The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, October 14, 1899, Page 1

VOLUME LXXXVI-NO. 136, SAN FRANCISCO. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1899. PRICE FIVE CENTS. BRITISH TROOPS W (5 2 o A BATYTLE Wi THESORRS General White’s Forces En- gage Their Relentless Foes, but the Outcome of' the Cor— flict e Not KEneva Burghers From the Transvaal Also| Mafeking Attack ported to Have Suffered Sewverall | Temporary Repulses. ONDON, Oct. 14—An|eral White's object was to ob-|erally admitted that Vryburg | int 1 paper, the | serve what was going on and |cannot stand a strong Boer at- taken forces of the George ent Van hite, the Scots Reena yuine of the espondent at noon on nied by General 1 Hunter, proceeded mobile column un- | Sir George Stewart | co and Are bie- | also to test the mobility and efh- | tack.” All his men | According to the Daily Mail's are well and the weather is now | Cape Town correspondent, Mr. | Schreiner, Premier of Cape | Colony, will unreservedly sup- | port the imperial Government. | His previous reserve was dic-| | tated by a desire not to drive the} { extreme Dutch residents to ex-| cesses. According to the same| authority the Railway Depart-| | ment had early intimation of the | intention of the Boers to destroy | | railw ay over fflurteen ciency of his forces. fine.” A rding to dispatches from Ladysmith to the Standard and Daily dated T'hursday, heavy storms have be the Telegraph, gun and forage is scarce on the veldt. Therefore nothing is ex- pected to happen for a few days unless the Boers, who were re- ported to be advancing, should threaten the British line of de- bridges fense drawn from Glencoe Junc- The re- Boers post- to protect these points. according to the dispatches, no [sult was that the apprehension is felt as to the re- | poned their attempts. | Iivart Grobler, member of the guns and the Boers eleven. | Volksraad for Philopolis, has The Daily Mail’s Cape Town | Peen elected commandant gen- (_wr’xn«h’vnr. Ielegra};hing on | ¢ral of the Free Srat‘e forces. He Thursday evening, says: “I learn |is only 35 years of age, is well on good authority that the Boers | €¢ducated, and was a Free State on to Ladysmith. In this case, sult. General White has twelve s S SR (4 B R & . | ¢ ® s A S e e o 2 S * ® o ° & B THE O kS B e S T S Ga o S aecan aacs \ b ¢ SCENE OF THE From Marigobo, eight miles BOER ATTACK. View of Kraal Pan, looking froim the Boer post near Khunwana toward the station. within a few hundred yards of the boundary line, which is marked by a heavy barbed wire fence. : 4 : S S S o i o o o e o ol e e o o > B e e e s o S o o . below, to this point the railroad runs * | streams, and sent adequate forces | @-+-6-+-6-+6+0-+0009096+6+0+0+6+006+0+90049+ +I+ 0004090+ 0+0+ 04040+ 06094003000 0+0@ FIFTEEN BRITISH TROOPS MET pEATE-ON THE DESTROYED TRAIN ONDON, Oct. 13.—Additional details have been recelved of the destructfon of the armored train at Kraaipan. British troops in the present war the An armored train troops were killed. ing from Cape Town: Mafeking. Iifteen British Co cerning the first disaster to tae vening News publishes the foilow- has been destroyed south of The Boers shelled the wreckage after the train was destroved. A later dispatch to the ng to run through t An offic 2 Boers. 1 dispatch received at the Colonial Office says: vas destroyed near Kraaipan station while on the way to Mafeking with guns. ivening News says the armored train was attempt- The armored train The War Office has received the following dispatch fgom the general com- manding the Cape forces: “CAPE TOWN, Oct. 13, 1:40 p. m.—An ing two 7-pounder guns, sent from here tc Kraaipan, Boers fired into it with artillery for half communication with children have been sent to Cape Town are light and of old pattern. We have no CAPE TOWN, Oct. 13, 4:03 p. m.—The the exception of the engine driver, were Apparently a rail had béen removed. Mafeking is interrupted at The guns belonged to the colony. armored train from Mafeking, escort- » Mafeking, was attacked last night at The train left the track and the an hour and captured it. Telegraphic Kraaipan. The women and They details as to casualties.’ entire crew of the armored train, with made prisoners by the Boe SUPERINTENDENT OF RED CROSS AT MANI SUSTAINS REPORT OF THE COVERNMENT AGENT the War Department, SWALD H. J. SCHLOTT, who was the superintendent of the Red Cross Society at Man- ila, and who recently returned to this city, made the following statement last night regarding the Government agent’s report on conditions in the Philippines printed in The davlight this morning | are attacking Mafeking. They | delegate to the Chicago exhibi- to 1 Acton Homes for the|are reported to have already suf- | 100 | purpose of reconnoitering. Gen- | fered several repulses. It is gen- lhe correspondent of the Daily | Do e 908000 eiededodeies obdedeiededed T T * s H 80 MILES i e | E— Ll 2 ! ¥ * e | & + LS &l 6 I e ¢ |ow "\ 3 < 1 ler™ & (BN . + in o lk | 18w 4 | | ¥ | & ¢ S ST S P R S Y —_— < wary 2060 7 erm ok g o/ Gwvhjriro © . @ + MAP OF THE WESTERN FRONTIER. . This shows the boundary line between the British and Boer territories & from Kimberley on the south to the Marico River on the north, with Kraal 4 Pan Siding, Marlgobo and other points of importance. L e e D S S e = N Call yesterday: of affairs in the islands. the utmost courtesy and respe habiting the archipelago. in the official report recently fi OHO+TIOI0 +O $SHOIOITHOH L0 +04+04CH04 O+ OO0+ T+ O $ 24 F23 ” CHPOPSTRD ¢ was made and is on file in th B e e X e l‘/\ A bd| :: Mail further says that the Free| ¢ | State forces have completed all | f‘;preparations for the destruction 4 | of the Bothulie bridge when that ¢ |action becomes necessary. The Prince of Wales has promised to see General Redvers | Buller and his staff off from the | Waterloo Station to-day. A big ,‘demonstration is expected. 'FIERCE BATTLE IS NOW sdID TO BE RAGING NEW YORK, Oct. 13.—A Journal special dated Ladysmith says: The Orange Free State force has come down through Van e o S S e o e My official position gave me exceptional opportunities for ascertaining the condition I traveled for four months visiting all the large islands, having in my possession a pass from the insurgent government, by whom | was always received with ct. In my travels | met the special agent of the Government, whom | know to have had a pass from President McKinley which entitled him to special consideration from GeneralOtis. | found him to be a thorough gentleman and know he is of high standing in the United States. He was entirely unprejudiced in making his investigations, and exercised his best endeav- ors to do justice to the army, the people of the United States, as well as the people in- | met the gentleman on his routes in the southern provinces of the Philippines, and a portion of the statement made by him was received through me. He carried on his in- vestigations according to the instructions of the home Government and embodied the result led in Washington. | know the article as pub!ished in The Call of Friday morning to be a copy of this offi- cial report made by him to the Assistant Secretary of War. I do not know where The Call obtained this report, but | do know that such a report e War Department.” v¢ DHOHOHOHO+04 D+ D 40404040404 0404040+ 0404 04 0 404040400+040404 0+ 0 +0+0+04+04040+ 9 Reenans Pass with eleven guns. A battle now rages. General Sir George Stewart ‘White has eleven guns and 3000 men and is sanguine of success. General White, with a strong column, composed of infantry, cavalry and artil- lery, accompanied by General Sir Archi- bald Hunger, left Ladysmith before day- light and moved out toward Acton-Homes to reconnoiter. Acton-Homes lies fifteen miles southwest of Ladysmith, on Vent- ers Spruit, only twenty miles from Tint- wa Pass. General White's object was not only to reconnoiter, but also to test the mobility and efficiency of his men. He encountered the enemy near there. Mr. Dawson, station agent at Alder- tena, forty-five miles from here, has ar- rived. He reports that the Boers took possession of the station and sent him over the border with the mescage that the Free State forces were coming on and would be In Ladysmith to-night. British reinforcements are arriving and British troops are well and in good spir- its. The weather is fine. The Boers who were on the southern slope of Biggarsberg have entered Natal LA Met Him While He Was Investigating the Condition of Affars in the Philippines, Fumished Him With Data and Knows That an Offcial Report Was Recently Made and Filed With ) +O4D4THT O ITHOIOLOITH Q40404040404 04+ D40+040404 0 +O through Brandon Pass. Rallway agents and all Britishers from Charlestown, New Castle and other places north have come in safely. Agents from towns on the Harrismith line also arrived. The line north of New Castle was destroyed before they left. Three trains fillea witn refugees passed south last night. They report seeing a large number of Boers sweeplng down. Oliver Davis, just in from Ingogo, reports the Boers in great force there. AMERICAN CONSULS WILL NOW PROTECT BRITISH INTERESTS WASHINGTON, Oct. 13. —The State Department was to-day notified of the withdrawal from Pretorla of Conyngham Greene, the British diplomatic agent to | the South African Republic. and the ex- istence of a state of war between Great Britain and that republic. Mr. Macrum, the American Consul at Pretoria, has ac- cordingly been instructed to undertake | capacity | the latter c: the care of British interests in that sectlon during the war. The notification came to the State De- | partment in the shape of a note from Mr | Tower, In charge of the British Emba | here. The details of the transfer of Brit- ish interests in case of war had been | viou arranged, so that all that | nece ow the dispatch of a brief cablegram to Mr. Macrum at Pretoria. | This officer is the superior in rank to the | other Consular representatives of the | | United States. not only in the Transvaal | but in the Orange Free State, and he has | been instructed to give those officials the ry directions. The onlv other Con- officer besiues Mr. Macrum in the South African Republic is Mr. Gordon, who succeeded Mr. Manion as Consular | | agent at Johannesburg. Mr. Manion hav- ing resigned a few months ago. In the | Orange Free State the United States is represented by Alfred Elliott, Consular | agent at Bloomfontein. He is an English- | man, and therefore it is questionable | whether he will remain at his post in his | American agent or retire. [n | e Mr. Macrum will probably select some suitable American to take up the dutles of Consular agent. There is no present intention at the | State Department to issue a proclamation of neutrality. It Is customary to omit | these proclamations until . some emer- gency arises calling for their issue, and | such an emergency Is not expected to oc- | cur tn South Africa. ‘ | g BIG INVADING FORCE FROM THE FREE STATE | LONDON, Oct. 14.—The Ladysmith cor- respondent of the Times, telegraphing on | Thursday, says: “A subsequent recon- notsance shows that the invading force | from the Free State numbers approxi- | mately 12,000 men.” | The Times explains this as evidently re- | ferring to a previous telegram which has | not yet reached them. ONE THOUSAND CANADIAN TROOPS FOR SOUTH AFRICA | OTTAWA, Ont., Oct. 13.—At a meeting | of the Cabinet to-day a decislon was reached to send 1000 Canadian soldiers to | South Africa as Canada’s contribution to | the British force now fighting the Boers. ‘This is double the number of trocps asked for by the imperial Government. At the | conclusion of the Cabinet meeting an of- | ficial statement was handed to. the press by the Premier, Sir Wiifrid Laurier, as follows: “The Government has decided to send 1000 men 1o South Africa, a very much larger number than any one of the other | colonies has sent and larger than the| British Government has suggested. The | only question in the way of the Govern- | ment’s acting more speedily in the mat- ter was as to whether or not Parliament would have to be called on to meet the expenditures. This point was got over by the form of enlistment, the War Office having stated that units of men of 125 each shouid be sent and that they would | be attached to imperial corps. The Cana- | dian Government would have preferred to have sent a whole regiment with a Ca- nadian officer in command. Good marks- | on the South African coast. men will have ernment the preference. will equip the contingent pay the cost of trai The Cov- and nsportation to a point Enrollment will commence at once. The troops will T:\u for South Africa before the 30th nst.” BRITONS BEGIN TO REALIZE THAT THE WAR IS ON LONDON. Oct. 18.—The announcement that the Boers had destroyed an armored train on' the western border of the Trans- vaal is calculated to bring home to “the man in the street” the realities of war. Attempts are made to liken the occur- rence to the blowing up of the United States battleship Maine in Havana har- bor, but that 1t occurred in times of peace. The Boers are doubtless within their rights as belligerents if they are responsible for the destruction of the train Apart from this destruction of the armored. train, the most notable change in the position of affairs is the presence of Boers at Maribogo, forty miles south of Mafeking, which seems to indicate that they are endeavoring to get Colonel Baden-Powell between two fires. The gravity of the Boer advance can be better estimated when it is realized that they will thereby cut railway- and tele- graphic communication to the north isolating several British positions which must be spsedily relieved. Despite the optimistic reports of the ability of ‘Mafeking to repel attack, the greatest anxiety prevails here regarding the situation. there, as it is known that | the redoubtable commandant, Cronje, who captured the Jameson raiders, has the | strongest force yet put in the field with the exception of Commandant General Joubert’s force. Cronje’s troops now number between 9000 and 10,000 men. The position in Natal has not materially altered. The reported inroad of 3000 Boers by way of Tintwa Pass is probably identi- cal with the inroad of the force reported yesterday as having crossed Van Reenans Pass. The Tintwa column, according to the last advices, had reached within twen- ty miles of Ladysmith. On that showing there ought to be speedy news of fighting. Ladysmith is at present the Aldershot of Natal. A dispatch from Cape Town €ays that no doubt is felt as to the loyalty of Lerothidi and other native chiefs, and the Basutos are still well in hand, but the Resident Commissioner has decided to pa- trol the border in order to prevent raids. e KIPLING’S VIEWS ON BOERS PLEASE WARLIKE BRITONS LONDON, Oct. 13.—At Brighton this evening a public meeting was held under the auspices of the South African Asso- ciation in support of the Government. The hali was crowded, over 3000 persons being present in consequence of the report that Rudyard Kiplinz would speak. The audi- | ence before the addresses began sang pa- triotic songs. The chairman, Lord Ta!- bot, at the outset read the following let- | ter from Mr. Kipling: 1 see the papers have generously credited me with the intention of speaking at your meet- ing, but as I pointed out when the association did’ me the honor to invite me, public speak- log Is entirely out of my wav. I need not