AMERICA.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 807, 12 June 1879, Page 2

AMERICA.

TERRIBLE NITRO-GLYCERENE EXPLOSION. . A terrible uitro-glycerene explosion occurred at Stratford Ontario. A few minutes before ten olclock to-day, the whole town was shaken as if by an earthquake. Windows were blown in and sidewalks so moved that pedestrians were thrown down. The cause was that a car loaded with dynamite, exploded at.the Grand Trunk freight yard. The wreck baggers description. Underneath the dynamite car a hole several feet deep was scboped oiit, the end of the brick freight shed and portions of the roof were blown down. Several frame buildings were leveled to the ground, and long strings of freight cars in. the yard utterly destroyed. The business part of the town is nearly a mile from the scene of the explosion, but it shared in the disaster. Valuable plate-glass windows were broken, and many others blown in, frames and all. The damage done to property is estimated at many thousand dollars. Two railway employees were blown into fragments, The foot of one was found 200 yards off. ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF EDWIN . BOOTH. On the night of the 23rd, while Edwin Booth was giving the soliloquy in the last act of Richard 11., at Vicker's Theatre, Chicago, a shoWas fired at him

by a matj sitting in tho left ! gallery. : ; Booth sat still uritiFrfbout3 secondß*laterj ft second shot was fired, when hVrosfj and started toward the left wing of>the stage, pointing out as W he went the wotild-bu assassin. He was m at once arrested, and gave his name atf^ Mark Grey, a St. Louis dry goods clerk. He said Booth had wronged a friend of his soino years ago, and he had made up his mind to kill him when an opportunity occurrod. .Gray^ia«auppoaed to be afflicted . with a. murderous ma.iia, as he depresses regret *that his' purpose failed. In poison, face, and figure he is remarkably like Booth;" Who Visited him in prison, but could get no satisfactory reason for the attack. He refuses to prosecut Gray, who prove* to be an Irishman. His infitHeV; ' lf\'!ng in Keokuk, Illinois, pronounces Kim 'to tip insane. She repudiates indignantly rfny relationship between her son and Booth, . ■ "•]::». v SOUTH AMERICAN WAR. The greatest enthusiasm was manifested by all classes of the people on the reception of the intelligence that Chili had officially declared, war - against Peru. ■■■■.<: Private individuals, from the wealthiest capitalists to the humblest artisans hastened to offer their services and money to the Government. The beneficent societies, the dabs, religious corporations, philanthropic associations, the university, schools, the foreign residents, even the Chinese domiciled in Lima and tho port, placed their funds at the disposal of- the Government. The foreigners have formed themselves into companies of home guards, and their services were gladly accepted, since the police corps, now considered as line troops, and in perfect .discipline, will start for the front. Gen. Da2a,; President of Bolivia, is en- route to the coast via Corocora and Tacna, .with 5,000 weU-eqiiipped troops; Bolivia consented to await the result of Peruvian attempts at mediation, and until that proved unsuccessful could take ho active^ measures. Chili has about 9,000 men niftier arms in the occupied territory. NAVAL ENGAGEMENT. « ■ • • A Lima letter Bays the first naval encounter of the Chilian and Peru vain forces took place .April 14th off the mouth of the river Loa, between the Peruviaii wooden corvettes TJnioniaid Pilcomayo and the Chilian steam sloop Magallanes. The Magallanea; after' an engagement lasting over two hourSj being a faster vessel than those opposing, steamed away. ; .-.. Admiral Robolledo, commanding the Chilian blockading squadron/ has ordered ships loading guano :to leave within fdrty-eight hours, iatfd later) with; his guns destroyed costly loading apparatus at the guano deposits and seized launches, the property of English subjects. This procedure wiff give rise to complications and protests. ' v '■■