The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1879-03-20
A CaIamitous Year.
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"A OatSHllbVuS AcdEs
Troy n. NJ Times-
The year has opened with an unusually
number of calamities in various parts OF
the world. IF it should continue as il
has begun, 1879 viii surely eclipse 1873,
which was conspicuous for It's numerous
disasters OF various kinds. War is raging
in Afghanistan and South Africa. a
frightiul massacre of British troops BY
the Zulus in January gave the civilized
world shock from which it has not vet
recovered. The Afghan war involves
risks of magnitude that no statesman
can measure. No one knows where OF
in what state it will end. Any moment
hostilities may arise between England
and Russia over complications springine
from affairs in Afghanistau. Turning to
South America we find g civil war raging
in Venezuela. The Tevolu tionists have
taken the capital, and seem likely to have
their own way in recognizing the gov
eminent. Terrible atrocities have
marked the conflict thus far. There
are disturbances of a political character
n two or three other South American
states.
But worst of al are the famine and
pestilence which are depopulating entire
provinces in Brazil. No estimate car
give a close approximation of the mum.
Der of victims to date, but they are
hundreds of thousands. It is, with per
haps the reception of the recent Chinese
famine, one OF the worst calsmities OF
modern times. Yellow fever, smallpox,
and a species of plague have added to
the horrors of the famine. The plague
in Russia has thrown all Europe into a
serious apprehension of untold coming
woe. Several cities and districts along
the Lower VOlga have been virtually
depopulated. and, in spite of quarantine,
the spread OF the scnurge does not seem
to have been seriously checked. The
government has taken great pains to
conceal the true facts in the case, and
has even suppressed a paper because it
persisted in reporting matters as they
undoubtedly are; but enough comes to
light to show that deadly calamity is
forcing its way nOrthWard and westward
frem the Caspian sea. No one can tell
where it will not go, and what 8 swath
of death IL will cut before q year shall
have passed.
English industrial affairs give no signs
of improvement. Failures of business
houses are daily reported, The number
of people out O, employ ment and Deepen
dent on public charity Tor support is
steadily increasing. Over 10000 people
in Birmingham alone would starve In 8
week ii il were not or systematic relief
furnished them by a benevolent asso cia-
ton. In one district in She field 4,00U
persons are utterly destitute, and 10
are starving So instances could be mul.
tiplied in all parts OF the kingdom. Bad
SIS were the hard times here they lid noI
cause one-fourth of the suffering that
Great Britain has experienced from the
industrial crisis there in the last six
months. The beginning of the end Of
this calamity has not come, so that no
one can predict anything Sc to the
future.
Some of the recent minor calsmities
deserve but q passing word. The storm
which ragged in Italy, Spain, and southern
France early in the week was one Of the
severest known in Europe in q long
time. The shores of the Mediterranean
were strewn with wrecks buildings were
blown down in Italy, and great damage
was done to property generally. a week
or two ago a great earthquake occurred
in southern Italy. To add to the calam-
tiles of the year, a severe famine
threatens Jerusalem. The pleuro-pneu~
monia is raging in England, and along
the Atlantic slope of the United States,
threatening for the time an obstruction
of the cattle trade between the two
countries. Verify, the year has opened
with full quota of calamity and suffer
ings. How will it end