LORD KITCHENER'S RECEIPT ESCAPE.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 10 May 1901, Page 4

LORD KITCHENER'S RECEIPT ESCAPE.

The Exchange Telegraph Company state that an oliicer writing from Belfast, Transvaal, under (late 31st January, gives the following interesting account of the recent escape dl' Lord Kitchener on the railway near Pan station :—"This was a favourite spot of the Boers to attempt the capture of trains. Lord Kitchener ff ns travelling as far as Middleburg to see General Sniith-Dorrien about the new operations which were going on in the Carolina district. Whim Kitchener arrived at the suspected spot lie sent the pilot engine to go overt lie line and examine it. The" pilot returned, and re* ported the line quite safe. Any ordinary man would have been satisiied with that, and the fact that the engine ran over the line and nothing happened, but Kitchener is not so easily tuken in. He ordered two heavily-laden trucks to be attached to the pilot engine and run over the line in front cf his tram, with the result that the two trucks were blown to pieces. At the same time 100 Boers, who were watching the result of their handiwork, made a dash for the wrecked train, no doubt thinking they had the Sirdar this time, but they were bittcr'y disappointed to find only the poor enginedriver among the wreckage, whilst the Sirdar steamed back into Pom Station safe and found. But not so a squadron of the 18th Hussars, who came out to escort tho Commander-in-Chief past this dangerous part of the line. They were surprised by the Boers, who made a dash for tho train. Our gallant horsemen bolted, with the exception of fifteen old soldiers, who stood their ground, but they were eventually taken prisoners. Lord Kitchener is undoubtedly very elever, albeit one of tho luckiest men of the age. and we have great confidence of his bringing matters hero to a speedy end."