p. 87 | News and Miscellaneous

California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists · Oakland, Cal. · Dec 17, 1874

News and Miscellaneous

"Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth." Luke 21:26.

FIRES

The fire fiend is still making its ravages by sea and land. Fire in Albany, N. Y., Nov. 24. Loss $150,000. Fire at Grand Rapids, Mich., Nov. 27. Loss $65,000. Fire in Kane City, Pa., in the Butler oil district, Dec. 1, and three-fourths of the town destroyed. Loss $100,000. Besides these a multitude of five and ten thousand dollar fires. London, Dec. 5. A ship supposed to be the Pontiac, from Sunderland for Bombay, has been burned at sea. Twenty-six of her crew perished.

WINDS AND TEMPEST

A Kingston, Jamaica, letter puts the damage to that Island, by the late typhoon, of Nov. 1, at $350,000.

The Hongkong Daily Press, of Oct. 15, says the destruction by the typhoon of Sept. 22, and 23, is much greater than at first estimated,—that not less than 8,000 were killed at Hongkong and Macao. The damage to shipping and property in Hongkong alone is $5,000,000. Large junks broke up like match-boxes. One of the officers who was on board the Pacific Mail steamer Alaska, says that he saw a batch of fully a hundred junks founder all at once.

Nov. 24, a dispatch was sent from Tuscumbia, Alabama, to the president of the United States, asking for aid from army subsistence. The dispatch states that "no language can describe the destitution resulting from the tornado there." A gentleman who had been on the grounds, reported in Cincinnati prints, that the damage to property by the tornado in Tuscumbia alone, is not less than $500,000. Sixty lives were lost, and as many more severely wounded.

Port Colborne, Ont., Nov. 24. The water in the Welland Canal has reached the level of Lake Erie, and the lock-gates have been thrown open by the back water. This never happened before in the canal. The water in the harbor has risen six or seven feet. The storm of last night was one of the most severe ever experienced here. The water dashed over the piers with such force that it was impossible to see the lighthouses, and the keepers found it impossible to get out to light the lamps. Much damage was done to shipping, and to buildings in course of erection.

London, Nov. 29. A violent storm today drove ashore and wrecked the bark Veteran. Many other casualties are reported, with heavy loss of life.

London, Dec. 2. Twenty-one lives were lost during Saturday's and Sunday's gale on the Scottish coast.

Havana, Dec. 4. The Spanish coasting steamer, Tomas Brooks, from Santiago de Cuba for Guantánamo, struck yesterday morning on Morrillo, near Guantánamo, and sunk immediately. About thirty lives were lost.

London, Dec. 2. The steamer La Peata, from Gravesend for Rio Grande del Sud, chartered by Siemens Brothers to repair cable telegraph, foundered off Ushant on the 29th of November, and sixty persons were drowned.

EARTHQUAKES

A strong shock of earthquake was felt at Angeles, Central America, on the 15th of October, followed by some terrible showers of rain.

Several shocks of earthquake visited Winnemucca, Nevada, and the surrounding country, Sunday morning, Nov. 22, between six and seven o'clock. It shook things up very lively. Clocks were stopped by the vibrations, plastered buildings were racked, and the plastering cracked in all directions. Several wells in town which furnished plenty of water the evening previous, were found totally dry soon after the earthquake occurred, and have remained dry ever since. The miners report that they felt eight distinct shocks, two very severe ones, at intervals of about fifteen minutes.

Beverley, Mass., Nov. 25. A shock of earthquake was felt at this place, and in all the adjoining towns in Essex county yesterday. Houses were shaken, stoves and furniture moved, and in one instance a safe was overthrown. Reports like the firing of heavy cannon were heard.

Orena, Nevada, Nov. 29. Two very heavy earthquake shocks were felt here this morning at 6:45 o'clock.

UNREST OF THE WORLD

London, Dec. 1. A Berlin dispatch to the Times, says, Russia contemplates the reassembling next March in St. Petersburg of the International Law conference lately held in Brussels.

London, Dec. 2. A dispatch to the Daily News from Berlin, says it is reported that Great Britain has formally and finally refused to take part in the International Law conference which Russia proposes to reopen at St. Petersburg.

London, Nov. 26. Dispatches from Berlin say that there is reason to believe that the recent interviews between Bismarck and Gortschakoff (Russian) resulted in the removal of their personal differences, and also the adoption of a common policy by Russia and Germany, in consequence of which, the former government will speedily recognize the present government of Spain, Russia's previous refusal to do so having been owing to Gortschakoff's personal influence.

The Yokahama Herald, Nov. 9, contains an account of the settlement of difficulties between China and Japan,—the former paying the latter government $750,000.

Rio Janeiro, Nov. 29. The religious excitement growing out of the conflict between the Catholic clergy and the civil authorities has culminated in serious disturbances in the provinces of Pernambuco and Parahiba. Sympathizers with the Bishops of Para and Pernambuco, recently sentenced for violation of the laws of the Empire, have made riotous demonstrations.

Rome, Dec. 4. The Pope has absolutely refused to recommend Bishops imprisoned in Brazil to resign their Sees as a measure for reconciliation of their differences with the Government.

On the question of separating Church and State, the Central American press, with the exception of two or three ultramontane journals, has declared for the Government.

Bahia, Brazil, Dec. 2. It is reported that a serious revolution has broken out in Uruguay.

Paris, Dec. 3. La Republique Francaise (Radical Republican) says the greatest confusion exists among the various parties in the Assembly. Both the Right and Left consider a dissolution imminent.

It is said the Republican army of Spain now numbers 250,000 men fully armed. Forty thousand more will enter it when they receive their arms bought in the United States.

The Republicans of Spain met with a defeat at Valencia. Six hundred were killed, and four hundred and fifty taken prisoners.

PAPAL CONTROVERSY

It is reported that Italy is about to issue a memorandum to the European powers, calling attention to the danger to Italy from the intrigues of the Vatican, declaring that the Government can no longer tolerate the Pope's permanent residence in its own capital, and urging the Powers to discontinue the practice of maintaining ambassadors at the Holy See.

Germany Withdraws Her Legation from the Vatican

Berlin, Dec. 4. In the Reichstag to-day a letter from Bismarck was read, in which he announces, in the name of the Emperor, and in accordance with the Federal Council, that the sum for the maintenance of the German Legation at the Vatican is struck out of the Budget.

The Gladstone-Manning Controversy

New York, Nov. 28. From the latest European files we glean the following: The Gladstone pamphlet continues to excite general newspaper comment in England. The Pall Mall Gazette says in one respect it has proved a success which even its author could hardly have anticipated. His fellow citizens among the Roman Catholics and clergy to whom Gladstone addressed his expostulations, have responded to them with remarkable freedom of speech, and in a manner which clearly shows the variance between themselves and their spiritual leaders. Lord Camers repudiates the claims of Papacy to his allegiance, and agrees with everything Gladstone has said on the subject. With a single reservation he admits that there is a change in the obligation of Roman Catholics to the civil powers in consequence of Vatican decrees. Lord Acton holds that the civil allegiance of Catholics has been divided from time immemorial. The Times considers that Gladstone's expostulations have produced the result at which its author aimed, namely, eliciting evidence of the profound dissatisfaction with which the recent developments of Papal policy are regarded by Roman Catholics themselves. The earnest conviction of such men as Lord Camers and Lord Acton, that the Papal claims conflict with their loyalty, will be felt as decisive testimony of the real character of Ultramontanism.

London, Nov. 30, 6 A. M. A circular letter from Archbishop Manning was read in all the Catholic churches of this diocese yesterday, declaring that all persons who do not accept the dogma of Papal Infallibility cease to be Catholics.

Rome, Dec. 1. Archbishop Manning today obtained an audience with the Pope, who, in receiving him, expressed the fullest confidence in the progress of Catholicism in England, despite the present misrepresentations of the policy of the church.

AMERICAN CARDINALS

A dispatch from London, Nov. 20, says: At the Papal Vatican council two American Bishops will be raised to Cardinals.

SAN FRANCISCO CRIME

According to the criminal record of San Francisco, for Nov., as reported in the S. F. Chronicle, there were 1,590 arrests for various offences against the law. Among these there were 3 murders, 10 attempts to murder, 217 assaults.

The smallest post office in the world is an old beaten and battered barrel suspended by a rusty chain from the outermost rock which overhangs the Straits of Magellan, opposite Terra del Fuego. Every ship which passes assists in distributing the mails left in this solitary spot.