Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-02-13
IN A CIRCLE 0F STEEL
The Fiercest and Most Exciting
Battle of the South African
Campaign.
Dewet's Attempt to Break Thru
the Gordon OF British
Block Houses.
The Dauntless Beers Fought at
Great Odds to Escape
Kitchener's Net.

London, Feb. 13.-Detailed accounts
which have just reached here of kltch-
eners combined movement to drive out
the Beers from the enclosure OF block
house lines show the conflict in very
picturesque and most exciting incident
of the whole campaign. Altho appar-
entity surrounded by an impenetraole
ring of fire and steel, the Beers daunt-
less bravery and dashing charges ulti-
mately resulted in the majority's escape
from the meshes of Kitchener's close
drawn net.
The British commanders scheme was
the most extensive carried out during
The present war. 1t consisted of con-
tinuous line of over fifty miles in
length. Kitchener, who personally di-
rected the operations, was in close
touch, day and night, with every detail
of the movements. The Beers. tho hard
pressed, shrank from attempting to
cross the railroad, which was patrolled
thruout the night by armored trains,
equipped with powerful searchlights.
Ry the side of the railroad We're the
dark forms of men lying in trenches,
or standing, doing sentry duty. The
battle at Heilbron ragged from Friday
night until 9 Saturday morning. Thru
out the five hours the fearful ring of fire
from rifles, cannon and pompoms swept
slong the British lines in holding De-
vets Beers. who made repeated at
tempts to break out of the circle of
troops. From various positions behind
the rocks and dongas the Beers kept up
a vigorous fusilade. hoping to find
weak spot in the line. simultaneously
others charged, but again and again
and wounded and prisoners In the,
hands of the British. At the outset of
the preparat tons the Beers realized the
operations We're not merely an ordinary
drive" but movement threatening
them with total annihilation. and De-
wet assembled his whole force and
discussed the situation with the COM
manders, with the result that the Beers
We're split up into three forces. On
Thursday night 500 Beers, headed by
Vancollers, rushed force of Imperial
Light Horse. yelling: Storm. burgh-
ers!" About 100 Beers got thru, but
the remainder, encountering a tremen-
dous fire, 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 Beers, at one spot,
got within thirty yards of the British
firing line, but barbed wire baked the
burghers and forced them to retreat
The firing never ceased. Aided by cleo
trio searchlights the British narrowed
the surrounding territory with shrap-
nell and shells and Maxim
bullets. In the northern section the
Beers made desperate effort to break
thru. Collecting number 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
a terrible fire and the Beers were every
where met with q relentless hail of bull
let's. A long line of flame ran up and
down tn efiring line, nearly thirty miles
in length, as the armored trains flashed
their search lights over miles of coun-
try. The reports of quick-tiring guns
along the entrenched lines and BOOM
ing of field guns and pompons sounded
very deep amid the sharp cracking of
musketry, while Heilbron fort contrib
uted to the universal din with a deep
roar of it's naval gun. This lasted for
some twenty minutes, when gradually
the rattle died down until only the
crack of single shots were heard. Then
all was again quiet. The Beers at
tempt to break the British circle failed
and few of them succeeded in crossing
the line, among them Gen. Dewet
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