Secular News | AdventAI

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Oct 16, 1879

Secular News.

—There is prospect of the abolition of slavery in Cuba.

—A strong alliance has been formed between Germany and Austria.

—Work on the Northern Pacific Railroad commenced at the mouth of Snake river.

—Wm. R. Cooper, an extensive forger, has been arrested in London. He will be returned to San Francisco.

—Forty buildings were lately consumed in a fire at Des Moines, Iowa. A large part of Gloucester, Mass., has also been destroyed.

—The State Democratic Convention of Minnesota voted its endorsement of the unlimited coinage of gold and silver. This would be effective if they would vote an unlimited supply.

—While business is reviving, and the outlook is promising in the United States, the reverse is the case in England. The outlook seems to increase in gloominess to both farmers and artisans.

—One-third of the voting population of Kentucky cannot read, the ticket they vote, and 150,000 children in the State are growing up in ignorance of the mere elements of the English language,” says the Louisville (Ky.) Courier-Journal.

—Ex-Senator Mitchell, who has lately traveled from ocean to ocean, says he finds the sentiment of the Republicans throughout the country, on the next Presidency, to be, “Grant, first; Blaine, a strong second; and Sherman, a good third.”

—An influential English journal says that a Baptist minister has been elected Governor of California, helped by the attempt of one of his opponents to murder him. The English are apt to get just such clear ideas of American matters. A London paper said the Chronicle advocated the election of Mr. Bilks, the Republican candidate.

—It is rumored that the Russian government has demanded from Constantinople reparation, within twenty-four hours, for insults to which the Russian Consul-General at Salonica was recently subjected by the populace of that city, threatening to send a war-vessel to Salonica if the demand is not complied with. The other foreign Consuls at Salonica have asked their governments for instructions.

—The war with the Utes in Colorado threatens to be formidable in its proportions. The country is rough and well suited to Indian warfare, and the Indians prove to be well armed. Gen Merritt rescued the besieged soldiers, but he was not successful in a later battle. No blame can attach to Agent Meeker, who was a genuine philanthropist—always a friend of the weak and the oppressed. The Indians have grown jealous of the encroachments of miners and settlers. They are a war-like tribe, and it will no doubt be difficult to subdue them.

—A Memphis special says:—The yellow fever is now confined principally to colored people and those whites who have returned to the city. Hundreds of houses are dangerously infected, persons having been sick and died in them this year. The Board of Health system of fumigating and disinfecting with sulphur has no effect in stopping the spread of the disease. Our best and most scientific physicians look upon disinfection, fumigation, and quarantine as nonsense. The fever breaks out among the best and the worst of the population, regardless of cleanliness and filth.

—The city of Kiev, on the Dnieper, in Russia, of 80,000 inhabitants, was lately fired by incendiaries. An eye witness writes:— “While a furious storm was raging the fire broke out in seven different places. The offices of the fire brigade and chief police station, a gunpowder magazine, and four petroleum stores were simultaneously set on fire. The whole city was wrapped in a thick, black cloud of smoke, and every now and then the people were threatened with a series of detonations and loud explosions. The entire garrison and the firemen of the suburbs, and many of the inhabitants, labored indefatigably to extinguish the fire; but despite their efforts it continued until the morning of the second day after it broke out. The loss was enormous. Many lives were lost, including those of several children.” There was no reason for the foul act, but a malicious love of evil. And such are the Nihilists of Russia.

—One of the most terrible railroad accidents on record happened at Jackson, Mich., on the Mich. Central R. R., on the night of Oct. 9th. The Pacific Express, bound west, left Detroit 45 minutes late. The telegraph operator at Jackson reported the train 45 minutes late to the yardmaster, who tried to occupy the time in making up a freight train. But the express made up her time, and ran into the yard non-stop at fast speed. The train was made up of seven Wagner sleepers, four passenger coaches, and mail and baggage cars. The tender of the express engine was telescoped into the baggage car about half its length. This car in turn forced its way into the mail car, and these crowded the first passenger coach to the sight of the embankment, and crashed back through the two following. Passengers in the first coach were comparatively unharmed, the harvest of death being reaped in the second and third coaches. The fourth coach escaped with slight damage, and none of the Wagner coaches were injured. Twenty-five to thirty were killed, and as many more wounded. The killed were mostly immigrants and second-class passengers.