SECULAR NEWS | AdventAI

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Sep 19, 1878

SECULAR NEWS.

—In New South Wales, last year, 4,000,000 sheep were lost from the effects of dry weather.

—Behm and Wagner's tables, just published, give the total population of the globe as 1,459,145,300.

—There are forest fires on the shores of Lake Superior, extending 160 miles. The fires started near Duluth.

—The cost of running the city government of San Francisco for the fiscal years of 1877-78 amounted to $4,121,381.86.

—It is estimated that Delaware's peach export for the season will amount to 700,000 baskets, netting the shippers $575,000.

—In Cincinnati it is said 20,000 kerosene lamps have been sold within the last three months, and 4,000 gas meters taken out.

—The cotton spinners of Northern France have resolved not to work by gaslight, in order to lessen the accumulation of stock.

—The New York water supply system has cost since 1842, to complete and maintain it, $34,000,000. Total revenue, $30,000,000.

—It is thought that an extensive system of smuggling between England and the United States, is carried through the Mexican Free Zone.

—According to Mr. Wilfred Lawson (in the House of Commons) 350,000 persons were taken up for drunkenness in England and Scotland last year.

—Upward of 44,391 persons were employed in English coal mines in 1877; 20,141 less than in 1876, and 1,208 died by an accident.

—Statisticians compute that 70,000,000 bushels of grain, capable of making 1,050,000,000 pounds of bread, are used in the United States every year.

—Excavations within the territory of Olympus, Greece, have produced within the last two years 587 objects in marble, 1928 in bronze, 420 in silver, 383 medals and 200 inscriptions.

—San Francisco is remarkable for its great number of suicides; one in every three thousand of its population killed himself last year. In New York, the proportion is one in 8,000, and in Philadelphia, one in 14,000.

—In 1876-7 the State of North Carolina produced 125,000 bushels of peanuts, Virginia 780,000 bushels, and Tennessee 500,000 bushels; making the sum of 3,320,000 bushels harvested within the borders of the United States in four years.

—The best of our American colleges bear no comparison in the strength of their faculties with the German universities. The university of Leipsic, for the present year, has a corps of 123 professors, 46 tutors and 58 assistants. This university has 2,800 students.

—An exchange says: "By the law of France, a man who has twice been convicted of open drunkenness loses his right to vote, to hold office, or to sit on a jury. A similar law operating here it is to be feared would reduce the poll-list, thin out the officeholders, and raise the standard of the average jury."

—The number of vessels belonging to, or bound to or from ports in the United States, reported totally lost and missing during the past month is 24, of which 2 were ships, 10 barks, 2 brigs and 10 schooners, and their total value, exclusive of cargoes, is estimated at $420,000. The list shows 10 wrecked, 6 abandoned, 2 sunk by collision, 4 foundered, 1 burned and 1 missing.

—A terrific storm, extending from Canada to West Virginia, and bordering the Ohio and Pennsylvania line for several miles on either side, raged about three days, reaching its hight on the 13th instant. Great damage by wind and flood is reported at Toronto, Cleveland, Erie, Meadville, Pittsburg, Wheeling and various other points within the scope of its influence. Railroad tracks and bridges were demolished, shipping destroyed, cities and villages flooded, houses washed away and blown down, and a number of lives lost.

—During the month of August the Central Pacific railroad transported 2,437 through passengers bound east, and 2,845 bound west, making a total of 5,282, and a net gain to the coast of 408. The movement by sea was 501 arrivals and 1,411 departures, making a total of 1,912. The net loss by both routes was 202. Since January 1st, 23,929 passengers have arrived by rail and 17,288 departed, against 32,374 arrivals and 18,565 departures for the same time in 1877, the decrease in arrivals this year being 8,445 and in departures 1,277. For the same eight months this year the arrivals by sea were 9,605 and the departures were 7,529, while for the same period in 1877 the arrivals numbered 14,561 and the departures 8,873, showing a decrease this year of 4,956 in arrivals and 1,344 in departures. The arrivals and departures by rail and sea may be summarized as follows:—

Eight months— Arr'id. Dep'd. Gain. By rail..........23,920 17,288 6,641 By sea........... 9,605 7,529 2,076 Totals..........33,525 24,817 8,717 Same time in 1877 46,935 27,438 19,497 Decrease........13,410 2,621 10,780