THROUGH THE ARCHIVES: From the News Letter of October 1870

The fog continues night after night, and yesterday morning, between six and seven o’clock, it was denser in Belfast than any previous day since it set in, declared the News Letter on October 1, 1870.

The News Letter added: “This has given rise to very great irregularity in the sailing and arrival of the cross-Channel steamers.

“The delays are the source of much inconvenience to the public generally, and in many cases it has been such as to cause considerable uneasiness as to the safety of the vessels.”

The Barrow boat, Talbot, arrived at 11.30 o’clock, was the first of the cross-Channel steamers to reach the quay at Belfast the previous morning.

The captain reported a dense fog from the Copeland Islands.

Runaway cow

Several cases were heard at the Belfast Police Court this week in 1870.

In one case Thomas Nesbitt and Peter McAreavy were brought in the custody of Sub Constable Hurley, charged with carelessly driving a cow, in consequence of which she knocked down a boy named Joseph Kelly, inflicting several serious injuries.

Harbour-Constable Williamson told the court that he had been on the New Lodge Road between four and five the previous Saturday.

He said that the prisoners had a double halter on the cow. She made a dash at one of the men and knocked him down.

Mr Joseph G Biggar told the court that the cow had calved two days previously and that the calf had been taken away to be sold.

The prisoners were discharged.

North Down Rifles appointments

Their Excellencies the Lord Justices, on the recommendation of Colonel, the Right Honourable Lord Dufferin and Clandeboye, Her Majesty’s Lieutenant of the County of Down, had appointed the following officers of the North Down Rifles Regiment to brevet rank in the militia, under provisions of a Warrant of July last, and the Secretary of State for War had been informed: Lieutenant-Colonel-Commandant Francis O Montgomery to be Colonel; Majors John Craig and Henry Keown to be Lieutenant-Colonel respectively, and Captain Matthew W Forde to be Major.