Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-08-14
California News.

From the mails brought by the steamer st. Lou
is, which arrived Mt New York on Wednesday, we
gather the following items of California news
The steamer Coamodore, which left San Fran
cisco on the 9Th Ut July. for Victori.. " J.. with
n large number u passeng gers aud heavy freight,
returned on the morning Of the 18th, in q sinking
condition. 1t appeared that this rotten old steam
err after getting to sea- was found to be overloaded
and uDseaworthy. She soon sprung leak, and
her pumps out of order To keep her afoat,
the passengers had 10 bail her with buckets and
barrels, and also throw overheard o quantity of
her cargo including ten or twelve horses.
Upon the arrival of the ship here, the passengers
got possession of the Agent OF the owners and
came near hanging him for sending them to sea
on such an unsafe vessel. lie got out of their
hands 6y refundng their passage money, and
agreeing to pay for the baggage that had been
thrown into the sea. This old steamer was form
erly called the B,other Jonathan, but to deceive
the travelling public, her name changed to
that of Comn,odore The Bulletin warned the pub
lie against her before she left the port.
In ls49, one A. j. Harding, in coming to Cali
fornia, found the other side of the Sierra Neva-
da range Of mountains a rich vein Of what he
believed to be silver ore, some specimens Of which
he brought with him to this State. Lately he has
organized party Of fifteen at Petauma, to
70 and search for this mine, believing it to be very
rich. Those who have Joined him are said to be
practical miners, and men OF sense.
During the past fortnight Fraser river matters
have continued 10 monopolzc public attention.
For the first tew days after the departure of tho
last Eastern mail the emigration to the North
continued undated. The news then brought
from them considered as unfavorable and up
10 the present, this has continued to be the char
acter of the intelligence. The consequence has
been the immediate cooling down of the fever that
RACED 80 violently Throughout the State for the
past SIX weeks. The tide ththerward has received
II sudden check and at the present writing the
number Of Fraser river ein grants to be met with
Is not very great
This is perhaps exceedingly fortunate. The
number Of young men who have hurried off from
our State to the new mining region approximates
TO 200. Many Of these were badly provided
with means to exist for any length Of time in
country where the commonest necessaries Of life
are ex"rbiantly expensive The waters OF Fra
river and its tributaries still continue too high
to allow OF their beds being being worked. Con
sequenty great suffering and destitution already
begin to manifest themselves in the new mines;
and the probability IS that much more will he felt
before the mining season begins
In the meantime, matters On Fraser river con-
tinue really in the condition that all well inform
ed people expected they would be at this time.
The river ~ very high, and is kept up by the mel
ting oithe mountain SHOWS during the present
summer weather III that region. This snow, after
awhile will be exhausted or ifnot when the cold
sets it will freeze and tie river will 60 down, and
enable the miners to wolk the bars, on which the
rich paeers are bel eyed exist. How long it
will be before this takes place. it it will ever hap
pen. Is now the qur~tl under di ,cussion.
Two months at lar,aest, say the sangune.-
The desppndiug say wnen the snow freezes the
RAINY season will have set ia--thus supplying the
stream all the year rouri with an abundance Of
water. So little reliablu Information about this
country is in possession of the whites as yet that
rrnIpa l,,C,
ration Of time for the solution of this disputed
point. About the existence Of rich mines on Fra
ser river and its tributaries, there seems to be
dispute The difficulty is, that these mines
now covered with water, and are kept 50 by the
melting SHOWS in the mountains.
1t is said that dry diggings" have been disco
vered at few places; yet the extent of these and
their general character for richness and facility Of
working, can only he determined by future pros
pecting.' AT present, the vast body of miners
Fraser river are kept together in few camps, by
the desire 10 possess themselves of" claims on tho
rich bars when the stream falls and by the dread
OF hostile Indians moesting small parties who
might traverse the Wilderness in search of dry dig
gings.
Notwithstanding an ed duty upon the i'm
portation # iron into France, enacted in 1857,
there was al.ing of in the quantities entered the
first half of this yearas compared with that of last
year of English pig iron ofno less than 95l7 tons,
and 4129 tons when compared with the first half
year oflo56. The quantity of foreign pig iron from
all sources entered during the first six months Of
this year, was $50 tons less than in the cores
pondng period Of last year. and 20, 1851 tons less
than during the first half year of 1856 The
improvement of trade, therefore has made no pro-
gress regards the importation of this class of
goods. for last month the decrease as compared
with June. 1857 and 1856, was as Al are to S049
aud 1850 tons. The quantities of bar iron in
Guiding rails entered were last half year 5GlS tons.
against S39, and against q $50 for the corrcs-
ponding periods in lSj7and 1886.
The ATLANTIC CABLE-New York, Aug l2.-
Mr.. Z. W. Field yesterday telegraphed from st.
Johns that. previous to starting. the directors OF
the Atlantic Telegraph Co. unanimously decided
that after the cable had been laid, and the Queen
an! Presidents messages transmitted, the line
should be kept free several weeks solely for the
Of the electricians, To enable them thorough
y 10 test the various modes oftelegraphing that
the directors nigh decide which WAS the best and
most rapid method for future use; for it wns con-
sderej that after the line once thrown open
for business it would he very difficult to obtain it
for experimental purposes.
Due notice will be given when the line will be
really for business, and Of tariff of prices.
The London Times of the 10th July remarks:--
I'VE must trust moro English troops in India