Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-10-03
NEWS OF THE DAY.
10 shoao the very age and Jody of the Tines

y fire occurred at Montreal yesterday, which
destroyed property to the amount Of $500. 900.
A dispatch from Mclborne of llth ult. re.
ports that the overland telegraph line has becn
completed.
The funeral obscquies of the Rev. DIR. Vim
ton, took place at Trinity Church, New York,
yesterday morning, and we're unusually solemn
and impressive. The audience was very large.
The American and British Claims Commits
sion met yesterday at Washington, but trans
acted no business except closing the proofs 10
the cases of several claimants
The investigation into the Bienville disaster
has developed the fact that there were cart,
ridges and kerosene oil in the hold of the yes,
sci in dangerous proximity to each other.
A telegram from Madrid announces that the
famous monastery Of the Escurial was struck
by lightning yesterday evening and quickly took
tower Of the magnificent edifce had fallen, and
the royal palace, with its splendid library and
paintings. and rare and costly manuscripts, was
in flames
REMARKABLE ETEoR-Father Secchi, the
distinguished astronomer gives the following
account of remarkable meteor, seen in several
places in Italy. The letter is dated from
Rome, August 81
Small and reddish at the beginning, it NOV
ed slowly forward from south southeast toward
north northeast, increasing in light and volume,
leaving track like vapor of dark color.
When it arrived at certain point it famed
brilliantly, and became almost as large as the
moon, disappearing almost Immediately after
ward, leaving long shaped cloud, which soon
assumed twisted form like an Immense SER
peut. A few minutes atterward-that is, not
more than four, according to various calcula-
tions-a violent defamation was heard, follow
ed by two others nearer and weaker. From
the accounts gathered it results that the line
trayerscd by the bolide was not IN vertical
plane over Rome, but inclined toward the east.
From the time which elapsed between the
confederation and the defamation, calculating it
at about three minutes, its distance would be
sixty chilomctcrs. The dctonation made a
rumbliug noise, like mine or the discharge Of
some voluminous fiery mass, different from
thunder or artillery: followed by rattle Of
minor discharges like musketry fire. We sus-
pected the explosion Of powder magazine, or
something similar The same bolide was seen
at VelIetri AIbano, Gcnzano, Grotto Fer
rata Zagaroio, aud Frascati, in which p aces
the noise Of the detonation seems TO have been
more intense than with US since the windows
and doors of houses We're shaken by it.
In these places the direction is also indlca
ted as from south to northeast, which proves
that it passed oblique TO the vertical. At
Zagaroo the phenomenon assumed more i'm
posing phases Siguor Secchi writes that at a
quarter past FIVE, being in bed, he heard an ex-
pIosion like that Of a heavy cannon at short
distance, which made the whole house tremblc,
and caused asussuItory motion in the bed. \
sound like thunder followed the discharge,
seeming to di>perse toward the north.
Eye witnesses describe having seen a great
globe of fire come from the south with the ra.
pidity Of lightning and, as soon as 1t passed
the town. obliqueIy to the north, explode witt
Il report like thunder, prolonging in the direc
ton OF Tlvoli