The San Francisco call. [volume], February 21, 1900, Image 1

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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that It is dated Paardeberg, 7:05 p. m.
Monday." Paardeberg is ;thtrty miles east
of Jacobsdal. The dispatch announces
that the railroad to Kimberley' is open
and ¦ that General " Methuen - will .proceed
there, with- reinforcements for them:forth- :
with and with large supplies, '.which will
be ; forwarded . to . the . town.
BOERS HAVE RETIRED.
; \kIMBERLEY, Feb. 18; by heliograph to
Modder River, iFeb.M9.— The country is all
free around . Kimberley. The ¦ Boers ' have
evacuated Dronfleld,' Saltpan, Spietfontein
and 5 Sholtz \ Nek. ¦:; One 5 of -' their | twel ve
pounders .with ammunition was captured;
as, was' also : their, laager;; at " Dronfleld,
which "was ' abandoned .on ; Friday * night.
Rails are being laid at Modder River,
eral '. herds , of ; cuttle ; have ; been 'captured.
Cecil Rhodes Is in excellent spirit.
BULLER NOW REPORTS
A FURTHER ADVANCE
Boers Withdraw All Forces North of the Tugela,
and fJfter Slight I^esistance "Hart
Occupies Colenso.
LONDON,- Feb. 20.— The following dispatch has been received at the ¦'War
Office from General Buller:
"BLOW'S;FARM.:Tuesday, Feb. 20. : 4:19 p. m.— The Fusilier Brigade yes
terday took Hlangwana Hill, the right of the enemy's position and com
manding Colenso,' the' rest of the'force advancing toward the Tugela. This
morning the enemy has withdrawn all the troops north of the Tugela and had
practically evacuated Colenso. To-day General Hart occupied Colenso after a
very slight resistance by a weak rear guard, and we hold the line of the Tugela
on the. south side from Colenso to Eagle's Nest. ..The enemy seem to be In full
retreat and ' apparently are only holding the position they occupy across the Co
lehso-Ladysmlth railway, where It is close to the angle of the Tugela, .with. %
weak rear guard. Hart's advance guard Is crossing at Colenso.
"Our casualties yesterday, and to-day have. I hope, been few."
DURBAN, Feb. 19, evening— While General Buller is continuing his movement
on the extreme right and has made every disposition for the defense of his po
sition to the east and south of the Tugela by maintaining a force adequate for
that purpose, Isolated parties of Boers sometimes cross the river. There Is much
sniping.' . ; *j '£¦ l rs
ROBERTS CONTINUES THE PURSUIT
OF BOERS TOWARD BLOEMFONTEIN
CASUALTIES AMONG
THE BRITISH TROOPS
List Demonstrates T^qt a -Number of Mere
Boys Are Serving in the South
African Campaign.
X ONDON, Feb., 20.— The War Office announces the following ¦ casualties - among
I officers during-the relief of Kimberley: ', c> ¦><
JL/ KILLED." ,
LIEUTENANT A. B. HESKITH, Sixteenth Lancers.
LIEUTENANT THE HON. W. McCLINTOCK-BUNBERY, . Second , Dra- ¦
goons.
.A/ < "WOUNDED.
__ Captain E. R. Gordon and Lieutenant D. F. Brassey, Ninth Lancers.
Captain G.B.Tuson, Sixteenth Lancersr .."""..'
Lieutenants R. I. Fordyce and W. Long,, Second Dragoons. . , .
Lieutenant 11.- M. Durand,; Ninth Lancers. ¦ .
The list of casualties again demonstrates the fact .that a number of mere
boys are serving in South Africa. "Lieutenant the Hon.' W. McClintock-Bunb.ery
was the eldest; son. and helrof -Lord. Rathdonnel. He was .born September 15, ,
1878. Lieutenant H, M. Durand was born. in 187 C. , He. is the. heir of Sir Henry
Mortimer Durand, British Minister at Teheran, Persia. Lieutenant. W. Long was
born in 1579. He is the heir of Right Hon. Walter Long,' president of the Board
of Agriculture. ,' •; ,• - ¦
The casualties among General Buller's , forces In. the; fighting at. Hussar Hill,.
Monte Cristo Hill and at other-places," fromiFebruary 15 to February 18, were:
KILLED.
(APTAIN T. ; H. j BURLEY and thirteen men. ' }
:Vv ) . V ' WOUNDED. ' : i
Six officers and 154 men. " . j
ference with the ex-Consul's mall, as he
made no complaint to the department* en
the subject. . ' " : ' -. '¦: \ > ,: ;
QUEEN HAS GOOD NEWS.
LONDON, Feb.* 20.-7 The Queen, prior to
leaving Osborne House this morning ' on"
her return to § Windsor, ; inspected . the
Fourth Battalion of.,the Lincolnshire, mU
lltla. Her Majesty/ announced! with > a
gratified smile ¦ that -good news I had been
received this , morning, from^ the", seat Jof
.war. ." ¦ . • -•¦¦¦? '-. V' -., '; .'
. Another account says the . Queen j speci
fied that'the good" news was from Lady
smith.
RAILROAD IS OPEN.
' LONDON,* Feb.* 20.— The War. Office' has
Issued a dispatch ' from Lord : Roberts,' the
main \lmportance\ Importance • of .which V Is. the: fact
Judging the need of martial law.
Fred C. Robertson, a lawyer of Spokane,
told of visits to the scene of the riots. In
cluding what he termed the "bull-pen."
and gave a detailed description of th»
mines where the trouble occurred. He ex
plained the- friction growing out of the em
ployment of non-union miners by the
Bunker Hill mine, the gathering of 1000
miners on April 29 and the destruction
caused by the dynamiting of the Bunker
Hill plant. .Governor Steunenberg pro
claimed ¦ that a state of insurrection ex
isted, and several men were arrested and
put Into the "bull-pen." Robertson applied
for writs of habeas corpus for the arrested
men. but the courts held that they would
not Interfere with the action of the Gov
ernor, which. In effect, the witness said,
was a suspension of the writ of habeas
corpus. Robertson was continuing his re
cital when the committee adjourned until
to-morrow. 'MBSM
. ¦ >:>"¦: »
Death of Caspar Fechteter.
-NEW. YORK, Feb. 20.— Caspar Fech
teter, a dealer In carriage materials, and
one of the best-known German merchants
In New York, died to-day, aged 53 years.
He was a brother of Lieutenant August
Fechteter of the Mare Island Nary Yard,
WITNESSES TELL OF
THE WARDNER RIOTS
Merriam » lnquiry Begins Before the
House Committee on Military
Affairs.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 20.— The hearing
of witnesses. In the investigation of al
leged . improper action by the United
States military authorities at-Wardner.
Idaho, began to-day : before the House
Committee on Military Affalta. . The room
was crowded and among those present
were Brigadier General Merriam and Gov-.
ernor Steunenberg of . Idaho. . The com
mittee ' adopted a form of precedur* of
fered ¦; by - Hay of -Virginia, that the • wit
nesses, for the complainants be first heard,
with . opportunities : for response from the
other aide., ¦ , .
A". •A. Fraser, a : lawyer of Shoshone
County, where the trouble occurred, tes
tified that the civil courts were doing busi
ness at the time when martial law la naid
I to'.' have been in operation. Representa
tive Lent»,-,who conducted the lnqulry.ex
plained ' that 'this was ' a ground work for
FOLLOWING THE SHELLING MONDAY OF HLANG WANE MOUN
TAIN, 1 FOUR MILES EAST OF COLENSO. BY THE BRITISH NAVAL
GUNS, AND ITS ABANDONMENT BY THE BOERS. GENERAL FTTZROY
HART'S BRIGADE MOVED UP AND OCCUPIED THE TOWN OF CO
LENSO. THIS SAME COMMAND. KNOWN AS THE "IRISH BRIGADE."
WAS THE ONE WHICH SUFFERED SO HEAVILY IN THE FIRST BAT
TLE OF COLENSO. DECEMBER 15. WHEN THEY ATTEMPTED THE
PASSAGE OF THE TUGELA AT THE LEFT FORD ABOVE THE TOWN, j
ON THEIR APPROACH TO THE TOWN THE LAST OF THE BOERS RE
TREATED ACROSS THE . RIVER. COMPLETING THE DESTRUCTION OF
THE BULWER BRIDGE, THE ONLY ONE LEFT, AS THEY WENT. A
PRACTICABLE FORD NEAR BY. HOWEVER. OFFERED THE OPPOR
TUNITY. WHICH WAS PROMPTLY SEIZED BY GENERAL HART. AND
A . STRONG FORCE WAS . THROWN ACROSS AND NOW HAS LODG
MENT ON, THE LADYSMITH SIDE OF THE TUGELA.
GREAT TRADE ACTIVITY.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 20.— Consul Gen
oral Stowe at Cape Town reports to the
State Department great activity there in
the way of trade. Cape Bay Is crov/ded
with vessels, as many as eighty or ninety
being there at one time. He urges Amer
ican manufacturers to seize the opportu
nity to introduce their goods, saying that
goods of all sorts taken by the Boer army
from the British, colonies will have to be
replaced. The Consul General warns
American manufacturers against accept
ing orders and holding them back In the
fear of non-payment, as such action may
seriously affect future business.
CAPTTTRE OF CONVOY.
CRADDOCK, Cape Colony, Feb. 20.—
Details have arrived with respect to the
capture of a British convoy at Riet River.
It appears that the wagons were laageied
near the drift and that the convoy was
attacked by 1600 Boers with four guns.
The shelling continued all day. One hun
dred and eighty wagons were captured,
cantalnlng provisions and forage. Half
the drivers and leaders were killed or are
missing.
AS TO MACRUM'S MAIL.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 20.— The State De
partment has completed preparations . for
the reply to be made to the House resolu
tion Inquiring into the allegations.that ex-
Consul Macrum's mall had", been opened
by the British cenaor at Cape Town. The
answer will be sent to the House to-mor
row by the President, as Is customary
with communications of the kind from tho
State Department. It will show in brief
that the department has no official knowl
edge '.whatever that there was any Inter-
RETIRED TROOPS ARE
ASKED TO SERVE AT HOME
LONDON, Feb. 20,— The Queen, through
her private secretary, has sent the fol
lowing letter to the commander in chief
of the forces, Field Marshal Lord Wolse
ley: \
OSBORNE, Feb. 17.— My Dear Lord "Wolseley:
Ah bo larsre a proportion of the army is now
In South Africa the Queen fully reallres that
necessary measures must be adopted for homo
defense. Her Majesty in advised that it would
be possible to devise for a year an efficient
force from her old soldiers who have already
served a» officers, non-commissioned officers or
privates, and confident In their devotion to the
country and loyalty to her throne the Queen
appeals to them to serve her once more in place
of those who for a time, together with the
people of her colonies, are Yjobly reslstlnic the
Invasion of her South African possessions. Her
Majesty has signified her pleasure that these
battalions shall be designated the Royal Re
serve battalions of her army. ; '. •
ARTHUR BIGGE.
GERMANY'S NEUTRALITY.
BERLIN, Feb. 2t».— The Foreign Office
witnesses with solicitude the growing
anti-German sentiment in Great Britain.
The truth Is that Germany, since the
outbreak of the war in South Africa, has
maintained the strictest neutrality. No
responsible German statesman or official
has hitherto expressed antiphobe senti
ments.
It may also bo asserted positively that
Emperor William has on several occa
sions spoken in a spirit of decided friend
liness toward Britain. True, the German
press Is inclined to be anti-Britain, aa
are also the masses of the people, but the
Foreign Office points out this is a spon
taneous outburst for which the German
Government cannot be held responsible.
The Foreign Office denies that there Is
any justification for the statement in
Parliament of Wm. St_ John Broderick,.
British Under Secretary of State for For
eign affairs, particularly for the assertion
that Germany harbprs schemes against
the independence of the Netherlands
The Berliner Post to-night contains an
inspired article setting forth the forego
ing In detail.
Kimberley that the anxiously awaited
succor was at hand. A few hours later
General French, at the head of a column,
made a triumphant entry Into -the. place,
the people surrounding the troops and In
termingling with -them, cheering wildly,
grasping the noldiers' hands, waving
flags, hats and handkerchiefs and exhib
iting in a. hundred ways the Intensity of
their Joy.
The inhabitants had been on short ra
tions for some time, eating horse flesh and
living in burrows under heaps of mine
refuse. Diminishing rations were served
daily at 11 o'clock In the market square,
under the shell flre of the enemy, whose
guns opened on the square whenever the
inhabitants assembled. No horse food
was left.
Throughout the siege Cecil Rhodes pro
vided the natives with work and food and
thus kept them quiet. /.- ¦.
The miles of convoy bearing provisions
for the relief of the column and the town
slowly winding its way across the plain
in the direction of Kimberley was the
gladdest eight which greeted the eyes of
the besieged for four months.
General French's march was so rapid
and the heat so intense that many of his
horses died of exhaustion.
At the crossing of the Modder River
the Boers bolted, leaving their tents,
guns, oxen, -wagons and large quantities
of ammunition In the hands of the Brit
ish. . >-:•;,
Moving northward the Boers again at
tempted to stem the advance, but Gen
eral French turned their flank - and
reached his goal with insignificant losses
—seven men killed and thlrty-flve wound
ed during three days from Wednesday,
February 14. to Friday, February 16.
After a night's rest at Kimberley Gen
eral French's column pursued the Boers
to Brontveld, surrounded the kopjes on
which they were camped and shelled them
till nightfall, when the Boers fled, leav
ing many dead.
General Cronje left a gun, his tents,
food and clothes at Magersfonteln.
ENGLAND'S ADVERSITY
RUSSIA'S OPPORTUNITY
Special Dispatch to The Call.
NEW YORK, Feb. 20.— A Journal special
from St. Petersburg says: The Rossia
has a vigorous article on the text that
England's adversity is Russia's oppor
tunity. It says:
"England has fettered Russia by many
treaties. The moment has come to break
these fetters. Now Is the time to pay off
old scores. Europe has many and heavy
ones to settle with England. As England
did not scruple to turn to her own advan
tage Russia's weakness after the Turkish
war, so Russia should not hesitate to
avail herself of the opportunity presented
by England's difficulties In South Africa,
There is no time to be lost. Russia must
not wait for promised reorganization of
the English military system. If she does
her hour will have passed and it will be
too late." , '.' ,-¦;
MEANING OF THE
POSITION IN NATAL
LONDON, Feb. 21.— Spencer Wilkinson,
reviewing the military situation In the
Morning Post to-day, says:
"The meaning of the position in Natal
is that the Boers have sent the bulk of
their forces to resist Lord Roberts. Gen
eral Buller's aim is to Join Sir George
White and then either to push on to
Laings Nek or to send back two divisions
,o reinforce Lord Roberta, retaining two
b Natal to complete the recovery of the
ribrthern triangle."
BROKE UP IN DISORDER.
LEICESTER; Eng., Feb. 20.— An at
teript to hold a "stop the war" meeting
her\ to-night was a fiasco. Mr. " Cron
wrlitfit-Schrelner, husband of Olive
Schiflner, was on the list of speakers.
The Woceedlnffi broke uv In disorder.
PURSUIT OF THE
RETREATING BOERS
LONDON. Feb. 21.— A correspondent of
%he Dally Chronicle, telegraphing Sunday,
thus describes General Cronje's retreat
"with the Boors at Magorsfonteln on learn
ing of General French's success:
"On Thursday at midnight, headed by
General Cronje. 6000 Boers, with their
h<?avy guns and ox wagons, evacuated the
Magersfontein lines. At dawn on Friday
the retreating Boer army was seen from
the British naval gun, stationed on Klip
Drift Kopje, trekking eastward across the
British front at a distance of five thou
sand yards. Our guns opened upon them
snd a force of mounted infantry, crossing
the river, made a dashing charge In the
attempt to cut off the head of the enemy's
column. But In half an hour their whole
¦force had gained shelter under of a line
cf kopjes.
"Meanwhile two of our batteries had
come up and the Oxfords, Buffs, West
Hidings and Glouoesters. Our Infantry
crossed the drift and for thr^e hours were
engaged with the enemy, while our bat
teries shelled his position. The mounted
infantry kept hard at work.
"Unable to withstand our galling flre,
the enemy retired, disputing every Inch
and took up a second position on the
kopjes to the eastward. It was* a mag
nificent spectacle to pee the Boer army
thus at bay. Their rear gunrd, 2000 strong,
fought us, while the main body trekked
further cart and then brought their guns
Into action while the roar Kuard retired.
"The action lasted throughout the day.
Our infantry fought pplendldly, but the
enemy . held his ground under the con
tinued bombardment Later on the Boer
commander ventured on a bold stroke.
Reaving 2000 of his men under cover he
withdrew the rest from his main position
ar.d headed for Klip Kraal Drift, six
Ciiles to the east.
"This movement was soon discovered.
Our mounted Infantry came back across
the drift and marched along the south
bank to endeavor to head off the enemy.
When they reached the neighborhood of
Klip Kraal Drift night had fallen and
the Boers were already across to the
south side. Our mounted Infantry harass
ed their movements. BRW
"Meanwhile the Boer rear guard, hav
ing covered the crossing cf the main body,
retired slowly and successfully passed the
drift. The rear guard fousfht desperately
and as it fell back to the river It was
harassed on the flank and rear by the
British.
"Having thus passed the Kodder under
cover of darkness, the Boirs trekked
through the night In the d'rectlon of
Bloemfontein. General Kelly-K?nny. with
the Sixth Division, pursued then at day
light. General Mac Donald, with '.he High
landers, following him. General Mac Do
nald reached Klip Kraal Drift b/ forced
marches Sunday. General Kelly-Kenny,
moving from Klip Kraal Drift, was en
deavoring to outflank the enemy a.nd to
cut them off from Bloemfontein, so as to
drive them back into General Mac Do
nald's hands. When I left the front Gen
eral Kelly-Kenny had not come up Tith
the enemy."
RELIEF OF KIMBERLEY
BY FRENCH'S FORCE
MODDBR RIVER, Feb. 19. -Although th»
rapid march of General French's division
was marked by a number of conflicts the
entry to Kimberley was unopposed. When
the British were still eight miles off the
signaling corps Intercepted a heliograph
message from the beleaguered garrison
to Modder River, saying:
"The Boers are shelling the town."
The advance column replied; "This Is
General French coming to the relief of
Kimberley."
The garrison was Incredulous and
thoupnt the message was a Boer ruse and
flashed the query. "What regiment are
you?**
The reply satisfled the defenders of
T ONDON, Feb. 21.— With 40,000 British troops in hot pursuit of Cronje, or already surrounding
Jj him, Lord Roberts' campaign in the Free State has thus early reached a critical point, and
England is waiting the issue with marked impatience.
Up to 2 o'clock this morning the War Office had issued no bulletin concerning the momen
tous operations between Kimberley and Bloemfontein other than an unimportant one, showing
that the commander-in-chief's headquarters has been established at Paardeberg, thirty miles east
of Jacobsdal, close to the main road to the Free State capital, from which it is forty miles distant.
Nor had any dispatches come through to the newspapers from the scene of war. Lord Kitchener,
who is in command of the pursuing army, has with him all of French's cavalry, the sixth, seventh
and ninth divisions, and Mac Donald's Highland brigade.
Cronje has probably with him, besides his original force of 10,000, 8000 invaders of Cape
Colony, some of whom were in the command that fought Clements at Colesberg, while others
were at Stormberg. According to some authorities the Free Staters, who are moving from Colenso
and Ladysmith, will add 10,000 more to Cronje's ranks, if indeed they are able to join him.
Under the circumstances it is a great mistake to imagine that the Boer resistance has col
lapsed. If foreign experts with the Boers are listened to, and Cronje succeeds in making his es
cape, Bloemfontein will be evacuated and battle wilt be offered the British army in the hills before
Windburg.
In Natal General Buller's troops are still pressing forward. General Hart's brigade yester
day took possession of Colenso, and at last reports was crossing the Tugela at that point. This
advance guard is fourteen miles by road from Ladysmith.
Apparently the remainder of the army of relief will soon be across the river. The Boers
have thus far not shown themselves in any strength, and the invasion of the Free State by Roberts
has evidently drawn away a large number of men. The chances of the early relief of Whjte's
forces in Ladysmith seem to be good, but burghers have shown slimness on many previous occa
sions, and may be in strong position a few miles north of the river. Some more sanguine ob
servers say, however, that it would not be surprising if they removed their guns and > abandoned
the siege and fell back to the northern border of Natal. As far as dealing another blow at British
prestige, the capture of Ladysmith would not be of great material benefit to the Boers.
General Buller Makes a Further Advance
Toward Ladysmith and May- Yet Relieve
That Beleaguered Garrison — After Slight
Resistance Hart's Men Occupy Colenso.
Free Staters Under Crorrfe to Unite
Their Forces and Offer Desperate
Battle to the Invading Britons.
price rrvE cents.
VOLUME LXXXVH— NO. 83.
SAN FRANCISCO, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1900.
THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL
LONDON, Feb-21— A dispatch to the
Daily Mail from Mafeking, dated Friday,
February 9, says : "All business here is
being conducted underground. The res
ident Commissioner has sumptuous apart
ments in a subterranean 'bomb-proof.'
The Gape police have a large hall with a
piano. The Mafeking Hotel dining room
seats forty. All these have been dug. out
and are impervious to shells."
HART'S BRIGADE (IRISH) CROSSING }
THE TUGELA AT COLENSO !