Secular News | AdventAI

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · May 3, 1877

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 3, No. 18.

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Secular News.

—Frank Leslie and party have arrived at San Francisco.

The suspension bridge across Niagara has been re-opened.

—April 23, a severe earthquake shock occurred at Argyleshire, Scotland.

—The Cincinnati Gazette says that five of President Hayes' cabinet are Free Masons.

—During the month of March there were twenty-seven mercantile failures in New York city.

—Another outbreak of cattle plague in England has compelled the slaughter of 124 head of cattle in Middlesex.

—Constantinople has recently been visited by a disastrous conflagration; nearly 500 houses in the Greek quarter being burned.

—Theodore Tilton and his daughter, Miss Florence Tilton, arrived in San Francisco April 20, and are now stopping at the Palace.

—A serious outbreak of cholera occurred in Akyab, India, from which twenty-five per cent of the European population died in thirty hours.

—A very severe gale prevailed at Galveston, Texas, on the morning of April 24, lasting about fifteen minutes, and doing considerable damage.

—Nearly a whole block of buildings in Omaha city was destroyed by fire Sunday evening, April 22. The loss is estimated at $200,000, insurance less than half that amount.

—The number of lives lost by the recent burning of the Southern Hotel at St. Louis, was about 50. The value of property destroyed, is estimated to have been about one million of dollars.

—During the hurricane of January 30, the waves in the British Channel were measured by a mareograph and found to be forty feet high. Even in the Atlantic it is probable that they seldom exceed this height.

—As the result of the Chico trials, five of the six indicted for arson, have been convicted and sentenced to terms in the State Prison of from five to twenty years. One was acquitted. None have as yet been tried for the murder of the Chinamen.

—A decision has been rendered in favor of Myra Clark Gaines, in the famous Gaines suit, involving millions of dollars' worth of property in New Orleans. The litigation has extended over 40 years, and this decision ends the struggle in favor of the claimant.

—The Supreme Court has decided that the appropriation of $1,500,000 made by Congress for the aid of the Centennial must be repaid to the government before any dividends are made to stockholders, thus reversing the decision of the court below. A part of the money will probably be used on the Paris Exhibition.

—The number of immigrants that have arrived at New York during the past thirty years is estimated at 5,604,673. Of these 2,121,020 were from Germany; 2,001,727, from Ireland; 732,922, from England; 157,578, from Scotland; 116,655, from Sweden; 107,710, from France, and 366,461 from the various other countries.

—On the 20th of June, Queen Victoria will have completed the 40th year of her reign. Letters have been addressed to Hon. Sir John A. Mac Donald, Hon. Alex. Mc Kenzie and the press, calling attention to the fact and proposing that the Canadians should manifest their national attachment by requesting Her Majesty to take the title of Empress of Canada.

—A new comet has made its appearance, having been discovered on Friday, April 20, in Europe. The discovery was at once telegraphed to Professor Henry in this country, and was observed on Saturday morning at half past two by Lewis Swift of Rochester. It is described as a beautiful comet, which will probably grow bright. It is just visible to the naked eye.

—The appointment of Fred Douglass as marshal of the District of Columbia, seems to meet the approval of his entire party. The salary is $10,000 a year, and comes quite opportunely to the veteran lecturer who is now getting to be an old man. An exchange says: "The colored district militia paraded in honor of the anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, and called on Marshal Douglas, who said he was glad to receive them, and still more glad that they were celebrating an event which never should be forgotten by them."