1847. A telescopic comet was discovered by a lady of Nantucket, Mass., in the constellation Cepheus.
1847. A violent tornado unroofed the steam factory in Portsmouth, N. H.; weight not less than 70,000 pounds. It separated into 3 sections, one falling within 100 feet, another 200, the rafters coming down endways and sinking 4 feet in the earth; the largest section weighing 30,000 pounds, was carried 300 feet.
1848. James Biddle, United States commodore, died at Philadelphia, aged 65.
1849. Hudson river rail road opened to Peekskill.
1850. Whitehall and Rutland rail road opened.
1853. The Turkish divan resolved on the most vigorous measures against Russia, and the sultan signed the declaration of war, and permitted the allied fleets to pass the Dardanelles.
1854. The shores around the harbor of Vera Cruz strewn with an immense number of dead fish, supposed to have been killed by the gas evolved in some submarine volcanic eruption.
1854. The steamer Yankee Blade from San Francisco to Panama, struck a reef of rocks, and was wrecked. Although there were 800 passengers on board, all but 15 were saved; $153,000 of specie was lost.
OCTOBER 2.
331 B. C. Darius, king of Persia defeated by Alexander at Arbela, losing 300,000 men. This defeat of Darius decided the fate of Persia.