GENERAL SUMMARY.

Bruce Herald, Volume IX, Issue 828, 15 August 1876, Page 6

GENERAL SUMMARY.

Cablegrams relating to the war between the Turkish G-overnment and the insurgent provinces and Servia fill columns of American papers. The ' Daily News ' gives a detailed account of the atrocities committed during the insurrection by the Turkish irregular troops. All moveable property has been plundered, houses and villages burnt, and all men, women, and children indiscriminately slaughtered. It is estimated that the province, which heretofore yielded the Government annual revenue of four million dollars will not pay one quarter that sum this year and for yearß to come. Various estimates place the number of lives sacrificed at from 18,000 to 20,000.

A correspondent names 37 villages known to have been distroyed. Among the refugees, the number of whom is very small, there is not a girl over ten years of age. In the village of Sernstitza, in the district of Phillipopolis, 15,000 persons are known to have been killed. This village consisted of 4000 houses, and was prosperous and peaceful. Every house has been burned and the inhabitants killed, all except a few women and children who took refuge in Philli— popolis, and some women who were carried off by the troops.

These cruelties made a great impression at Constantinople. The English Ambassador interviewed the Government to put an end to them.

Bulgaria has issued a declaration of independence.

Servia has declared war against Turkey, alleging as a reason her determination to secure special administration for Herzegovina and Vesina. Prince Milan has placed himself at the head of the Servian troops, numbering 110,000.

The excited state of the population in Constantinople caused great alarni ; and the Russian Ambassador, receiving threatening and. insulting letters, sent his wife and family away.

Several thousand Montenegrin troops were sent to the assistance of the Herzegovinian insurgents, and the Empress of Russia sent a special hospital train. Russian sympathisers also contributed six months' provisions for the army and people of Montenegro.

In a town near Bulgaria, the Turkish Pasha seized -500 leading inhabitantp, and threatened to execute them, if the district resisted. The Turks hung many professors and teachers in the district, and crucified some priests.

The first engagement with the Servians is claimed as a decided victory for the Sviltan's troops. The Sultan subscribed £20,000 to the people's war fund. Servian forces marched into Bulgaria, and, aided by the rising of the inhabitants, defeated the Turks in one or two engagements ; but the successes were mainly on the Turkish side. 1300 Servians were defeated in an engagement at Tuisa. The Servian losses in the first ten engagements were estimated at 5000.

The Turks massacred all the Christian inhabitants at Beling.

Twelve thousand Egyptian troops have been despatched to Turkey.

Great fanaticism and enthusiasm pervad.9 the Turkish troops. One leader in Bulgaria boastfully pai'aded the decapitated heads of women and children. Letters from Alexiniz state that the Circassians burned twenty-one Bulgarian villages near Baginglava, murdering men, and cutting children to pieces. Official reports state that during the Servian attack on Nova Varasch the Turks placed Christian women and children in the entrenchments, and many were killed by the Servian fire.

The Montenegrins defeated the Turks in several engagements, but the Servians have almost invariably been defeated in every collision, and the forces are reported to be greatly dispirited.

The British Foreign Office has received a telegram from the British Ambassador at Constantinople, stating that a Turkish functionary of high position had been sent as Extraordinary Commiesionef t > suppress excesses in Bulgaria. He is furnished with full powers to inflict summary punishment.

The Sultan of Turkey is suffering a great deal of distress, and is believed to be going insane. His abdication is expected. He never recovered the shock of the suicide of Abdul.

The Great Powers maintain neutrality, and the general peace ia not likely to be disturbed.

Influential representations are being made to the British. Cabinet not to enter upon war. European advices from multitudes of sources represent business and all productive enterprise as being worse than they have been during the present generation, and without visible sign of change for the better.

The Admiralty intend to investigate the Samoan disturbance. The Barraeouto was ordered Home for that purpose.

Great depression prevails in the Cleve land iron trade.

An earthquake has occurred in Vienna. Rents are visible in many houses. The proposed reduction of ten per cent, on the wages of 60,000 Lancashire cotton spinners caused great excitement. A deputation secured. a postponement of the reduction.

The plague at Bagdad has almost disap peared.

At the meeting of the Durham colliers to consider the reduction in wages, 20,000 favored arbitration, against 16,000 in favor of a strike. Arbitration will be carried out.

In a colliery explosion at Birley pit, Sheffield, six men were killed.

The Q-overnor of the Dutch East Indies telegraphs, confirming the report of the loss of the steamer Lieut. General Crossan in the Straits. Two hundred and thirty persons were drowned.

There is trouble in Athens, and a state of siege is declared.

"While H.M. Thunderer was making a trial of the measured mile at Stokes Bay, Portsmouth, her boiler exploded, killing 25 of the crew. The bodies were shockingly mutilated, the flesh being stript from their liuabs by the escaping steam. The forward stoke hole, where the explosion occurred, was divided from the after stoke-hole by watertight bulkheads. The stokers in the latter were protected from the fragments caused by the explosion, but were literally boiled to death by steam. The chief and assistant engineers were killed, and the captain's hand was blown oft.

The King and Queen of Greece are visiting England.

Small-pox is very prevalent in San Francisco. The sewers are all flushed, and the streets sprinkled with lime. Fourteen fresh cases have been reported in one day. The outbreak is not confined to any particular locality, but is all over the city.

The eastward bound train on the Missouri and Pacific Kail way has been stuck up by robbers near St. Louis, and IS,OOO dollars taken.

Don Carlos has arrived in Washington

General Haye's steamer, of St. Clare, sixteen passengers aboard, took fire on Lake Superior, and was burned to the water's edge. Only the captain, mate, engineer, and wheel man, and one passenger escaped. Twenty-seven lives were lost. The survivors were picked up by a boat.

The military situation in Mexico ia unchanged. The Government general, with 15,000 troops, isat Assizoo, and is to march against the insurgents at Tariico and San Juan De Lanos. This campaign is expected to finish the revolution. A political revolt at Cuzzo was suppressed after eight hours' street fighting. Thirty were killed and wounded.

Smallpox ia devastating Santiago, Chili. Senor Soldmar has been elected President of Salvador.

Commerce in Central America is slowly reviving.

In Ecuador an attempt has been made to assassinate Juan Moanoto, a prominent leader of the advanced liberal party.