The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-07-03
A CALAMITY IN ICELAND,


About six weeks ago there was heavy
ram of ashes and cinders along the
| northern coast of Norway. covering the
| ground several inches deep. Investi
| CATION revealed the fact that these
| strange materials, coming from north
westerly direction like immense clouds
through the air, were of volcanic origin.
| 1t was at once Thought that there must
have been an eruption of Mount Hecla,
| in Iceland. A steamer was dispatched
| from Copenhagen. and that vessel has
returned from Reikaivik, with news of
an unparalleled disaster. 1t seems that
| the outbreak began on Christmas, and
| has continued ever since with scarce anv
interruption. For seven weeks before
| Christmas the inhabitants were terrified
by subterranean noises like thunder,
which extended through nearly two
| thirds of the island Early in January
| followed earthquakes in all directions,
and Mt last au old extinct volcano near
Natravskud opened, and for four weeks
| continued to eject immense quantities of
| liquid fire, lava, ashes, and a muddy
| fluid mass at boiling heat. The village,
| and some smaller hamlets and farms
within radius of twenty miles were
destroyed, and over thousand people
had TO flee for their lives.
After four weeks this volcano ceased,
but at that moment another extinct
volcano, nearly hundred miles away,
near Myvatu, sent its burning mass upon
| the peaceful habitations around. This
eruption lasted for several weeks, the
| village of Myvatu became prey to the
| fiery elements, and the whole country
for moro than fifty miles around was
devastated. More than 800 of the
til
| rendered homeless. Early in March
there seemed to be general upheaval
| of the earth in the whole central portion
of the island new mounds, as it We're.
| rose to the surface, some to height of
several hundred feet, and over thou
sand feet in diameter ut the base, amid
| tremendous shocks of laundering be-
meath. They split open at the top and
| vomited forth their burning contents
| upon the surface around them, covering
| distance of 200 miles. Ten Thousand
| people are said to have lost nearly all
| their possessions, and the remainder,
who live nearer to and along the coasts,
some forty thousand in number, are
| themselves too poor to support such a
vast number of needy people. Several
| hundred persons are also reported to
have persisted. The world-renowned
Geysers have dried up since the terrible
eruption began, and instead of water,
the mysterious tunnels emit immense
quantities of smoke and ashes, which,
during the night, rising several thou
sand feet into the air, appear like gigan-
tic columns of flameless fire, visible for
hundreds of miles. 1t is said that no
historic record of any volcanic eruption
anywhere in the world compares with
this, either in territory over which it
extends, the number of newly opened
craters, or the time of its duration.
The Copenhagen government has issued
an appeal for aid to the sufferers.
The Market for the Next Crops.
New York Bulletin June %.
As the season has arrived for esti-
mates upon growing crops and their
prospective outlets, it is of some i'm
portance to ascertain what, if any,
changes have occurred in these outlets
to diminish or increase the demand.
First, as to home consumption, three
is some probability that the amount OF
food consumed per capita of our popu-
lation will be less than last year in con-
sequence of the arrangement of our
leading industries, by which SO large a
portion of the laboring classes have
been deprived of employment. For,
although the same has been true to a
great extent, the present season on &C
count of the strikes, it must be remem-
bered that these unemployed men were
largely fed out of the surplus earnings
of former years, which the returns of
the savings banks in manufactu ring dis
tricts show have since been freely with
drawn to exc out dininishe d earnings.
These means OF support are so largely
reduced as to have perceptible. effect
already upon the labor market, as seen
by the collapse of strikes all over the
country, necessity alone compelling
the surrender. Lower wages means
less ability to purchase, though this,
doubtless, will be in a measure overcome
by corresponding decline in the cost of
commodities.
Second, as to the natural yearly aug
mentation of population, we shall prob
ably have little if apNto shew in this
country in view of the, marked falling
off in foreign immigration and the par
tial turn of the tide the other way. 1t
is evident, therefore, that as regards
home con sumption, we shall have little
or no increase, and possibly decrease
unless manufacturing interests mate
rally revive.
|
tant point as affecting the growing crops
which have hitherto derived the bulk
of their supplies of food from the
northwest, and manufactures from the
east, are raising not only their wheat,
corn, oat and rye to far greater ex-
tent than ever before, but are also be
ginning to manufacture their own
goods. To such an extent is this true
of these crops that it would not be
surprising if this outlet should be
practic ally closed, and even urplus
from some of Shese states raised for
shipment. This fact must have very
decided influence upon our markets
should the crops prove to be as abnn-
dant as now seems probable. 1t thus
appears that, other things being equal,
we shall have a large surplus to ex-
port from the United States than usual,
and probably more than enough to
overcome the deficit of the Pacific
States, which, as regards wheat, in
| California, is estimated at 200, 900 to
300, 600 tons.
Thtrd, as to the prospective export
outlets, there are the same gene raj and
unusually favorable crop reports from
| Europe, France alone having suffered
| slightly from drouth. 1t must also be
borne in mind that the world is at
peace, and hence the withdrawal of
labor from production of ali kinds, and
especially from agricultural pursuits, is
at the minimum figure. This fact must
have an important effect on the acreage
of Europe, and with a continuance of
present fattering crop prospects the
world over, all the indications would
seem to favor low prices for the year to
come. This does not apply to one
staple but to all, and it is worthy of
remark that since our war commenced
in 1861, this is about the first time
when this could really be said without
any qualification.
| The Colorado Potato Bug.