Show STEYN FLEES St S t President of f Oraop Free I I State Evacuates the l I Capital I i BLOEMFONTEN YiEDS I Surrendered to Lord Robertson Roberts-on Tuesday i BRITISH MARCH IN AT NOON I Flag of Great Britain Now Flies Over tho State Building Fighting Burghers Bur-ghers Accompanied the Head of the Republic in His Flight to tho North Roberts Entry was a State One He was Met by the Mayor I and Other Officials and Presented with Keys to the Public Offices Inhabitants of tho City Gave His Troops a Cordial WelcomeHis Dispatch Announcing the Surrender Sur-render Causes Feeling of Great Relief Re-lief in London Queen Victoria I Elated London March 15A dispatch to the Daily Chronicle from Bloemfoutein I dated Tuesday evening March 13tb says I Bloemfontcln surrendered at 10 today to-day I was occupied at noon President Presi-dent Steyn with a majority of tho lighting burghers has fled northward Gen French was within five miles I of the place at 5 oclock Monday afternoon I after-noon He sent a summons Into the I town threatening to bombard unless t it surrendered by 1 a in Tuesday A i white flag was hoisted Tuesday mornIng morn-Ing and a deputation of the Town Council I Coun-cil with the Mayor came out to meet Lord Roberts at Spltzkop live miles I south of the town making a formal surrender of the place I MADE STATE ENTRY Lord Roberts made a state entry at non He received a tremendous ovation ova-tion After visiting the public buildIngs build-Ings he went to the official residence of the President followed by a cheering crowd who waved the British ling and I sang the British national anthem j On Monday afternoon previous to tho surrender there had been a little 1 sniping and shelling but the enemy then retired Lord Roberts has headquarters at I the Presidents house and there are many of the British wounded In the UldllS ROBERTSS ANNOUNCEMENT TIme following is tho text of Lord Rob ertss dispatch to the War olllce announcing an-nouncing tout his occupation of Bloemfon Bloemfonteln March 13 S p mDy the help of God and by the bravery other ot-her Majestys soldiers the troops under my command have taken possession of Bloemfontcln The British Hag now lllcs over tho Presidency eacuated last evening by Mr Steyn late President of tho Orange Free State Mr Frazer a member of the late Executive Government Govern-ment the Mayor the secretary to tho late Governor the Landrost and other olllclalsmet me two miles from tho town and presented me with tho keys of the public olllccs The enemy has withdrawn from time neighborhood and all seems quiet Tho Inhabitants of Bloemfonteln gave the troops n cordial welcome MESSAGE DELAYED The above dispatch though dated Tuesday was not received at the War office until 730 oclock last evening Wednesday I was made public a few minutes before 9 oclock The delay de-lay Is attributed to the field telegraphs not being connected with Bloemfontelu on Tuesday evening Lord Roberts dispatch caused a feeling feel-ing of great relief The absence of the news eagerly looked for had provoked Komo apprehension during the early part of the day that the British had met with a check before Bloemfonteln amid anxious inquiries were made at the War ofllce and In the lobbies of Parlia ment mciiiLONDON HEARS NEWS On the reception of the news the Queen nt Windsor castle the Prince of Wales at Marlborough house Lord others re Immediately Volt lcy and were ImmellnhI notified but at D oclock the War olllce was almost deserted the public giving up hope of further news until tomorrow tomor-row Thursday The appearance of the newspapers with tho tidings caused great excitement excite-ment along Pall Mall at the service clubs and in time West End generally cubs to the late hour however there Owlnl In were no demonstrations approaching the slightest degree those heralding the surrender of Cronjo and the relief of Ladysmlth SANG NATIONAL ANTHEM It so happened that a torchlight procession pro-cession organized on an extensive scale for the widows and orphans fund was parading South London with bands and I banners This included a body of uniformed Imnlc representing the British formed men rpre ntng BrItsh Held forces the surrender of Cronje and I other Inspiring incidents The route was hung with Hug and stand were I erected at numerous points for spectators rltel tor Naturally the appearance of the I exlm edition of Che evening papers created n furore of enthusiasm among I ihfr parader who prn > et > l time news I with ohet rw and the Hinging of the na 1 tlonal anthem QUEEN IS REJOICED I At Windsor the now rat received with much Joy Tin QUCCH demanded t that It 1 bo lmrr dlattlv publlfh ind tin Instructed her curry at the lln IUr table to send i note to lime rtfllrtT J of th HoUfc hAM brigade The hat talon was called on parade at 1010 p m MaJ SI Aubyn read her Majestys note and called for cheers for tho Queen and Lord Roberts The band played God Save the Queen The Lord Mayor announced the news at f banquet to the masters of the city companies which was in progress at the Mansion house I was received with great cheering the company rising I and singing God Save the Queen JOY THROUGHOUT BRITISH ISLES i The evening papers In Liverpool Manchester and Glasgow published special spe-cial editions causing Joyful demonstrations demon-strations In those cities Whenever 1 Lord Robertas dispatch was rend In reference to tho late President S eyn and the late executive it was Ini i mediately fastened upon as highly ss nlflcanLCAPETOWN CAPETOWN IS WILD A dispatch from Capetown stiysti u A great popular demonstration took place here on receipt of the news that Bloem fonteln had been occnnied by the British Brit-ish All the chinch bills were rung and n procession headed by the Union Jack went to the Government house where Sir Alfred Mil nor made his acknowledgments acknowledg-ments The demonstration sang God Save the Queen and then paraded through the principal streets cheering and singing patriotic song WILKINSONS OPINION Spencer Wilkinson of the Morning Post says I Is i not Impossible that n railway Is being made from Modd r river or Kimberley to BlOLmtonteln In any cade after a pause to complete time reorganisation of his communications tons Lord Roberts will move his troops southward on the restored railway line to meet the British Generals advancing from the Orange river I UNABLE TO FIGHT V Time occupation of Bloemfontcln will precipitate the retreat of the Boer forces from tho Orange river districts Tho Flee Stale forces are evidently well beaten and small blame to them Time outside estimate of their numbers before the war was 20000 of whom a few thousand are on the Orange river or watching the I Natal passes They will be unable by themselves to light another an-other pitched battle but they may furnish fur-nish L respectable contingent to the Transvaal army unless as seems likely like-ly J they desert to their farms |