The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-11-11
A STORY of Woe.
SOUTH AMERICA SAID TO HAVE BEEN DEvAs
TATED BY ARCTIC HURRICANES.

| SOUTH AMERICA SAID TO HAVE BEEN DEVAS
TATED BY ARCTIC HURRICANES.
NEW YORK, November 9.-The steamship
Arcbimidts, which left Buenos Ayres OciO
Der 9Th for this port Ula MOntevidiO ant
Rio Janeiro, arrived here this morning. Sht
reports that fearful storms OF wind anC
rain, followed by intense cold, have raised
sad havoc in South America
The BuenOS AreS HerGLd of October
| 10th contains 4 letter from a correspondent
which SAYS: The storm that commenced
brewing on The 18th aud kept up til the
| l6'h instant has been something terrible
In all my camp experience have never fell
such intense cold. The mortality Of horned
cattle was fearful. Wherever one crosse,
The country there is nothing 10 be seen but
dead animals. They are heaped up beside
the wire fences like solid wall, simillr to
the sides OF an arroyo. At the lowest caIcu.
Iation from forty 20 fifty per cent. OF
those left 10 Us after the epidemic have
persisted with the cold, and this In
cSldes stock in good condition. The losses
OF sheep nav be rcckOned at from IL t. 10
per cent. For forty-cight hours il was
impossible 10 let them ont OF the corral.
The rain was trifling, but the wind was ter
rife, 1t beng as much as man could do TO
stand against it. Nothing can describe 1t
except a voyage round the Horn, when
everything one puts bis hand Oh is mass
of ice. | am sorry TO be the barbiuger OF
bad news, hat il is useless TO allow persons
in the city having interests outside TO ig-
more the worst.
Chief.Oflicer A. McJefTrev, Of the Archi
mides, says that news similar TO that con-
tanned IN the letter reached him at different
points along the coast during two weeks.
The weather has been terrific beyond pre-
cedent. Cattle have been starved and frozen
TO death by tens OF thousands. But the
greatest loss has been on sheep. Mr.. Nc
Jeffrey says of them: ! don't know whe-
Their il is superior intelligence or want OF
intelligence. but the South American sheep
have habit-that OF destroying themselves.
IL they are deprived OF sufficient food
or are exposed to excessive cold they
start out in immense droyes at the top CT
their speed; let them reach The side
OF deep ravinc, and II one OF the flock
springs into il and is dashed 10 Death, every
sheep behind him will follow the example.
so il they come 10 stream, let the leader
take plunge and every one at his back will
strike the water with bleat expressive OF
the knowledge OF what is to come.
From what have heard there is do doubt
in nv mind that hundreds will be impOyer-
ished 10y the loss OF their horned cattle in
the recent storms.
The Archlmides passed Cape st. Rogue
October 23d, and thereafter met several
sailing crafts in the nighttime that dis
played no light OF any kind. About 10
O'Clock in the morning Of the 29tb, in lat-
md 100 north, longitude 4So west, a large
schooner colided with our steamer. She
showed no light; not soul was seen on
deck, and there was no response to calls
from the Arcnimides. The sea was not
rough, but the vessels separated before the
steamer could learn anything OF the schooner.
She may be deserted, or all on board sick
or dead, for she was steering at random. On
the DIST OF October, when in latitude 10
south, longitude $50 33/ west, the Archimi-
dies sighted u large telegraph buoy. but
whether it had got adrift and tl1a'ed there
or was attached to broken cable could not
be determined.