Today in Kimberley's History
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115 days since beginning of the Siege of Kimberley, 1900
Extract from "The Diary of a Doctor's Wife – During the Siege of Kimberley October 1899 to February 1900" by Winifred Heberden.
This morning 'Long Cecil' had been firing a few shells when suddenly a tremendous bang and the horrible 'whirr' of a large shell passed right over the hotel, falling somewhere in the centre of the town.
I jumped to the conclusion that 'Long Cecil' had exploded and reversed itself and sent the shell over our heads in consequence, so I rushed up to the top room facing the No.2 Redoubt and Kamfersdam, and looked out, Reggie coming up with me. Whilst we watched I saw a big smoke rising up from Kamfersdam, and, directly after, a shell fell just over the Redoubt into some debris about 300 yards away from the hotel, scattering shrapnel all around and over us, and breaking windows on the other side.
We promptly ran down to the basement, and soon after another shell fell down the road, some 250 yards off, smashed up a Club House and killed a horse at the farrier's next to it.
It was then that we heard these are 100 lb shells from a 6-inch gun on Kamfersdam, 3.25 miles off. The pieces are of great thickness. This gun has been got up in a wonderfully secret manner, owing to all the machinery and buildings on Kamfersdam obscuring the view, it has been invisible to those on the Conning Tower. It is supposed to be either the Mafeking or Magersfontein gun, most probably the latter. One piece, 13.5 lbs in weight, entered the open windows of an office next to Mr Labram's in De Beers Office, struck the safe, glanced off, hit the wall opposite, finally depositing itself in the fireplace, after having completely circled round the owner of the office - who sat still in the middle of the room!
From 12 to 4 p.m. they left us in peace. Then the big gun began again. I was sitting in the hall with Jack and some others, when a 100 lb shell fell into an ironmongers exactly opposite our door across the road. An enormous column of dust arose, for the shell, making a small hole where it entered the roof, fell at an angle to the bottom corner of the store where the explosion made a hole 10 feet wide and 6 feet high, smashing an iron pole across, and doing enormous damage inside. Harry Gibbs had a narrow escape. He was coming down the Market Square and was within 100 yards of the explosion. Jack brought in a workman from the store who was injured; and on examination found him completely scarred with splinters from head to foot. His back had the appearance of that of a man who had been flogged with the 'cat'.
He had another interval of peace, during which time we managed to eat our horse-meat and pickles; and from 6 to 7 p.m. they shelled us harmlessly with their smaller guns.
Extract from "The Diary of a Doctor's Wife – During the Siege of Kimberley October 1899 to February 1900" by Winifred Heberden.
This morning 'Long Cecil' had been firing a few shells when suddenly a tremendous bang and the horrible 'whirr' of a large shell passed right over the hotel, falling somewhere in the centre of the town.
I jumped to the conclusion that 'Long Cecil' had exploded and reversed itself and sent the shell over our heads in consequence, so I rushed up to the top room facing the No.2 Redoubt and Kamfersdam, and looked out, Reggie coming up with me. Whilst we watched I saw a big smoke rising up from Kamfersdam, and, directly after, a shell fell just over the Redoubt into some debris about 300 yards away from the hotel, scattering shrapnel all around and over us, and breaking windows on the other side.
We promptly ran down to the basement, and soon after another shell fell down the road, some 250 yards off, smashed up a Club House and killed a horse at the farrier's next to it.
It was then that we heard these are 100 lb shells from a 6-inch gun on Kamfersdam, 3.25 miles off. The pieces are of great thickness. This gun has been got up in a wonderfully secret manner, owing to all the machinery and buildings on Kamfersdam obscuring the view, it has been invisible to those on the Conning Tower. It is supposed to be either the Mafeking or Magersfontein gun, most probably the latter. One piece, 13.5 lbs in weight, entered the open windows of an office next to Mr Labram's in De Beers Office, struck the safe, glanced off, hit the wall opposite, finally depositing itself in the fireplace, after having completely circled round the owner of the office - who sat still in the middle of the room!
From 12 to 4 p.m. they left us in peace. Then the big gun began again. I was sitting in the hall with Jack and some others, when a 100 lb shell fell into an ironmongers exactly opposite our door across the road. An enormous column of dust arose, for the shell, making a small hole where it entered the roof, fell at an angle to the bottom corner of the store where the explosion made a hole 10 feet wide and 6 feet high, smashing an iron pole across, and doing enormous damage inside. Harry Gibbs had a narrow escape. He was coming down the Market Square and was within 100 yards of the explosion. Jack brought in a workman from the store who was injured; and on examination found him completely scarred with splinters from head to foot. His back had the appearance of that of a man who had been flogged with the 'cat'.
He had another interval of peace, during which time we managed to eat our horse-meat and pickles; and from 6 to 7 p.m. they shelled us harmlessly with their smaller guns.