LETTER FROM THE FRONT

Motueka Star, Volume II, Issue 82, 27 May 1902, Page 5

LETTER FROM THE FRONT

Trooper Percy Bate, of the 8-h Contingent, writes to his sister, under date Botchersfiroom, 12th April, as follows : We are now about thirty miles from Klerksdorp. There has been a fearful railway accident four miles from here. Our engine has gone to bring in the dead and wounded ; it is H. Squadron that met with the accident. The down train from Klerksdorp collided with their train and they were in to one another before they could realize what had happened. I was speaking to a young fellow who rode down from the scene on. one of the horses ; he said it was fearful—it fairly broke him up. Some of the poor fellows were under the wreckage when he left, others with their insides protruding. He himself vas badly cut about the face, and as he galloped past the blockhouses he was fired on, as he was taken for a Boer, but he did not stop. It is a bad start for the Bth Contingent. I believe over 100 horses are disabled. Captain Haseldene is dreadfully cut up over it, as he is in command. Just fancy, it might have been our train ; it has cast a gloom all over the Bth: Lieutenant Colonel Chaytor feels it very much. Ah well, you’ll hear all about it long befoie you get this and no doubt it wall be an anxious time for you all until you know all about it. We have now been two nights and a day on the train. We passed through Johannesburg and Heiglefontein ; both are lovely big towns, all lit up with electricity. We passed numerous other towns. There ig whips of fighting around here. I suppose before you get this you will hear that the Bth Contingent is in action. We are now having lovely weather, just like New Zealand weather. I often look at the dipper" in the west, as 1 used to do when home. We are now in the heart of the Transvaal. How are you all at home ? well, I hope. lam in very good health, so far, but get very tired at times, for we are always on duty every night when trecking. We are now going after De La Rey, so we are expecti ig a hot time in a few days, but I believe they (the Boers) are running short of pr )- visions and are getting very desperate. Lat >r. The wounded men have just come in ; there were fourteen killed and sixteen wounded, some of them calling out to be shot, to be put out of agony. They have died since. Others were killed instantaneously ; some of them had their heads cut off to the eyes We are waiting here until the wreckage is cleared off the line. The front trucks telescoped. Only eight horses were killed. The stationmaster trie 1 to commit suicide, so was arrested. De la Rey, Botha, and Stevn passed through here last night on their way to Pretoria to arrange terms for peace, but I know they wont get their terms.

Messrs William Boyce and Arthur Grooby have been nominated for the vacancy in the Motueka Borough Council. The former was nominated by Messrs W. J. Moffatt and J. Me Clashen and the latter by Mesrs Knapp and Holyoake. The polling takes place on Tuesday next, the 3rd of June. Trooper Percy Bate, of Riwaka, has written an interesting letter to his sister from the seat of war in South Africa, an extract from which will be found elsewhere. A meeting of the Motueka Cricket Association will he held in the new schoolroom on Wednesday evening to appoint delegates to co-operate with the Nelson Association in arranging for a visit of Lord Hawke’s team to that city. It was stated by the Mayor of Dunedin last week that the capital value of the assets of the City Corporation amounted to ,£906,553, and the gross receipts from all sources totalled £134,040 4-i per annum. There was not another city in the colony, he said, that possessed such enormous assets. The Corporation, he further added, had saved £5300 in interest within the last five years by the partial reduction of loans and securing balances at about 4 per cent instead of 6 or 7 per cent. In 1908, by the same process, the total annual saving would amount to £IO,OOO. Subscription to MOTUEKA STAR: Three Shillings and Sixpence a Quarter , which tray begin anv time