AMERICAN AFFAIRS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 5300, 22 September 1885, Page 4

AMERICAN AFFAIRS.

San Francisco, August 29. Charlestown, South Carolina, was struck by a cyclone oh : the morning of August 28, and one-fourth of the houses in the city were unroofed or. damaged. Among the houses wrecked ; were Sullivan's Island, in? eluding Brighton's Hotel blown away and wrecked. Shipping were tossed everywhere. The damage is set down at a million dollars. . .: " \ Ru Vors are afloat that Beecher is to be retired from the Plymouth Church on account of his attitude in the Presidential election. Th* 1 shipping interests of New York are in a deploraple state. Hundreds of unchartered craft are moored to the docks, and freight is expected to go even lower in the next *wo years. Recent imports show that the balance of trade with Brazil is largely against the United States of America, by 40 million dollars worth of Brazilian goods against 10 million dollars . of American goods sold to, that country. Lee and Hanlan had a three mile race at Jamaica .Bay, Long Island, on August 22. This was the first race Hanlan has rowedsince his return from Australia, and he was in -.good form. Hanlan won by two ien-jthSi He has arranged a three miles sculling race with Ross. The western trip of the Cunarder Etrussie,. which arrived at New York .on August 22, is the fastest recorded, beinp six day« two hours. The Mormons are attempting to colonise in Alfama. Rear- Admiral Seymour has arrived at Frisco en route to Victoria to assume the command of the British Pacific squadron. The Hebrews are raising funds to erect a monument to Sir Moses Montefiore in New York. A volcano has burst forth near Bishop's Creek, Nevada. Knapp and family, with a young lady under his guardianship, had a most singular adventure while travelling to 'Frisco from the East to embark by the Zealandia for Melbourne, where Knapp now resides. While sleeping in a Pulman car, a young lady was dealt a violent blow over the right eye with a brass knocker or club. She shrieked, when her assailant, who is believed to have intended to attack or rob Knapp, became alarmed pulled the bell rope, when the train stopped and he then escaped in the darkness. Knapp instructed his agents to bring a suit against the Pulman Company for 50,000 dollars damages. He went on by the s.s. Zealandia. Grant's funeral was the largest demonstration ever seen here. The hearse was drawn by 24 black horses, a colored man at the bridle of each. The scene, as the procession passed up Broadway, was a remarkable one. No sound was heard from the vast crowds that had lined the thoroughfare. The heat was bo intense that many ladies fainted. Some of the citizen soldiery also overcame, were taken away in an ambulance ; nevertheless vast crowds were unmoved and stood with bare h^ads while the funeral car passed. In San Francisco the occasion was observed as a state holiday. The funeral procession in tho city numbered 10,000. Many people objected to the mockery, only wanting a funeral with becoming display. All th 6 pavillion streets were draped in mourning. General Grant made no will, having nothing to dispos 3 of. The widow depends upon the Congressional appropriation and the novelty of her husband's book on the Civil War, from which rich returns are expected. The British barque Addington, from Columbia River, bound to Liverpool, was disabled in a heavy gale on the Equator. Four men wt>re swept overboard. They then headed to San Francisco for repairs, but owing to dense fogs were wrecked about Point Keyslight. Jhe captain and 17 hands were drowned, only one man being resqued. The small-pox epidemic has broken out in Montreal. The streets have been closed and disinfectants used in watering the streets. Masses are being celebrated in the Catholic churches. Riel, the Canadian rebel, has been sentenced to death: He protested against being considered insane, and declared he had acred solely with the, object of benefitting the Half-breeds; An active agitation is being got up among the FrenchCanadians in favor of a reprieve. The Peruvian Government forces were defeated by the rebels at Contra on Aug 18 after a five hours' battle. The Peruvian commander shot himself. There was heavy fighting on both aides. The Panama revolution has ended. D.> Lrsseps' representative at New York declares that, the Panama Canal is making satisfactory progress and will reverse a good many prophecies of failure. On the other hand the engineer at Monocal reported to the Secretary of the American Navy declaring that 70 per cent of the whole distance is yet untouched, and the work done represents less than 6 per cent of the total to be removed, that the work cannot be completed for less than 275 million dollars and in 14 years. .fjThe project for the Australian line of Bteamers connecting the Canadian Pacific railways is still agitated. An American staked 50,000 dollars on the Puritan, which won the International Yaoht race.