The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 1, 1900, Page 1

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This Paper nots to be taken from the Library. PR VOLUME LXXXVII-91. SAN FRANCISCO, THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 1900. WAR OFFICE ANNOUNCES THE RELIEF OF LADYSMITH +0—0—0-0—0-0-0-0-mwfl—m—oflflwflflfi+flo—fl+flmmofl+floflfl e e e e ] No Authoritatjive Indication of What Lord Roberts Will Do/ Next, but He May Build a Branch Railroad’ Across the Veldt to Lessen the Dif- ficulties of Transportation—Food Badly Needed at Kimberleu. LONDON, March 1, 9 a. m.—It is officially an- nounced that Ladysmith has been relieved. LONDON, March 1, 9:52 A. M.—The War Office has received the following dispatch from General Buller: : “Lyttleton’s Headquarters, March 1, 9:05, morning.—General Dundonald with the Natal Car- bineers and a composite regiment entered Lady- smith last night. “The country between here and Ladysmith is reported clear of the enemy. | am moving on Nelthorpe.” ONDON, March 1, 4:15 a. m.—General Buller’s distinct success in storming Pieters I-iil] l_ brings the rescue of Ladysmith near, but the War Office intimated late last evening that an immediate announcement of relief need not be expected. The goings to and fro at mid- night of officials and messengers suggested that important news had been received. If this were the case Lord Lansdowne obviously desired to sleep on it before taking the public into his con- fidence. As his message reveals, General Buller’s successful attack came after the hard fighting of Friday, and it was improvised and its execution begun during the armistice of Sunday. In pro- posing the armistice the British commander stipulated that both sides should be free to move, but that neither should do any shooting. He was therefore within his privileges in - immediately 'be- ning to sfer his troops. 3 General Buller’s tidings come weighted with a long list of casualties. His losses in ‘the four attempts to get General White out aggregate 4000. Ladysmith is in desperate straits.- Charles Williams, the military expert, says he learns on high authority—presumably that of Lord Wolseley—that “General White’s force is almost at its last gasp.” The water of Klip River is not available for drinking, and to boil it is impossible, because he scarcity of fuel. It is thick with putrid animal matter. Tea made of it has a suspended-{iber," something like beef tea. It is'caused by the sewage from the Boer, camps: Mr. Williams adds that when news like this passes under the thumb of the censor it more fsets whatever jolly news may be heliographed from Ladysmith. There is no authoritative indication yet of what Lord Roberts will do next. It seems likely a branch railway will be built across the wveldt to lessen the difficulties of transportation. olonel Girouard, who built the Soudan railway, is with Lord Roberts. The strain on the west- ern railway is seen from the fact that the population of Kimberley, two weeks after the relief, con- tinues on reduced rations. Lord Roberts’ troops thus far have been only partially fed. It is quite clear to the technical heads that those who talk of an immediate and rapid ad- into the Free State do not realize the transport conditions. The Boe.rs, as it now appears, a railway from Harrismith to Kroomstadt to facilitate the movement of their troops Natal and the Free State. afeking was holding out on February 16. At that time the Boers were showing unusual activity and firing inflammable shells. The Boers who hold positions south of the Orange River have been weakened. Lieutenant Barentzen, writing on behalf of himself and of other Scandinavian prisoners, affirms that there are no mercenaries in the Boer army and no volunteers who receive a penny for their services. sibson Bowles, Conservative member of Parliament for Kings Lynn, who was much struck by the statement of Cecil Rhodesthe other day, that the profits of the De Beers Company last year were 2,000,000 pounds sterling, and that there are diamonds in Kimberley now valued at '167,000 pounds sterling, intends to suggest to Mr. Balfour, First Lord of the Treasury, that the rescued property be distributed among the troops as salvage, or at least be applied to the relief of the widows and orphans of the tallen. very € vance have between FUSILEERS MOWED | TERRIBLE CONDITIONS CRONJE WAS DECERIED DOWN BY THE BOERS| AT THE CAMP OF CRONJE March 1.—A dispatch to the| LONDON, March 1.—In a dispatch from h | Paardeberg, dated Tuesday, February 27, a staff correspondent says: s SRRl il “On my first visit to General Cronje's ot of well-directed | @MP I was admitted inside, even before within a minute not a | the British guard. At every ten paces I B il 1y Eaemed to me | came upon the swollen carcasses of horses ompary of Fusileers was | OF Mules tainting the air. It seems im- o tterward, however, | Possible that thoysands could have en- - O thers move. then 1ise | dured such a frightful stench. The river I could see ("-j‘; s '1‘f‘“' e . _ | banks were honeycombed with trenches, y ‘j;} "{;"‘.r}ip; company was | Uch as had never been seen before in PAARDEBERG, Feb. LONDON 1y Telegrapt describing the a says the Inniskiilings on . ! the first a sk saw by rallways, easy. General Cronje, it appea: BY ROBERTS’ TACTICS 28.—A corre- spondent has conversed with many Boer prisoners, both Free Staters and Trans- vaalers, All seemed convinced now that the war must end in a British victory. They had never before belleved that the British would be able to advance except and they had supposed that the efforts to relieve Kimberley were due to the necessity of securing the Kimber. ley-Mafeking line, whence the advance into the heart of the Transvaal would be , had warfre quite so severely. e placed on high. u “The Boers 2 gatlable kopjes, and it would take t times their pumber to carry these posi- | ecessfully. The kopjes command | g o way from Colenso to Ladysmith, | and a real right flank attack is rendered to a high and steep ra- s on the Tugela, whi ' - BRITAIN SEEKS COAL. ¢ YORK, Feb. %8 —According to the | “Th 000, 1 uses. A letter from customers stati d be solicit 2l to run reporter to- KITCHENER AT ARUNDEL. LONDON. special dispa darch 1.—According to del, Pont and all is quiet at Stormberg. void of cover aad idered as a means itish fraternized dur. | the: It is reported vicinity of ] Express, there was a_report-in tons of bituminous coal | ars to be some trouble | ustria and Russia as | | needed for manufac- ufacturing firm to one of that no , as the Ity in getting sufficient actories, was shown to al h from Cape Town, dated February 27, Lord Kitchener is at Arun- the Boers are retiring to Norvals These were really underground Unless a shell were to drop straight down into the opening, it would not reach the interlor. Flat trajectory | projectiles would be bound to fail to reach dwellings. “The Boers were lying or sitting on the ground. Their faces were haggard and wan. They sald there was not a drop of spirits in the laager. Every counten- | ance showed joy at the end of the dread- | ful siege. Some of them laughed and said hoped they would soon get whisky. |, “Nearly all the Free Staters spoke Eng- lish, but there was not a word about fighting for liberty, the only expressions being of joy over their present deliver- ance. One man, shaking his fist in the | direction of General Cronje, exclaimed: hat man deserves to be Shot.” | 'Not & woman or child in the camp had | been hurt, except one lgirl. who showed There were heart- circies to-day that the British | an injured finger tip. through an outside party, | rending partings between several men & inquiries as to whether it |and their wives, and many of the women cried bitterly. Several youths of from 16 to 18 vears of age were in the camp. The | Transvaalers appeared to have lost their former truculence.” ATTACKING BOERS MET HEAVY LOSSES COLENSO, Feb. 26.—Yesterday an ar- | mistice was agreed upon and both sides removed their wounded and buried their dead. The Boers lost heavily in attacking and many were killed among the trees. Severe musketry fire was resumed last evening. It was started by the accidental dl]sch‘:r‘e of a rifle. 4 t that there are Boers near Ennersdale. B a steadlly refused to. believe it possi the British would make a long ;:)rl:': away from a rallway, and therefore he. totally misconceived the object of the strategic movement of Lord Roberts, im- agining that it was merely a chan:’e of direction, in order to attack Magersfon- tclAn“bthsy of Jacobsdal. the prisoners seemed equ - vinced that when the British ‘:e%“l{’ ;(;-:- toria some foreign power will intervene, It becomes more evident daily that the great necessity in the successful condue of the campaign of Lord Robe: supplies of horses. S o ——— BRAVERY OF CANADIANS. LONDON, March 1.—A dispatch Times from Paardeberg, dated Tu'o:d:xk;.e says: : “The performance of the Canadi - der an’ absolutely withering five whrh caused them to retire fifty yards until the engineers had..dug trenches -was splendid.. The dim moonlight and the cloudy sky alone rendered the enemy’s point-blank fusiliade ineffective. The Can. ndll.n:nhg‘lg the position until dawn. ‘Tho great miration is e: valor, and it is telt'(hn? '.“m t:rrlthe" has b ed th Conadiane have Avensad S Mupiiat the D javeneed SYMPATHY OF THE QUEEN. LONDON, Feb. 28.—The Queen - graphed General Buller as tolh:lv:::tele have heard with the deepest concern ‘the heax sustained by m; 8 and T deeins o Z?n.." . > ‘admiration the gi‘mdu- t ties they have exhibited througl operations.” .—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0+H—0+o—0—0—0—0+0—0—0—0—MH—&HM+0—»HHQ—H+Q—»Q+WQ+WH—Q*-@+MM+ MEETING OF CRONJE -AND LORD ROBERTS | PAARDEBERG, Tuesday, Feb. 21 (Ma- | juba day, 3 a. m.).—The British. camp was awakeried by the eontinyed rattis.of rifle fire at daybreak .ind the news arfived that the Canadjns, while bufidink ‘trench ‘quite close'to ‘the enemy, weére fusiliaded &t a range of fitty yards. The Canadians gallantly worked forward and occupied the edge of the trenches along the river entirely enfllading the Boers. This movement was followed by a cessa- tion of fire, except an occasional solitary shot. Suddenly a regiment stationed on the crest of a hill perceived a white fiag and burst into cheers, thus first announcing the surrender of General Cronje. Shortly afterward a note reached Lord Roberts bringing tidings of the Boers’ un- conditional surrender. General Pretty- man was sent to accept the surrender. At about 7 o’clock a small group of mea ap- peared in the distance crossing the plain toward headquarters. The latter being apprised of General Cronje's approach Lord Roberts went to the front in the modest cart in which he sleeps and or- dered a guard of the Seaforths to line up. A group of horsemen then approached. On General Prettyman’s right rode an eld- erly man clad in a rough short overcoat, a wide-brimmed . hat, ordinary tweed trousers and brown shoes. It was the re- doubtable Cronje.. His face was burned almost black and his tinged with gray. Lord Roberts walked to and fro in front of the cart until the Boer general arrivéd, when the Britisn commander advanced gravely and kindly saluted the Boer commander. Cronje’s face was absolutely impassive, exhibiting. no sign of his inner feelings. Lord Roberts was surrounded by his staff when General Prettyman, addressing the field marshal, said: “Commandant Cronje, sir.” The com- mandant touched his:hat in salute and Lord Roberts saluted in return. The whole group then dismounted and Lord Roberts stepped forward and shook hands with the Boer commander. *“You made a gallant defense, sir,”” was the first salutation of Lord Roberts to tha vanquished Boer leader. He then mo- tioned General Cronje to a seat in a chalr which had been brought for his accommo- dation and the two officers conversed through an interpreter. General Cronje afterward breakfasted with the British officers. A ROBERTS GRATEFUL \ FOR QUEEN’S' WORDS LONDON, Feb. 28.—In her dispatch to Lord Roberts following the announcement of the surrender of General Cronje her Majesty said: “Accept for yourself and all under your command my warmest congratulations on this splendid news.” Lord Roberts replied as follows: “All under my command are deeply grateful for your Majesty’s most gracious message. Congratulations from their Queen are an honor the soldiers dearly prize.” General Buller has wired his thanks to the Queen for her telegram of gracious sympathy and encouragement. i wxemm CRONJE. WASHINGTON, Feb. 2.—Representa- tive Fitzgerald of Massachusetts to-day passed around among his Democratic col- leagues the following cable to General Cronje, the defeated Boer general. Up to to-day about thirty of them had signed it: “General Cronje, Cape Town, Africa: Members of the United States House cf Representatives congratulate you and your soldiers on the magnificent display of courage and heroism in your brave fight for human rights. —_—— CONFLICTS ‘AT BELFAST. BELFAST, Feb. 28.—A ' rumor that Ladysmith had been relieved led to street demonstrations in Belfast to-day which precipitated conflicts between the Orange- men bl:nndt Nmumm m‘l’h‘h ‘was consid- eral one ng . many ‘persons were injured and some property damaged. curly beard was | PR RGN RIN N IR 4N RergeRe 3‘80880830-88,0390 ReR RIS RN 4R+ R ON THE ADVANCE TO LADYSMITH. From Harpers’ Weekly. The picture shows a moment wh_en the English Horse Artillery gun had a narrow escape from a well-directed Boer sb gxs‘rz Ra g R e e A R R R o S L R T o 22 ) GREAT BRITA Paardeberg, missing, ‘wounded. showing twelve kill number of casualties are 12,834, and Northumberlands, while casualties are classified thus: 3173, disease 830. Kil Ed ONrBRo%e RN eNeR RN 4G e N R ROR +ReRoR 2% e R e B+ L0530 0 Se@ BOERS SAID ‘TO USE EXPLOSIVE BULLETS LONDON, March 1.—Winston Churchill, | in a dispatch from Colenso dated Tuesday, says: “‘The condition of the wounded who were untended on the hillside Sunday was so’ painful that General Buller sent a flag of truce to the enemy and it was arranged that throughout’Sunday military move- ments should continue on both sides, but | there should be no shooting. This truce terminatéd at dusk. The Boers then re- .sumed a furious musketry attack on the British left. The attack was. repulied. Fighting continues vigorously. We shall sée who can stand ‘bucketing’. best, the Briton or the Beer.” » Mr. Churchill goes on to say that there is abundant proof of the Boers using a large proportion of f{llegal bullets, no fewer than five different kinds of explod- ing or expanding,k bullets having been found. He also asserts that the Boers are employlng armed Kaffirs, and he adds: . “I have always tried to be fair toward the Boers, but after making every allow- ance it must be said that they show when in stress & very dark, cruel and vengeful underside of charactel — FOOD IS YET SCARCE. KIMBERLEY, Feb. —~Colonel Peak- man, with a mounted force and a Maxim, proceeded to Barkley West, where he was warmly welcomed. He left a strong guard, and then proceeded to Longlands, Wind- sortown and Klopdam. There were ru- ‘mors of Boers in the neighborhood, but no demonstration occurred. The Diamondfield: Advertiser ‘draws pointed attention to the fact that, al- though Kimberley was relieved about two ‘weeks ago, there has been no amelioration in regard to the food supply. It is still impossible, as it was during the invest- ment, to proeure a tin of condensed mflk or cocoa without a medical certificate. | The inhabitants .continue without many of the commdn articles of food, althougn _meat ratfons have been increased to half & pound. e T - ARUNDEL, Tuesday, Feb. 2.—Rensberg was occupied after a slight skirmisn and with_no opposition. Neither the wn nor the railway has been injured. ~LISTS OF CASUALTIES - LONDON, Feb. 28.—Lord Roberts has forwarded ‘an additional list of the British casualties during the three days’ fighting at and including #éveén officers and four Canadian privates The rapidly growing casualty lists are being classified as quickly as possible. They show that up to this morning the total ing the last fortnight. Ten of the eleven Scotch regiments lost about 2050 men and eight of the Irish 2000. Then come the Gloucesters of nearly 200 Colonials the Royal Canadians lost 121 and the Victoria mounted contingent 26. The TOTAL LOSSES ON ‘'BOTH SIDES TO DATE. British— Eilleda . . . # ey i ie Ry e 13 o Wounded o e : Uit 2t B L : IR o s ;:gg R P A R i B B g Died fromdisease . o . . & . . . . . . . . ,630 Total 1 Boers (from British sources). = b e Killed and wounded on Natal side . . . . . . . . 3,400 Kimberley side (including Paardeberg, estimated at 1000) . 3,250 South of Orange River . . .. . . . ., . _ ° 1'175 e PR AP o & (K T AR : 4’584 . .4 gt o Total e i te e ot il B L L e eyl 18,400 .| Roberts: IN'S BIG ed, eighty-two wounded and four cf which 2319 were added dur- led 19983, wounded 6838, missing | ROBERTS IMPRESSED . LONDON, Feb. 28.—The War O received the following dispatch fr&’l:s “PAARDEBERG, Feb. 28 his family, e T, with left here yesterda ';’h‘ Major General Preltymn’l‘:dcz:z: | the escort of the City Im; lnd[:d(’om}!ed Infantry. D'-’thl v.omn!e'f, “Later in the day the remain - ers went_in charge of the m‘n:l"’Efi:ro:ll and escorted by the Gloucesters and a 'hundred Tmperial, Volunteers: - The women | and children “are being ‘sent ‘to ' their Lhomes. I understand that.grent dissatis- faction was felt by the Boers at Cronje’s refusal to accept my offer of safe conduct to the Wonien'and chifdren and medical care for the wounded, 170 of whom are now in our hospital.. Many of them are | In a terrfble plight for want of care at an_earlier. stage. > s ““I inspected the Boers' laager yesterday and was much struck by the ingenuity and energy with ‘which the position was made almost impregnable.” SRR b A GAVE WATER TO BRITONS. LONDON, March 1.—A dispatch to the Times from Colenso says: “Before Sun- day’s armistice many of the Britisn wounded had been left out for thirty six | hours. The Boers gave them water.” ASSASSIN FIRES AT PRESIDENT CASTRO Attempt to Murder the Chief Zxecu- tive of the Republic of Venezuela. CARACAS, Venezuela, Feb. 28.—During the carnival processicn .yesterday a Venezuelan fired two shots at President ::lpfl]u:: Castro without effect. The city s quie Venezuela in October last as a result of a successful revolution against President Andrade, who fled from the republic. Cas- tro was not recognized as President by the United States until November 20, 1s99. Castro is about 36 years old, is well edu- cated and {s credited with belng possessed of ample He has been supporter of Liberal party, 5e 380{8032«038038 *Re NeRRNeNeRe ReeReR oR N e RN etetieofn +ReReN BY CRONJE’S INGENUITY | General Castro became President of | ‘mnllthh * e o0 LR L e e ke ok e I o B o o S Ak S e ¢ . L R R R e R R S R R BULLER PREPARING TO SEND HEAVY DEATH LIST LONDON, Feb. 23.—The War Office has received the following dispatch from Gan- eral Buller: “HEADWATERS AND LANDWANIK, Feb. 28, 5 a. m.—Finding that the passage | of Langewachtes Spruit was commanded by strong entrenchments, I reconnoitered for another passage of the Tugela. One was found for me below the cataract by Colonel Sandbgch, Royal Engineers, on February 25. We commenced making an approach thereto, and on February 26, finding that I could make the passags practicable, I crossed the guns and bag- gage back to the south side of the Tu- gela, took up the pontoon bridge on Mon- day night and relaid it at the new ~ite, which is just below the present marked cataract. “During all this time the troops had been scattered, crouching under hastily constructed small stone shelters and ex- posed to a galling shell and rifie fire, and throughout they maintained the most ex- cellent spirits. Tuesday General Barton, with two battalions of the Sixth Brigade and the Dublin Fusiliers, crept about a mile and a half down the banks of the | river and ascending an almost perpendicu- lar cliff of about 500 feet assaulted and carried the top of Pleters Hill. This hili, to a certain extent, turned the enemy’s left, and the Fourth Brigade, under Col- | onel Norrott, and the Eleventh Brigale, | Colonel Kitchener commanding. the whole | under command of General Warren, as- | salled the enemy’'s position, which was magnificently carried by the South Lan- cashire Regiment about sunset. We took about sixty prisoners and scattered the | enemy in all directions. There seems to [be still a considerable body of them left on and under Balwano Mountain. Our losses, I hope, are not large. They cer- tdinly are much less than they would have been were it not for the admirable man- ner in which the artillery was served, especially the guns manned by the Royal | Naval force and the Natal Naval Volun- teers.” QUAY SOON TO RESUME HIS PLACE IN SENATE ®enrose Declares the Pennsylvanian ‘Will Be Seated Before the End of Next Week. Spectal Dispateh to The Call. " WASHINGTON, Feb. 2. —Matthew S. Quay will be occupying a seat in the United States Senate before the end of next week. This is the confident predic- tion-6f Senator Penrose, who is managing his case, and the indications are that his expectations will be realized. With the Hawatian and financial bills out of the way the Quay case, which has right of way, probably will be_considered thout interruption until Monday or Tuesday next, when the Porto Rican bill will be reported back from committee. There are a half dozen speeches yet to b delivered, but the indications are that the debate practically will be cl by the time the Porto Rican bill Is reported. A vote is expected within a week or ten days. Mr. Quay will have a majority of at least tweive and probably fourtesm. plomel e Receiver for a Railway. NEW YORK, Feb. 28.—Ex-Mayor Hugh J. Grant was to-day appointed receiver of the Third-avenue Railway Company by Judge Lacombe In the United States Cir- cuit Court. All interests concerned which appeared, including the holders of $5.000,000 in liens, agreed on Grant. A day will be fixed by Judge Lacombe absut two weeks hence when all other persons interested may be heard, and Grant will then be appointed as permanent recejver. —— Plague Spreading in Hilo. Special Dispatch to The Call. VICTORIA, B. C., Feb. 28.—The stoamer Aorang! has arrived from Australla and | Honolulu. She left Honolulu on the night of the 21st, and reports no new cases of plague since the 19th, when three new cases develo . It is reported, however, that it is growing in Hilo. —————— M. A. Morrissey Dies Suddenly. SAN JOSE, Feb. 28.—M. A. Morrissey, a wealthy. merchant of Fresno, who came Tols Svening “from Nemorthage. of ‘the m he: lungs. He had been il only 5

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