The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-07-22

| tone they record another great rain storm
in England, the severest of an unpre-
cedented season of rains, and one which
it is admitted has destroyed all hope of
even half crop for the most important
part of Europe. On Saturday, the 10Th, a
three days storm-notice of which had been
sent in advance by the HERALD Weather
Bureau-broke over England. Ireland
and Scotland. On Sunday the rain moder-
ated in some places, but violent wind
storm prevailed, and on Monday the rain
fell again in torrents. In the north OF Ire
land cut hay in the fields was floating about
and all the low lying country was Hooded;
from Sheffield the report is that on Satur-
day and Sunday floods of rain fell, and the
storm was one of the severest ever
known. Similar reports come from
Yorkshire and Derbyshire, and while the
British Isles seem to have been the severest
sufferers from this deluge, our special cable
reports show that there were heavy rains
also over Germany and France. Not only
grain and hay, but fruit and crops Of all
kinds have suffered serious damage, and SO
hopeless is the prospect that even fine
not, it is now admitted, do more than lessen
the great losses somewhat. The London
stock market was enlivened for an hour
yesterday by CLEAN of sunshine, but the
clouds closed over almost Immediately
again, and railway shares were heavily de-
pressed, while from the manufacturing dis
tricts the news is of the most gloomy kind
markets dull, money idle, enterprise
stopped.
We cannot even offer our British cousins
the poor comfort Of relief from the ter
rible weather which is casting gloom over
their spirits for before our readers here
see this it is probable that another storm
of rain and wind will have reached the
British coast, which will probably spread
over Germany and France also, and last
until the 23d ; and if, as to the HERALD
Weather Bureau seems likely, this storm
shall clear up with cold weather, that will
only be an added misfortune.
So great proportion of the people of
Great Britain, Germany and France live
from hand to mouth, and depend, not
merely for comfort but almost for exist
ence on cheap bread, and therefore on
good and abundant crops, that the long con-
tinued bad weather is very great calamity.
Before the effects Of this latest three days
storm were known it was already estimated
in London that Europe would need to buy
this year three hundred millions of
bushels of wheat, three-fourths of which
would be needed by England and France.
To this vast amount large percentage must
now be added. Fortunately the crops in
America are approximately large and
good and the reports from Southern Russia
are also most favorable. There is in the
present circumstances of the world no fear
of famine in any part of Europe, but
the prolonged depression of commerce,
the dulness in all manufacturing
business and the consequent impover-
ishment Of the laboring classes makes the
calamity of short crops the more terrible
and dreaded, especially when this is only
one of succession Of bad harvests.
1t is estimated in England that Europe will
have to pay out about six hundred millions
of dollars this year to foreign countries for
food; and there is reason to believe that
half this prodigious sum will fall to the
share of America To us, of course, this
demand will be great immediate advan-
tage, though the Impeachment of our
customers must in the end affect us
badly. Still, we are in the situation
of the baker, who, as the proverb says, has
good trade because his children have in
any case bread enough. country which
has in great abundance precisely what other
countries happen most to need is doubly
fortunate, and this is our position this year,
as it has been for several years past.
What will be the political effects Of the
bad harvest in the European countries
discomfort, already deep and widespread,
and taking form in socialistic demon
STATIONS more and more difficult to
meet or curb, will probably be intensified.
France, which has had, singularly enough,
a more solid prosperity for some years than
either Great Britain or Germany, does not
seem likely to be seriously disturbed. Her
republican rulers have been fortunate as
well as wise. AS to Great Britain she suffers
from short crops at the very moment when
her agricultural interests are, according TO
the best authorities, already in q worse con-
dition than they have ever seen since the
repeal of the Corn laws. The tenant farmers
have complained so loudly and so justly
that Parliament has been forced to look
into their condition. But their suffering
means lessened means to the owners of the
land and decreased wages to the peasant
laborers, who already are half pauperized.
We have pointed out repeatedly that the
true and, as we believe, the only remedy for
Englishmen is emigration on large scale;
and the present year ought to stimulate
large exodus from the British Isles. An
/ Englishman is quoted elsewhere by the