News and Miscellany

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 25, 1871

News and Miscellany.

“Can ye not discern the signs of the times?”

The Board of Aldermen of New York are adopting regulations prescribing the privileges of street processions.

At a convention of Catholic temperance societies in New York last night, a motion censuring the military for firing on the 12th, was voted down.

A furious storm passed over Memphis, Tenn., on the night of the 18th, prostrating telegraph poles, uprooting trees, and damaging crops.

A destructive tornado passed over Sioux City, Ia., and vicinity, blowing down houses, fences, and trees. Crops suffered severely, some grain fields were entirely destroyed.

A destructive hail storm passed over Western Iowa yesterday, doing much damage to property. At Atlantic the postoffice building was destroyed, and several houses upset. Four men were fatally hurt.

Thirty thousand persons, including six thousand women and children, were slaughtered in the suppression of the Commune. Ninety thousand prisoners have been captured, and the police are hunting for forty thousand more.

Baltimore, July 21.—A movement was started in this city last night to create an anti-Catholic party. Political parties, creeds, and nationalities were exchanged, the only object being to oppose Catholics.

A call was made for a convention to nominate a candidate for the fall campaign. The movement is as yet insignificant, but it probably will assume some character.

New York, July 21.—Information has been received that Sir Wm. Logan and his party, who left St. Johns, New Foundland, on a geological searching expedition, on the 12th inst., were entirely cut off their route by a severe storm, on the 14th, which swept away the bridges and flooded the principal parts of the only road they had to travel upon.

It is said to be a continuation of a hurricane which blew over the coast of Labrador some weeks ago, destroying 325 fishing smacks, 23 dwelling houses, over 40 stores, and about £300,000 worth of dried fish, fishing flakes, and other property. The number of lives already ascertained as lost is 93, while many more are expected to be added to the dismal record.

On the 28th ult., at Rome, the Pope held a consistory, at which he preconized the Bishops of Zipo, in Hungary; of Oporto, in Portugal; and of St. Jago, in Cape De Verd; and he afterward published the nominations made since last month, in brief: Of the Patriarch of Lisbon, and of the Bishops of Braganza and Miranda, in Portugal, and of the Bishop of Mezo and Elense in partibus. He then addressed the sacred college in a Latin allocution, which announced his decision in these words: “We are, my very dear brothers, in the hands of divine Providence. We have nothing to expect from human aid, for man has abandoned us. Why should we despair, for it is better I should tell you that kings and governments, forgetting their promises, leave us to our fate. They have addressed us in fine phrases; they sent us the warmest congratulations on the day of our jubilee, but they are far from taking any step in support of their master. We can hope for no help from any quarter. King Victor Emanuel will be here in a few days, and will be attended by the Ministers of the Catholic States. We have done all that was in our power, but our efforts have failed. All is lost. You will tell me, perhaps, that we have still hope in France, but France can do nothing. She is going through a frightful crisis, which may be succeeded by others yet more dreadful. I repeat it, all is lost, and only a miracle can save us. Turn, then, to the Almighty, and seek this interposition from him.”

Memphis, July 19.—The storm last night surpassed in fury anything witnessed here in a year. The telegraph wires north are all prostrated, trees uprooted, and vast damage is done to the crops. The night express train on the Memphis and Charleston Railroad hence to Chattanooga ran through a trestle washed away by the flood, near Grand Junction, killing the engineer and wounding 12 or 15 passengers.

Havana, July 19.—Gen. Palanca telegraphs to the 13th inst. that engagements had occurred on the day before, in which 100 insurgents were killed, and the rest dispersed. Nine Spaniards were killed, and 10 wounded.

Portland, Me., July 20.—A distinct shook of earthquake, lasting three or four seconds, was experienced in this city at 1 o’clock this morning. Persons in the streets felt the ground tremble beneath their feet, and a buzzing was heard in the air. The shock passed from north to southeast.

Boston, July 20.—A shock of earthquake was felt in Boston this morning.

Saco, Me., July 20.—The cities of Saco and Beddington were pretty well shaken up by an earthquake at 1 o’clock this morning. People generally were awakened and alarmed, but no particular damage was done.

Brunswick, July 20.—A severe shock of earthquake was felt here at 1 o’clock this morning. Persons awake at that hour say it was the most violent shock they ever experienced.

Portsmouth, N. H., July 20.—A severe shock of earthquake was felt in this city about 1 o’clock this morning. Windows and crockery rattled, beds shook, the plastering in the jail fell, and the night workmen in one of the breweries ran out very much frightened.

Concord, July 20.—A very heavy shock of earthquake at 1 o’clock this morning, accompanied by a deep, heavy, rumbling noise, passed from north to south, and the church bell rung. Reports from different parts of the State indicate that it was very general.

Paris, July 21.—The contest for municipal elections, appointed for next week, grows daily more severe and exciting.

Le Monde, the anti-Catholic organ demands that the government support the pope in the exercise of his temporal rights.

Some Orange lodges have nearly doubled their membership since the riot. The same may be said of the Hibernian and anti-Orange societies, all of which are growing rapidly in consequence of the recent excitement.

The St. Joseph Gazette, of July 16, gives the following particulars of the terrible storm in that vicinity on Friday last:

From the bluffs on the north and east the waters came dashing down every street and avenue, wending their way to Pateetown, which was soon perfectly flooded. On Olive street, and in the neighborhood of the Hannibal and St. Joseph depot, the water was fully four feet deep, and in the various streets leading to these thoroughfares perfect torrents surged along, threatening everything with destruction that came in their way. The streets were deserted, the cellars were flooded, and in every house the inmates were busy battling with the elements to save their furniture from damage and destruction.

So far as we can ascertain the storm was limited to a breadth of about eight miles. Between Saxton’s station and the city the storm seems to have raged with the utmost severity. Barns were uprooted, and fences blown down, corn and vegetation of all kinds prostrated to the earth, while the forest trees were uplifted by the roots and hurled in every direction. At Elmwood the storm was particularly severe. The round-house and blacksmith shop of the St. Joseph and Denver City railroad were picked up and carried off, no one knows where. The timber for three miles west of Elmwood was blown in every direction, and a perfect blockade existed on the macadamized road yesterday, occasioned by the falling timber.

To enumerate the damage done in the immediate vicinity of the city would take columns. There is scarcely an individual but has suffered more or less. In the Saxton settlement, fences were sent whirling around the country, orchards were stripped of their fruits, and forest trees thinned out in a hurry. Within a scope extending northwest and southwest some ten miles from the city, the damage to fences, timber, gardens, and crops cannot foot up less than $100,000.

The Mankato Union says: Hailstones poured down in torrents, and with such force that the grain was cut up as fine as if it had been passed through a straw cutter or threshing machine. Trees were splintered and blown down by thousands. Hail stones of one and a half inches in diameter fell in some localities, and remained on the ground even to the next day. Many of the stones were of irregular shape, more like chunks of ice, and so sharp that everything touched by them was cut to pieces. The storm did not last more than 20 minutes, yet it did not leave in this valley, as far as we can learn, one single stalk of corn, wheat, or oats standing. Some pieces of potatoes, the vines were not to be found. Fruit trees were stripped of their leaves and fruit, and in many places of bark also. Slowly but surely the conviction settles down upon us that we have nothing left for man or beast but grass.

We are unable to estimate the loss sustained, but it will reach many thousand dollars, discouraging many who are unable to endure their loss without financial embarrassment. Except that of last year, this was the most severe storm ever witnessed in this region. Several lives were lost.