, 1872-11-16

There is grim sort Of consolation in the fact
that it ne are just now suffering from com-
bination of calamities, such az great fires, the
horse disease, stringent money market, heavy
taxes, and various social disorders, ne are not
alone in our misery. All the powers Of evil and
forces Of disaster geem to be let loose at once IN
Europe, and with fury which iH almost sufh-
cient to make one believe that Satan has beer:
unclaimed, and is commencing on his Thousand
years Of havoc. The cable dispatches in CUR
last issue present 3 catalogue OF horrors, the
bare enumeration OF which ia enough to make
the reader q settled hypochondriac. First, a
terrific storm sweeps along the Engliah coast,
wrecking everything within its reach, and
involving q sad loss OF life. Tho same gale
rayeged the Prussian coast. It the
damage to shipping WAS less severe,
it was only because merchantmen
are not 50 numerous as On the English coAst.
What it failed to do on the sea, however, it more
than accomplished on shore. The ancient and
quaint old town Of stralsund, which has borne
the brunt of nearly all the old German wars,
which WAS besieged by Wallenstein in 1928, bonn
barded in 1878, and nearly destroyed by Frederic
William, the great Elector Of Brandenburg, and
| captured again, after desperate struggles, IN
1713 and 1907, seens to have come in for more
than its share OF this terrible natural conyusion.
Twelve vessels we're sunk in the shauoWs OF lta
harbor. The whole town WIS Inundated, and
then, to add to the general horror, great fire
rF 1oroaaf 1par
houses aud other buildings, az well as
| many lives. Those in the interior have
Jared little better. For several days, al unnsu-
! all7 severe rain and snoW-storm has prevailed
in Eastern Germany, prostrating the telegraph
wires in every direction, and doing widespread
damage by flooding the country. Lubec, the
famous commercial city Of Germany, close by
Hamburg, and the former meeting~place OF the
/ Hanseatio League, has suffered like stra1sund,
and all it's principal buildings arc under Water
! The coal mines Of ssafordshire add melan-
cboly item to the general tidings of disaster,
one Of them being suddenly inundated, while
the miners we're at work, twenty-five OF
whom perished miserably. The South Sea
1s1ands furnish the last and most fear-
ful story OF all, in which "man'a
inhunnanity to man" dwarfs all the desolation
bv fire and storm. An English vessel WAS on 8
kidnapping expedition among the islands. The
unsuspecting natives we're decoyed alongside
the vessel, when their canoes we're smashed
The wretched victims were ished out OF thu
water and thrust into the hold Of the vessel
They fought for their liberty, and, to secure it
set fire to the vessel, and then the Captain and
crew commenced firing into them indiscrimi
nate1y. The next morning the hatches we're re-
moved, seventy we're found either dead O
wounded, and the wounded aud dead we're throw1
overboard together. It is hard to believe tha
human nature can be guilty OF such atrociou
crimes, but one man in the crowd Of barbarou
nretches has had conscience enough II
turn Queens evidence, and it i
to be hoped that this latest De
yelopment Of English paEbarity not only "'l
meet with the most ine1orab1e administration u
/ English justice, but will serve to help on 't't
movement already commenced in Eng''n1 ~
, punish and prevent Kidnapping into siA'e'
, enlist the cooperation Of ether EntoI'@'- '4''
tions in the good work -, n.o.,. -
s The inevitable question Wh'ea MIA @~|~~ ~