The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1865-08-22

DREADFUL DISASTER A dreadful disaster
occurred on Lake Huron on last Wednesday
eTeuing. The steamboats, Pcwabic and Meteor,
7 both running at full speed, the former going
southwark and the latter northward, collded
with fearful crash. The Pewabic was com-
pletely stove in on side, and SO disabled that
she sank in three or four minutes after the col.
lision carrying down with her about one hun
dred persons She had on board from one hun
lred and seventy five to two h9ndred passen-
gers about one half of whom were saved by the
Meteor, which was very little damaged. 1t
was scarcely dark at the time and each Of the
boats had previously been visible to persons on
board of the other when they were yet six miles
apart.
| FROM TEXAS The army worm is reported
doing immense damage in portion of Texas
One entire field of two hundred acres of cotton,
in Wharton county, YVES destroyed in one night.
A man named Boyd killed another named
Garret in Washington county, Texas A party
Of soldiers were sent from BRENNAN, the county
seat, to arrest him. who were fred on by Boyd's
friends, severely woundng one officer and two
privates The troops returned the fire, killing
one man and wounding a lady in the house.
The ringleaders were then captured.
CRIME AT THE NORTH The most extraor-
binary carnival Of crime is now in full blast at
the North, Of which We ever remember TO have
heard or read A volumesDf the Newgate cal
endar might be culled from the gigantic crimes
which have been perpetrated there in the last
three weeks. In that time at least six horrible
cases of rape have occurred, accompanied in
three instances with the murder Of the victims
one occurring III sight Of the church spires of
Boston--the murderers escaping. Within that
time two sons have killed their parents, one
butcherng his mother and sister, in order that
he might get money enough to marry upon, and
the other shot his father in heat of blood
Three prominent bank officials have robbed their
banks of vast amounts, one escaping to France,
aud there becoming mailman, another com
| uniting suicide in his cell in New York few
nights since, and the last accuses a frail woman
as the cause Of his fall. To these We may add
innumerable crimes of less magnitude, such as
eounterfeiters of fractional currency and petro-
leum swin9les. These crimes have as yet in
very few Instances been traced to returned
soldiers They, poor fellows, seem, in great
many instances, to have found their wives not
Of the patient, Penelope type, if forty divorce
suits, instituted in single county by returned
soldiers, mean anything
To MEASURE AN ACRE OF GRoUND.-In
measuring land 30f square yards make one
square rod, and 40 square rods make one square
rood, four Of which, or 100 rods, make oue acre.
1t is evident, therefore, that 30 rods long l,y
rods wide will make acre. The same result
may be arrived at by measuring 229 feet in
length, and 1873 feet in width, or by measuring
49, yards ia length, b. &C yards in breadth
To lay out an acre square, 2U9 feet on each side
is tie nearest amount that will make an acre.
being less than an inch each way over the enact
distance 43, $50 superficial feet OF 208.95 feet
oG each side constitute an acre of ground.