AMERICAN NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1179, 4 July 1874, Page 4

AMERICAN NEWS.

San Francisco, May 27th. The details of the partial destruction of three villages in Massachussets by the bursting of the reservoirs are appalling in their character. The reservoirs were in the mountains, and -were used for mill purposes in the villages below. The dams broke away, and the torrent rushed down on the villages, sweeping everything in its course. One hundred and eighty persons were drowned. The damage to property amounts to one million dollars. Four hundred families were rendered homeless. As adding to the confusion and distress, as soon as the catastrophe became known, robbers and roughs from neighbouring towns poured in eager for plunder. The women's crusade against the liquor traffic is being suppressed by the authorities. Forty women were arrested at Pittsburg for obstructing the road. They still express their determination to continue the work. The steamer Sivatora, carrying scientists for the observation of the transit of Venus, is ready to leave New York. She will land parties at Crozet and Desolation Islands. Elaborate instruments and eighteen months' provisions are aboard. The Mayor of New Orleans telegraphs for further aid towards the sufferers by the great Louisiana inundation. He says that 45,000 rations must be distributed daily, and that contributions of a million dollars I will be required to prevent the horrors of famine and great loss of life. ' Several buildings in Buffalo have fallen, by which eight persons were killed. A fire has occurred at Toronto, by which 200,000 dollars worth of property has been destroyed. Four ruffians fought their way out of Tndiana state prison with revolvers and bowie knives, killing the turnkey in doing so. The American steamer Manchu has been wrecked during a gale in the Japan seas, and forty-seven persons, consisting chiefly of Chinamen, were drowned. A man and wife and an old woman and son were burned to death in Mexico, for sorcery, by Senor Costello, alcalde of Jaconimo. They were tested by compelling them to swallow holy water. A strike of the stage-drivers in New York has caused a disappearance of vehicles from the streets. At a fire in Independence, Ohio, over forty leading business houses were burned down, and the value of the property destroyed amounts to 500,000 dollars. Great ice floats at Quebec have damaged and wrecked a large number of steamers and other vessels. Damages are estimated at 1,500,000d01. The New York police are making raids on gamblers. Seventy have been arrested. The police of San Juan, Porto Rico, are arresting Freemasons, on the ground that they favour the separation of the Colonies from Spain. Intelligence from Japan states that the chief of the rebels and ten leaders have been caught and executed. More brutal murders have been committed at San Francisco. One hundred Catholic pilgrims have left New York for Rome. Havanna intelligence states that at a court martial, a large number of people were condemned to death and imprisonment for treason. A Bill has been introduced into Congress empowering them to purchase 10,000 acres of land in Pango Pango, Samoa, as a naval station for the United States, without assuming the political control of lands, which continue under native sovereignty, subject to conditions necessary to secure the rights bf the United States. The Bill was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Colonel Steinburgh's report is in favour of the annexation. It is understood that the annexation Committee opposes this, and favours the proposal to purchase any land required. Thousands of Mormons are joining Brigham Young under the Order of Enoch, which requires every member to give all his property to the Church.

COMMERCIAL. San Francisco, May 24th. In the market here there is a slight depression in flour j a concession is necessary to induce business. Wheat tinsettled ; the prospects of a large shipment and increased rates of ocean freights cause the irregularity. ■Wool transactions are restricted by short supply j the tone of the market is improving;

sales are reported at 32 cents for Btiry, 36§ cents for free new_ spring ; 25 cents for fall J 25 cents for lambs ; 75 cents for scoured at Boston. There is a fair degree of activity ; of the spring clip, sales were marked at 82J cents. jPetroleum, very dull. Liverpool, May 22nd. Wheat, 12s Od to 12s 9d per cwt, and 12» 9d to I3s per cental. Freights from San Francisco to Liverpool, £3 10s to £3 12s 6<3 on the spot ; charters, £9 16» to £4, to arrive up to October Ist. San Francisco, May 27th. Flour is in demand from 50dols 50c. to ■ GOdols for fine; 4dols 50c. to 4dols 75c, inch sacks, per 196 ibs for superfine. The wheat market is quiet. Sales of 1400 sacks for milling were made at Idol 800. The barley market is steady, and sales were made of 5000 sacks, for brewing, at Idol 800. In wool we continue to note an active market. Spring short staple, 18c. to 22c; medium, 24c to 25c. ; extra choice, long staple, 26c. to 27c. per lb. London dates of sth May report : — Phormium: A flat tone still prevails in the market. Prices of all description have declined from 10s to 20s per ton. Only small quantities of New Zealand found., buyers at easier rates. Sales consist of 227 bales shorts, £15 5s to £16 10s ; ordinary, £18 10 a' to £18 15s ; medium half-dressed, j£l9 to £20 per ton, Hides af c languid. Sales : ■ Sydney, heavy, 6|d. For leather little en- , quiry at Is 4d to Is 2d. £1 decline in tallow ; a better business doing ; prices fluctuated considerably, but closing values were ' -Sheep, good to fine, 37s 9d to 38s 6d; dark greasy good fair, 33s 6d to 36s 6d; beef, fine, 36* 3d to 36s 6d. New Zealand Meat Company's boiled mutton, 6 lb tins, «5Jd. Potted meat, in tin, beef and mutton, 5s per dozen ; tongues, 10s ; ham, Bs, Jacomb and Son report on wool — " The second series of public sales of Colonial wool for the year opened on the 28th ult., and will probably last till the 18th June, the earlier arrival of clir> this season having accumulated an extraordinary large quantity. Three sales have been arranged in order to give encouragement to purchasers ■ by allowing a fair time for digestion thereof. The ensuing sales will not commence before 18th of August. There will only be two more series this year. About 39,000 bales more were disposed of in the first series this' year than in 1873. French purchasers operated with spirit. Belgian and German buyers were not so conspicuous, either in number or in operations. The Home trade was well represented. Sales opened with most of the districts pretty bare of stooks. The Bradford trade was somewhat sickly in' many departments. Prices for all washed Australian wools were Id to 2d below the average of February and March sales, middle and inferior combing wools showing the lowest range. Coarse and half-bred wool about 3d for washed, 2d for greasy, below those rates. Greasy merinos have perhaps sold with more spirit, and at a better proportionate price than other descriptions,, ranging from £d to Id under the average of last sales. Scoured wools are about l£d to 2d lower. Lambs' wools show a similar decline. May 30th. Colonial securities are in demand. New Zealand, 104 to 106 ; Consolidated, 104J to 105 £- ; New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency, £th premium. Trust and Loan Company, 1£ to 1J premium ; Otago and Southland Investment Company, Jth to §th premium ; National Bank or New Zealand, \ premium ; Bank of New Zealand, 174 to 18J. SHIPPING. London, May 6. — Arrived — Cardigan Castle, from Lyttlefcon, April 27th ; Merope, from Lyttleton, April 26th j Otago, from Otago, April 18th ; Queen Bee, from Napier, April 27th ; Hope, from Wellington, April 15th. Sailed — For Auckland : Miltiad.es, May 4th ; Ferndale, May Bth. For Canterbury : Hereford, t April 18th ;, Eastern Monarch, May 2nd, For Nelson : Adamant, May 4th. For Napier : Winchester, May 3rd. For Otago*: Cafrick Castle, April 27th ; Sussex, April 17th ; Peter Denny, May 2nd. For Wellington : Confliot, May sth ; Euterpe, April 28th. The Otago, oa her passage home, encountered a terrible gale on the 10th of April, and lost all the boats, spars, stock, and a portion of the bulwarks, the ship lying for some time with the lower yard arms under water. The following day she rescued the crew of the barque Arthur, which was in a sinking condition, and landed them at Dartmouth. Loading at London. — For Auckland: Cathcart, Columbus, Oxford, City of Auckland. For Canterbury : Carisbrook Castle, St. Lawrence, Taunton, Nelson, Passibra. For Otago: Corona, Cordelia, Haddon Hall, Sam Mendall. For Wellington : J. A. Thomson, Strathnavar, St. Leonards. The steamer Bruce sailed from the Clyde for Otago on April 11th. San Francisco. — Loading for Lyttelton : Barque Brunette and brig Sida, with railway ties. New York. — Loading : May 16th, barque Onco, for New Zealand. Vancouver's Island. — Sailed: May 6th, brig Hazara, for New Zealand. Loading : Barque Colso, for Otago. Boston. — Sailed : May Bth, ship Bunker Hill, for Melbourne and Dunedin.

A Wanganui paper understands that Major Rookes, of Wanganui militia celebrity, will petition the Assembly in the ensuing session for compensation for his services The major, it is stated, is not rolling in worldly affluence in the North,,