The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-04-24

frequently makes people UNDERESTIMATE IT,
Two thousand soldiers, with large number
of laborers and the Inhabitants OF Che place
worked with energy during the last few days
and the re was entertained on the 11th the
hope of saving the city from destruction
But it seemed as if it had already beer
doomed to fall. A terrible wind arose, whic!
ing across that sea of waters miles in width
and raising at the embankment waves six
feet in height. The men at work were pan
ic-strcken, but, the case being desperate
they we're driven back to the embankment
at the point of the bayonet, and continued
at the vain undertaking till after one O'Clock
in the morning of the 18th. A more terri
BILE scene can scarcely be even imagined
Thousands of workmen and soldiers were
lined along that embankment working with
the energy which only desperation can pro.
duce, and that in the darkness of a storm.
The torches were of no use. Above was the
raging wind, which seemed unloosed in it,
greatest violence; before them sea cover
ing the plain and drenching them with its
hind them the city, many of whose in
habitants had already retired to rest. 9th
ers were preparing to get away with their
effects to the higher streets, or to cross the
Thesis to new Czegedin. Dozens OF times
breaches had been made by the waters, but
as often had these been repaired. At last.
about half past one o'clock in the morning,
the waves cut through the embankment an
opening of about 1870 feet in length. All
further effort was now hopeless. The sig
nal was given for the alarm bell to be tolled.
The water outside of the embankment was
"a feet higher than the ground inside, so
that it swept through and down into the
city more rapidly than the men could make
their escape into new Czegedin. Bags and
masses of earth we're tossed up like balls
Very soon after the catastrophe many of the
streets were filled with water more than II
feet deep. The gas works were flooded and
the lights at once extinguished, so that the
city itself was thrown into utter darkness.
The terrible scene was, however, soon light.
ed up by an explosion at a match factory,
and by several houses taken fire, some Of
which were, no doubt, set on fire by their
pensat ton. All the houses, except 270, were
built of unburnt bricks or clay that had
been only hardened by exposure to the sun.
Such could not long resist the waters.
The next morning revealed terrible
scene. The city had in those few hours
been destroyed. Most of the houses had
fallen in pieces, and their position was only
pointed out by some of their rafters. Most
of the people had gone to bed; many were
not awakened by the bells; there were not
boats enough to save mere fraction of the
81, 900 people in the town; the city was with
out light : so that it is no wonder that the
almost lost their reason in the
On the 18th the Emperor OF
Austria came TO witness for himself the
scene. He shed tears at the sight, and said
1t was far worse than had been described.
He sailed over the place where Czegedin
stood. The voyage about and around occu-
pied some hours. All was still as death, ex-
cept the splashing of oars and the sound of
the voice recounting to His Majesty tales Of
woe and suffering 1t is not necessary to
describe scenes of woe to be witnessed from
day to day. AS the boats moved along,
there were heard the cries of persons implor-
ing to be rescued, or the crash of houses
falling down in The flood. Boats at times
capsized. Persons who had sought safety
in trees dropped down from hours of exhaus-
ton and exposure to the cold. The waters
rose higher and higher, and nearly every
wave threw up corpse. The grave dggers
at Szoreg were kept at their dismal work
day after day, from early morning till late
at night. Most OF the bodies were buried
without being distinguished by relatives.
The hands of the rowers grew stiff with cold
and constant efforts. Children were drag
ged out dead, but clinging to the dress of a
mother with so tenacious grasp that the
hand could only be unloosened by force
The calamity finds for width and greatness
some resemblance in the liberality it has
evoked. The Emperor of Austria has given
for himself and the Empress $4,000 dollars,
and requested that the monies which would
have been spent in commemorative his sill
yer wedding may be devoted to the relief Of
the sufferers. Throughout Hungary, Aus
tria, and Germany subscriptions have beer
pouring in. 1t is worth observing that ir
such benevolence there is a valuable and per.
haps sufficient answer to the complaints
which some religious people make, that the
world has been, and is still, steadily and per
sistently and hepelessly growing worse ant
worse. If selfishness be the essence of sin
or il it be only one of its most malignan
forms, matters but little. The benevolenct
which every calamity like that Of Czegedir
calls forth throughout the whole civilized
world proves that the people are becoming
less selfish, or, at any rate, ashamed OF be-
ing selfish, And either result proves thu
far purified moral and spiritual atmosphere
Could such benevolence have possibly taker
place, say after the Lisbon earthquake il
1855? Nothing of the kind would ther
Lave been thought of but now nothing elst
is thought of. 1t is taken as a matter O.
course that countrymen and foreigners ough
and, what is more, aoiU help.
Mr.. Lyons, of Muskingham county, Ohio
has peculiar COW. Parties have visited ant
tested the truth of this statement, which is a.
follows: "This COW has had her SECOND
calf, and her M ll produces butter without
churning. When set in common pans fol
twelve or twenty-four hours, butter rises In
stead of cream, and all we have to do is te
take the ladle and throw it into the butter
bowl; with two or three minutes working il
is ready for the table, and is superior butter
at that. Quantity produced is fifteen te
twenty pounds per week when she is fresh
She is full bred Durham, and very pecu-
liar looking animal.
A monument 81 feet In height has best
erected over the remains of Rev. DR.. Jane
A. Duncan in Hollywood Cemetery, Rich
mond.