Omaha daily bee., 1902-02-14
Beers BRILLIANT ESCAPE
Dauntlsss Bravery Exhibited il Resisting
and EvadiHg KitshSners CLUTCHES.
ATTEMPTS TO BREAK CIRCLE FUTILE
VIE Threatened with Total AM
Inhalation They split Up Into
Three Forces and Make
Heroic Escape from Trap.

LONDON, Feb. 13.-The detailed accounts
which have Just reached here OF Lord
Kitchener's combined movement to drive
out the Boors from the enclosure Of block
house lines show that the conflict was very
picturesque and the most exciting incident
Of the whole campaign. Although appar-
emily surrounded by an impenetrable ring Of
FIRE and steel the Beers dauntless bravery
and dashing charges ultimately resulted in
the majority's escape from the meshes Of
Lord Kitehener's close guard.
The escape was a brave one. Lord Kitch-
ener, who personally directed operations.
was In close touch, day and night, with
every detail Of the movement. The Beers,
though hard pressed, shrank from attempt
ing to cross the railroad, which was
patrolled throughout the night by armored
trains. equipped with powerful search
lights. The train lights were supplemented
by stationary searchlights and the spectac-
ular effect. as witnessed from the train was
most striking. By the side OF the railroad
were the dark forms OF men lying in
trenches or standing doing sentry duty.
The gloom Of the moonless night was inter-
mittently relieved by the sweep of the
searchlights.
Terrific Fire for Five Hours,
The battle at Hebron ragged from Q
o'clock Friday night until 10 O'Clock Satur-
day morning. During the five hours a fear
full ring of fire from rifles, cannon and POM
poms swept along the British lines in hold
ing Dewet's Beers, who made repeated at
tempts TO break out Of the circle of troops.
From various positions, behind rocks and
dongas. the Beers kept up a vigorous fusi-
lade, hoping to find a weak spot In the line.
simultaneously others charged, but again
and again we're the Beers repulsed, leaving
dead, wounded and prisoners in the hands
OF the British.
At the outset Of the preparations the
Beers realized that the operations were not
merely an ordinary drive" but a move
threatening them with total humiliation,
and General Dewet assembled his whole
force and discussed the situation with the
commanders, with the result that the Beers
were split up into three forces. On Thurs
day night 500 Beers. headed by vancollers,
rushed a force Of the Imperial Light Horse,
yelling "Storm, burghersI'
One Hundred Turned back.
About 100 Beers got through, but the re.
mainder, eneountering a tremendous fre
were turned back Friday nights connie
ebbed and swelled over an area Of forty Il
fifty miles, in which the long-hunted. ha
raised and desperate men endeavored Il
find outlets. The Beers at one spot 70
within thirty yards of the British frinI
lire, but the barbed wire baked the burgh
ers and forced them to retreat.
The firing never ceased. Aided by tn
e~lectrict searchlights, the British harrowe,
the surrounding territory with shrapnel
shells and Maxim bullets. In the northern
section the Beers made q desperate effort I
break through. Collecting a number o
cattle, the Beers drove them down on tn
British lines. Bending low In their sad
dies. the Beers rode among the cattle, max
ing It impossible to distinguish them Il
the darkness.
The British pickets opened a terrible FIR
and the Beers we're everywhere met wit
a relentless hail Of bullets. A long line o
fame ran up and down the firing line, nearl
thirty miles in length. as the armore
trains flashed their searchlights over mile
of country, Thu reports OF the quick
firing guns along the entrenched line an
the booming of the field guns and pompom
sounded very deep amid the sharp cracklIn
Of the musketry, while HeilbrOh fure con
tributed to the universal din with the dee
roar of its naval gun.
This lasted for some twenty minuteu
when gradually the rattle died down., unit
only the crack of single shots was heard
Then all was again quiet; the Beers attemp
to break the British circle had failed.
few OF them succeeded in crossing the lin
and among them was General Dewet.