The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-11-27
A Parallel.

| A Parallel.
THE cALAM1ToUs YEAR OF 1771-ITs EXTRA
ORDINARY yIsITATIoNs OF FIRE, FLOOD,
1 VOLCANIC DISTURBANCE, AND FAMINE.
Messrs. Editors Of the Dispatch:
In making reference to DodSleys Annual
Register for I'LL for some account OF the
food OF May, in that year, which devastated
the Colony Of Virginia, have been led by
the manifold and remarkable calamities
which ! find recorded as marking that
memorable year to make n brief note OF
some Of them for the benefit Of your read
ers, who are doubtless startled by the pres
ent wrath Of waters upon us into some in
terest for occurrences Of like nature OF the
past.
The only mention of "The Great Vir-
ginta Freshet of May, 1771," is as follows ::
"Letters from Virginia give a dreadful
account of the overflowing OF the Kappa
hammock river, in that province, owing to
the great and incessant rains which begun
on the 9th of May last, and continued
without intermission' till the 6th OF June.
The water poured down in such torrents
from the mountains as to carry all before it,
which caused the river to swell twenty-five
feet higher than ever was known by the
oldest man living. All the warehouses on
both sides the Rappahannock were entirely
full OF water, ard at the different ware
houses in Yarmouth and Norfolk towns, in
Virginia, upwards Of 1000 hogsheads OF to-
bacco were carried away by the rapidity Of
the stream and entirely lost" IPage 12S.]
find, however, that both continents were
subject to successive calamities OF this sort
throughout the year, witnessed by the fol-
lowing:
The heavy rains and the melting Of the
snow in the mountains of Bohemia "caused
the river Elbe to swell to a greater heighth
than has been known in the memory Of
man." The devastation to crops was so
great that throughout Germany bread and
provisions were so scarce as to amount
almost to famine.
"BERLIN, July 6.-The heavy and inces-
SAINT rains which have fallen in this country
for these four weeks past have done very
great damage. The most melancholy ac-
counts are received from Wisbin, in the
Old Mark, no less than forty villages and
thirty-four gentlcmen's country-seats having
been laid under water by the Elbe overflow
ing its banks and making its way through the
dykes, which are broke by the great inuE-
dation that happened. This is the fourth
time within these five months that this part
OF Old Mark has been afflicted with this
dreadful calamity, which has reduced the
unhappy sufferers to the most shocking
state OF misery and Distress" page 100. ]
November 18th a flood deluged the north
of England, carrying away all the bridges
on the North and South Tyne rivers. dt.
stroying property, lives, &C., and causing
very great distress for food, &c.
The great fire at st. Petersburg, Russia,
occurred on the 23d of May, by which nearly
LOO buildings, principally Of wood, were
destroyed.
A riot occurred in Prague on June goth
o, account OF the dearness of provisions
[Pp. 122.tl
Letters from Naples advise that on
Thursday the 18th (Apl.) Mount vesuvus
began to send out columns Of black smoke,
with loud explosions. Soon after lava burst
forth over the same spot where the great
eruption was in the year 1857. Their Sicil.
ian Maiesties are prepared to leave Portice
at moments warning; but as the lava has
taken its course towards Resina tbe spo,
under which the ancient city OF Hercula,
neum is buried, and does not menace Portice
it Is thought the Court will not remove
The lava is about five miles in length; has
destroyed some vineyards, and Is stopped
! within mile OF Resina."
The lava in one instance, "taking its
course in deep trench, formed a most
astonishing cascade OF hre, the 1ail OF which
was perpendicular and not less than sixty
feet"
Volcanic eruptions are also narrated to
have occurred In the Molucca Islands, com.
mencing with the 18th of July, accompanied
with an earthquake, from which sixty VIC
lent shocks were felt in twenty-four hours
lrPp. 123-4.l r. A. B.
RICHMoSD, VA, November 26, 1877.