The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1902-02-20
BATTLE FOUGHT AT NIGHT.
Beers Surrounded bv Ring of
Fire and Steel.
HURRIED WAR COUNCIL HELD

lines SNOW tnat the CONNECT was YER
picturesque, and the most excitin,
incident OF the whole campaign. AL
thoughtapparently surrounded b,
an impenetrable ring OF steel anc
fire, the Beers dauntless drawer,
and dashing charges ultimately re
suited in the majority's escape from
the meshes of Lord Kitcheners clos,
drawn net.
The British commanders scheme
Was the most extensive ever carried
out during the present war. IL con-
sisted of a continuous line over fifty
miles in length. Lord Kitchener,
who personally directed the opera
tions, was in close touch, day and
night, with every detail of the move.
ments. The Beers, though hard
pressed, lshrank from attempting to
cross the railroad, which was patrol
ed throughout the night by armored
trains equipped withpowerful search
lights. :; The train lights were supple
mented.hy stationary searchlights.
and the spectacular effect as witness
ed from the trains was most start
ling, BY the side of the railroad
were the dark forms of men lying in
trenches OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
duty, The gloom OF the moonless
night was intermitently relieved by
the sweep OF the searchlights.
The battle at Hebron ragged from
. o'clock.Friday nightuntil2 O'Clock
Saturday morning. Throughout the
sve hours fearful ring of fire from
rifles, cannon and pompoms swept
along the British lines, Unfolding De
Vets 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 fusilade, hoping
to find weak spot in the line. Sim
sltaneously others charged. but
again and again were the Beers re-
pulsed, leaving dead, wounded and
prisoners in the hands of the British
At the outset of the preparations
the Beers realized that the opera
tions,, were not merely an ordinary
"drive, but a movement threaten.
ing them withtotal humiliation. and
Gen. DeWet assembled his force and
discussed the situation with the com
manders, with the result that the
Beers were split into three forces.
On2Thursday night 800 Beers.
headedsby Vancollers, rushed a force
of the imperial light horse, yelling;
storm, burghers' About 100
-hHfgglers got through, hut the re
mander. encountering Il tremendous
fire. We're turned haek.------------l
Friday nights conflict ebbed and
swelIed over an area of forty or fifty |
miles, in which the long-hunted. har,
assed and desperate men attempted
to find outlets. The Beers, at one
spot got within thirty yards OF the
firing line. but the barbed wire balk-
ed the burghers and they were forced |
to retreat.
The firing never ceased Aided by |
the electric searchlights, the British |
narrowed the surrounding territory |
with shrapnel, shells and Maxim bull
let's. In the northern section tie
Beers made an effort to break
through. Collecting a nun Der OF
cattle, the Beers drove them down
on the British lines. Bending low in
their saddles, the Beers rode among
the cattle, making it impossible to
distinguish them in the darkness |
The British pickets opened terrible
fire and the Beers were everywhere
met with q relentless hail OF bullets. |
A long line Of fame ran up and
down the firing line, nearly thirty
miles,in length, as the armored trains
flashed their searchlights over miles
of country. sThe reports of the quick
firing guns along the intrenched line
and the booming of the field guns
and pompons sounded very deep
amid the sharp cracking OF the mus
kerry, while Hebron fort contribut-
ed to the universal din with the deep
roar of its naval gun. This lasted
for some twenty minutes, when grad
ually the rattle died down, until only
the crack of single shots were heard.
Then all was quiet again.
The Beers attempt to break the
British circle had failed. A few of
them succeeded in crossing the line.
,o,on1 than tvas Gan To Not