights. the British har- Jowed the surrounding territory with shrapnel. shells and Maxim bullets. In the northern section the Boers made a desperate effort to break through. Col lccting a number of cattle, the Boers drove them down on the British lines. Bending low in their saddles. the Boers rode among the cattle, making it inn possible to distinguish them in the darkness. The British pickets opened a terrible fire and the Boers were everywhere met with a relentless hail of bullets A long line of flame ran up and down the firing line. nearly thirty miles in length, as the armored trains flashed their searchliGht over miles of country. The reports of quick-firing guns along the entrenched line and the booming of field guns and pom poms sounded very deep amid the sharp cracking of musketry, while Heilbron fort contributed to the universal din with the deep roar of it's naval guns. This lasted for some twenty minutes. when gradually the rattle died down. Only the crack of single shots was heard Then all was again quiet.
 The Boers' attempt to break the British circle had failed. A few ot them succeeded in crossing the line. and among them was General Dewet.