Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-12-29

1885.

The present year is drawing rapidly t.
its close. A few days more and it will b.
numbered with the past. A brief review
OF the most prominent events of the yeal
wifi be interesting to the readers of thu
journal.
When the year 1885 came in, the chole
"a was raging in parts Of Europe and
threatening the people upon this side o.
the Atlantic. In this country precautions
we're taken to prevent its introduction up
on our shores, which have proved success
full. During the year it has continued it,
course in France and Spain, though we
think with not so great fatality as the year
before. With this exception the presen,
year has been measurably exempt from
pestilence. The small pox has ragged in
Canada to some extent, but by judicious and
energetic precautions it has been kept be-
yond the borders of our country. except in
few isolated cases. The world at Large
has not been visited severely by dread
diseases. Science, care. industry, courage
and resolution haye done much to stay the
ravages of the great scourges as well as
to overcome the spread and fatality of the
lesser diseases which affect mankind.
From disasters by sea and land, by food,
tempest, earthquakes and other minor
causes. the world has suffered to large
extent during the past twelve months.
We can recall the death OF hundreds of
miners in Europe, by explosions of the
deadly fire damp and other causes of de-
struction incident to their employment
In one coal mine in Prussia, by one disas-
ter, 1870 miners were killed; in another,
in Austria, 147 persisted; in another. near
Manchester, England, 200 suffered death !;
while many other disasters. less in degree
but similar in character, have been report
ed from other localities, like the recent
one in this country. Java has been visit
ed by volcanic eruption by which many
villages were destroyed and 100 persons
killed. An avalanche in Armenia de-
stroyed GO people; one in Iceland killed
large number The vale OF Cashmere was
visited by an earthquake which destroyed
more than 5000 persons and 20, 900 houses.
In Asiatic Russia there were terrible
earthquakes. which caused great destruc-
ton of life and property. A town in
Mexico was destroyed by water spout,
and 20 lives were lost. A town in Ohio
was almost completely annihilated by a
tornado. In China the floods drowned
10000 persons, destroying habitations and
other property to an immense amount.
The losses of life and property at sea
this year have been large. The waves
have swallowed many noble vessels and
those on board OF them. Two hundred
and thirty eight men went down in Ger
man corvette, in the Red Sea, by IA cyclone.
Seventy British sailors lost their lives by
the collision of the steamer Orestes with
Chinese steamer; thirty were lest by a like
collision in the Sea of Azof In the Gulf
OF Alden steamer went down leaving only
one survivor to tell the tale. BY a terrific
storm off the coast of Labrador, seventy
fishing vessels were lost The steamer
Hanoverian of the Allan Line suffered ship
wreck. Recently many vessels were
wrecked at Aspinwall. strewing the shore
with fragments of ruined vessels and the
bodies of seamen. The year has been
prolific of heavy storms and necessarily
many shipwrecks has been the result.
Among the disasters by fire the most
notable are the burning of the Charter
House Buildings at London, causing a loss
of l5,000,0 900, and the great fire at GAL
weston, Texas, by which 800 houses were
burned, and the loss estimated at o.. $780,
600.
The attempt to blow up the Houses of
Parliament and the Tower, London, was a
daring act of desperadoes. The most
barbarous deed of the year was the mas
sacre of five missionaries and 10000
christians by Black Flags in the Provinces
OF Biendinh and Phygen. Surely there is
missionary work needed where such re-
voting cruelty can be perpetrated upon
unoffending christians. Near home is the
assault of white miners at Wyoming upon
500 Chinese miners, killing about so of
the latter and driving the survivors from
the mines. The millennium has not yet
come. The world has advanced in knowl-
edge and civilization but barbarity, super
stition. ignorance, and many vices are yet
to be grappled with before they are ex-
tinct.
Death has been busy in high and low
places. The grim reaper never ceases
his work. Among the celebrated victims
of the year are General Grant. Vice Pres.
ident Hendricks. General Mcclellan. ex.
Gov. Coburn, Schuyler Colfax. Prof. Ben.
jamin Sillman. Rear Admiral George II
PEBBLE, Sergeant Thomas Plunkett, the
one armed hero of Fredericksburg, Gen
eral Mcdowell. ex-Secy. Frelinghuysen,
William II. Vanderbilt, ex.Gov. Fenton Of
New York, Commodore Semmes. Cardi.
nal McClosky, Henry w. Shaw-"Josh
Billings''-John Mccullough, tragedian
~ Cooa.o~ Charo,, II 9 Arth,r Narar