The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-06-30
GENERAL SECULAR NEWS.
Domes site.

SALE OF THE ALUM SPRINGS
Messrs. Echols, Shelley, Cochran and Anderson.
Commissioners of the Circuit Court of Augusta
Co., sold the Alum Springs at auction last Satur-
day The property was Knocked down to C. r.
Mason for $4,000. We understand that the
purchase was made for joint-stock company
composed of creditors and Others This is con
sldered one of the best sales of real estate made
in this county for the last ten years. The
Jordan Alum Springs, at the recent sale, brought
less than Y5O,OOO.-Lerington Gazette.
HANDSOME GIFT TO Wal. UNI
vERsITY-Mr. Houston, of PHILADELPHIA. has
done a graceful act by subscribing $500 annually
for ten years for the support of fellowship in
Washington and Lee University of Lexington
1t is his purpose to give in the meantime such a
sum as Will yield permanent income of $500
annually for the fellOwship.-Ib.
ADAMS, MASS A STRANGE Ep1-
DEMIc.-On Tuesday night of last week the
town OF Adams, Mass, was visited by an epi.
demic of singular kind Between fifteen bnin-
dred and two thousand people, or fully one.
fourth of the population, were Frustrated bv a
disease resembling cholera morbus, and from a
cause yet unknown though tits generally attrib
uted to atmospheric influences About 6alfpast
eight that night it rained heavily there. though
no rain had fallen in towns six miles away. and
the air became suddenly and intensely chilly.
A fog seemed to rest over the town, which was
described as having an odor like that risino from
damp cellar after it had been closed for a lone
time. About ten o'clock people began to be
sick. First would come dizziness. followed nv
deathly sickness and vomiting and then a So
we're and prolonged purging Hardly a family
escaped, and In some instances whole families
were sick Three of the doctors were rnsbing
from place to place. vainly trying to answer
their hundreds Of calls, while the other doctor
was helpless with the prevailing disease. The
m tod
hours the gripping pains, vomiting and purpino
continuing throughout, but did not prove fatal in
any case. Women and children were chiefly
attacked, but strong men were also prostrated
People in Savoy and other hill towns were sim
llarly affected The attack was made on them
near daylight Wednesday morning. This seems
to show that the trouble arose from some atrnos-
Pnerlc disturbances or corruption, and that
whatever it was it passed over the valley from
west to east, covering belt of country two
miles IN width The persons attacked soon re-
covered.-N Y. Observer
The great ice drift on and east Of the
Newfoundland Banks seems TO be exhaustless.
The steamers and sailers arriving at this port
since the close Of May have reported iceberps
without number, and supposing each vessels
report related to distinct bergs not seen bv the
others the sum exceeds eight hundred Several
OF these ships passed over fifty, the Belpenland
seventy seven the ship Samarang; from Bremen.
more that one hundred" and the shin ST. 10
seph, from Liverpool passed one hundred and
hve icebergs and large quantity Of field ice 4"
Such reports are almost unprecedented. the esti
mated number Of bergs in one season coming
down from the Greenland seas being put by some
geographers at only FIVE hundred Though this
may be too low an estimate Of their annual av-
erage number, there can be no doubt that the
lcebergs and ice fields have been, both in mag