Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1831-02-16
THE BURNING OF FORT DELAWARE.
rrRIYATE coRREsroNpENc ]


NV Dear Sir: hastily snatch up the art paper
see 10 inform you that have this moment returned
from Fort Delaware, which was last night consuuI-
ed BY fire, communicated III three different places,
whether by accident or otherwise is not known, but
take the liberty of informing you OF the results as
hastily presented TO my view. viz: TINT the fire COM
meneed a, II o'clock last nght-tha' 1t ragged with
such uninterrupted fury as TO consume all OF the
wood belonging to the Fort, with the exception of
the Majors quarters and the quarters OF Lieut.
futile. I went over in q soop, and have brought
over MANY of the ladies' attached to the establish
n,ent. The loss of the @diccrs is severe, being at
least half of their clothes, books and furniturc
of the pr:vates, about equal III relation TO clothing
Capt. Gardner now in your City, believe reform
ed officer mas lost al he had here, said to be $1,000
IN books, furniture. &C. The location of his quarters
prevented any relief being rendered The establish
meut must be necessarily deserted for the Winter,
and it will require sine, and much eXpend-
ture soy SlCU, 900, to repair damages IL requires
caution to avoid the floating ice IN ves;ing ths Fort
Nut Int.
pELAwAnr CRY, Feb 0, 10 o'clock, a. NJ.
All that was combustble of FORT DELAWARE
has been consumed by this destructive element The
river is 80 obstructcd b. ice that we have not yet
been able to learn any particulars Inc hre was
first discovered at this place about 10 o'clock last
evening, near the lamp. from whence It is supposed
t originated, having the appearance of two lamps
when 1t broke forth III large volumes, and spread
with such velocity that i'll two hours the whole Fort
had the appearance Of one burning mass, throwing
up inu,onse volumes of fame and smoke, ccrling
high in the air, preSentingu scene at once truly aw
fnl and magnificent and imposing
Since the above was in type, we have leaned
from one Of the officers, who has Just crossed 10 this
place. that the fire orgna ed from the stove pipe,
where it passes through the roof Of Lieut.. Iutles
quarters. The flames spread with such rapidry that
1t wds with difficulty the officers saved part OF their
furniture The scene most apPaillng-and II
must move the sympathies of nature when we learn
that females end cbi,dTsa removed from sick
beds, Innking their escape through the suGocatng
smoke aud giariug flames of this awful confagratios
10 SEEK shelter in u miserable howell remain in
The keen blast Oft scvprc'winter night, The cloth
ing ofthe men, and great part OF their provision,
have been destroyed. The officers quarters, with
the exception Of the Commanding ind Engincers,)
and the soldiers, have been completely consumed,
and the work now exhibits the skeleton Of forti-
cation 1t is conectured that independent of private
losses. the government has sustained loss of
than one hundred thousand dollars ou''ier.
By the Br schr. Pomona, a, Savannah from Mas.
eau r.. p. we received file of the Royal Gazettu
10 the goth Jan. We find nothing in them of inter-
est other than account Of the wreck of the Amer
lean brig Comet, which was bound from Alexandra
ID. G.. to New Orleans, and wrecked OIL Abaco Oh
the night Of the Cd Jan.
The Comet had on board at the time Of her disas-
ter, one hundred and sixty foar slaves, and other
passengers, which wcro all carried 10 Nassau by
three Abaco veescs.
On their arrival another vessel was nIned iatcly.
nrno--I .hnn TO their port Of destination:
but on application at the Custom House for pernis-
Zion TO ira1sh'p ihsin, u was refused Many OF them
made their escape, but afterwards caught and
placed in prison Much excitement prevailed at Mas
san in consequence Ofthc arrival Of these slaves.
The Gazette OF the l5th, mentions that the slaves
were under seizure in tho court Of Vice Admiralty
That they taken from tho vessels which con
yeyeJ them to that port, Bnd removed TO another
which was stationed on an Island opposite the town
and would there remain until the Gaze wcs decided h.
the court.
In reision - The rumors that the Llacks Of Mar
tiniaue and Guadaoupe had reyo'tsd, the New la
ven Advertiser Observes
"These Islands eoninin great numbers Of free
blacks, some Of them men Of properly and among
them ere many large purchasers of American pro
dUce a great jealousy Of the blacks is entertained
by the white residents, a Jealousy very greatly X
cited by the recent orders from France enarrnp tho
privileges of the blacks. In tho month of October
the public places at MauirIgnn were closed in con-
sequence of the order placing the blacks on tho Same
footing with the whites. Many Of tho blacks were
forward to assume all the liberties allowed thoro h.
tie new laws, and very rro~' g. , = y
tie VI ..-v- tuuIyheuop WuS le,l ~
-, IN c0nseauaDee In November such APP
syoheso Of The rising of tho blacks was felt, that
thef whites, TO man, slept with sword and pistols
,tndsr tbejr pillows. Several alarms were gwen
sad The troops at 81. Pierre were several times
marched into the country to suppress reported Insult
rectjcns when our informant left Martinique, now,
ever IN Dersnsbor, tho approximations were good