Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1857-07-02
General News.

One of those fearful and heart-rendins aeci-
dents, which so often occur upon the waters Of
our great rivers, has just taken place on the st.
Lawrence, wherein three or four hundred lives
have been lost. The Steamer Montreal, with be.
tween five and six hundred passengers, most of
them Scotch emigrants, burned to the waters
edge. on Sunday, June 90, between Montreal and
Quebec She was unable 10 reach the shore be-
fore the flames enveloped her entirely, and the
passengers Were compelled TO leap overheard. The
few that were saved, were picked up by steam
er which was somewhat in advance of the Mon
treal when the accident took place.
The steamer Illinois, which arrived in AS
p'nwaI on Saturday afternoon, brings the Cali
fornia mails Of June S, and Sl.s52,s67 in gold.
A heavy deficiency has been discovered in the
proceeds of the Branch Mint in San francisco,
which is still involved in certain degree of mys-
terry, although it has been ascrbed to the wastaVe
of gold by the chimney during the process Of
coming. The massacre of the Sonora sxdi.
tionists is fully confirmed, and several idi,ional
details are given in relation to that i,arred en-.
,erprise. Edward MCGOWAN has be. tried and
acquitted on the charge of having BIN accessory
to the murder of the late james ling. Our news
from the mines continues toe favorable, and the
product of gold is stated o to be on the increase.
The population Of Calornia has been ascertained
to be s"7'o67, (Which abou. soo,o 900 is Amer.
lean.
Inc hes'S'"'' adjourned on Saturday, with
'he usua' ceremony such occasions. 1t has
cost the State $4,000. 7, has dispatched its
business week earlier thar 80 If ;,s predeces.
sors for several years 1t made homes, effor,
to replenish the Treasury, and to b.np M the ar.
rears in the current receipts. II has ,-.sed from
bonuses, on accoun, Of increasing bank capi.-l,
SI6 OOO. This is, provided people subscribe for
the new Banks. 1t laid takes on Banks, which
will amount to $4,000 more. From these sour
ces, it is expected the debt will be paid of in
three wears, leaving the S450,OOO Of Bank Stock
uuiucumbered 1t s.inled all appropriations, hav-
ing uiven little to Institutions, except $4,000 to
the Reform School, Normal School, and State
Prison. The hill to secure negroes the right Of
citizenship, which every body in Connecticut
suppused they possessed, before the bred Scott
decision, also called Gu, party opposition from
the Shams Aside from these things. party lines
were not drawn, aud whatever excitement was
created on any ssue was due to local interests or
opinions, Independent of party.
Last week. $50 says an exchanged the good
people of indianapolis saw the moon rise in
dark haze They all cried out Comet ~ and
panic seized the whole community. The bells
were rung, the engines were called out, and hun
dreds set themselves diligently to work with pray
ers, and tears, and supplica,ions, to make their
peace and be ready to be " switched off," Soon
the man in the moon showed his full, clear
face and the people returned to their senses. The
idea Of calling the engines 70 assail the comet
was purely original with the people Of Indiansp.
oils.
We are indebted 10 the Rockville Gaxette
for the following Just before the evening
freight train for Hartford reached the depot a,
Vernon, on Tuesday, it was discovered that one
of the ears was on fire. The train was run up 70
the depot and the burning car switched but the
fire had got such Roadway that the car and nearly
the whole Of the goods were completely destroyed.
The loss is estimated as high as $4,000, which
will, as we suppose, fall upon the company. A
part of the car was occupied with lot of Sainet,
belonging to E. A. Converse e. Co., Of Stafford;
in one end was lot of valuable furniture owned
in Willimantc; the remainder Of the freight was
made up Of Dry Goods. &c. but we are not infor-
med to whom they were consigned.
1t is estimated that not less than sixty thous-
and panes of glass were broken by the recent hail
storm at Washington. Glass, putty and GLACIERS
are in active demand.
The United States steam frigate Wabash,
bearing the broad pennant of Commodore X.
Paulding, arrived yesterday in days and six
hours from Aspinwal to Sandy Hook. This is
a good passage for side-wheel mail-steamer, and
a remarkable one for frgate, whose steam-powrr
is only auxiliary. She has proved herself TO be
very fast ship, going thirteen and fourteen knots
under canvass and ten knots under steam ai"nr.
She brings l2l officers and men who served under
Gen. Walker in Nicaragua, and Ia women and
children. Seventy are sick and wounded, sen.e
Of ,hom very severely. 49,.