Second Kimberley Club Clubhouse burns down – 1895

In the early hours of Friday, 11 October 1895, a fire broke out in the upstairs billiard room after one of the chains supporting an overhead oil lamp gave way. The lamp fell onto the linoleum floor, which had reportedly been regularly washed with paraffin, and the flames spread rapidly. Residents in a cottage behind the Club were roused at about 05h00, and the fire brigade was notified at 05h30. Kimberley’s inadequate water supply and limited firefighting equipment made it impossible to save the building. The brigade instead concentrated on preventing the flames from spreading to St Mary’s Catholic Church on one side and a neighbouring wood-and-iron building on the other.

The Club was virtually destroyed, although some of the iron verandah survived the flames. Only the kitchen, storeroom and wine cellar escaped serious damage—the survival of the wine cellar no doubt providing at least one small consolation to members. 

The Anglo-Boer War starts at 5pm – 1899

The Anglo-Boer War (most notably the Second Boer War) commenced on 11 October 1899 after the British government rejected an ultimatum issued by the South African Republic demanding the withdrawal of British troops. 

Today in 1899 at 17h00, the worst conflict in southern Africa’s history began, repercussions of which are still felt throughout South Africa. Tens of thousands would die, both military and civilian, black and white, from combat, internment and disease. Hundreds of thousands would be affected in one way or another. A minimum of some 1648 blacks would die in Kimberley during the siege alone.

Herewith the Transvaal Ultimatum of 9 October 1899, and Great Britain’s reply of the following day - 10 October 1899.

"This Government ... in the interest not only of this Republic, but also of all South Africa,...feels itself called upon and obliged ... to request Her Majesty's Government to give it the assurance:

"(a) That all points of mutual difference shall be regulated by the friendly course of arbitration, or by whatever amicable way may be agreed upon by this Government with Her Majesty's Government.

"(b) That the troops on the borders of this Republic shall be instantly withdrawn.

"(c) That all reinforcements of troops which have arrived in South Africa since June 1st, 1899, shall be removed from South Africa within a reasonable time, to be agreed upon with this Government, and with a mutual assurance and guarantee upon the part of this Government that no attack upon or hostilities against any portion of the possessions of the British Government shall be made by the Republic during further negotiations within a period of time to be subsequently agreed upon between the Governments, and this Government will, on compliance therewith, be prepared to withdraw the armed burghers of this Republic from the borders.

"(d) That Her Majesty's troops which are now on the high seas shall not be landed in any part of South Africa.

"This Government must press for an immediate and affirmative answer to these four questions, and earnestly requests Her Majesty's Government to return such an answer before or upon Wednesday, October 11th, 1899, not later than five o'clock p.m., and it desires further to add that, in the event of unexpectedly no satisfactory answer being received by it within that interval, it will with great regret be compelled to regard the action of Her Majesty's Government as a formal declaration of war, and will not hold itself responsible for the consequences thereof, and that in the event of any further movements of troops taking place within the above-mentioned time in the nearer directions of our borders, the Government will be compelled to regard that also as a formal declaration of war.

"I have, etc.,

"F. W. REITZ, State Secretary."

The text of the British reply to the Boer ultimatum: Chamberlain to Milner, High Commissioner, sent 10.45 pm, 10 October, 1899:

"Her Majesty's government has received with great regret the peremptory demands of the South African Republic, conveyed in your telegram of October 9. You will inform the government of the South African Republic in reply that the conditions demanded by the government of the South African Republic are such as Her Majesty's government deems it impossible to discuss."