Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-04-09
THE FIRE AT WINDSOR CASTLE, EsoIAsD.)

THE FIRE AT WINDSOR CASTLE, (EsoLAsD.)
We extract from Liverpool paper the following par
ticulars Of the burning Of the towers Windsor
Castle in the night of the 10Th ultimo
a hre occasioning great alarm to the Sovereign and
involving lamentabe destruction of property broke out
IN the private apartments Of Windsor Castle at quarter
before ten clock on Saturday night The outbreak
discovered within very few minutes Of its occurrence;
but the fire had obtained such aseendancy that its pro-
gress was not altogether subdued until six O'clock on sun
day morning.
The damage to the in the Prince Of Wales Tower
and adjoining apartments is very serons all the apart
in this tower including the beautiful Gothic dining
room destroyed indeed the may be said TO be
completely Quilted, the fire extended the roof which
is also destroyed The precise the damage can
| not at this moment be ascertaned.
The tower in which this misfortune commenced was a
splendid piece of architecture and nearly faced Elton Col
lege, whilst the beautiful and promenade stands
Immediately In 'front.' and under the battlements is the
tasteully ladou flower gardens and slopes where her
Majesty and royal children frequently enjoy walking
ercise On the ground floor apartment of great
and most beautifully appointed which used by
the Queen as the dining room. The roof or more cor
rectly speaking the ceiling, nlad with carved oak
delicately heightened with gold Over this magnificent
apartment were number of rooms, principally devoted
for sleeping apartments for the royal children and aten
dants various other adoined those just mention
ed and the whole touched, nearly the apartments
in the Brunswick Tower
Her Majesty and his Royal Hghness Prince Albert
had arrived the Castle from Buckingham Palace in the
afternoon, and dned in private is their usual custom
the day of their arrival the dinner being served in
the Gothic dining Her Majesty and the Prince had
left this scarcely hour when smoke observed
issuing from the south angle Of the apartment With as
little delay possible the communicated to
Col Phipps who in turn gave the necessary intelligence
| to the officers in command of the Castle.
The soldiers behaved manfuy mounted the roof
of the tower removed the valuable furniture with
the utmost from the apartments contiguous
the confagation, whilst others using their utmost
Tho uurl,t lin thaA atna
ed from the ground floor up the staircase and having
entered numerous apartments in the Prince Of Wales
Tower the whole became gnited and in space of time
comparatively brief the destructive element forced its
way into the centre of the Brunswick Tower when the
sight that presented itself such TO terrfy all who
beheld the spectacle-for the flames in huge bodies,
rushing out of the various windows in each tower
threatening to take complete circuit round the castle
The military and others labored in most praiseworhy
manner hoping to subdue the confagration The water
which fell in tons weight per minute down the front
Of the towers and in spite of the heat became frozen and
immense ccles could be hanging from the window
sls and as the flames continued to shoot through the
easements the sight presented of fearful grandeur
the reflection of the FIRE could be for miles distant
During this trying scene her Majesty and his Royal
igsness Prince Albert betrayed the least signs Of
fear but appeared rejoiced at the willingness displayed
by her loyal subjects in mounting the ladders scattering
the water the fire, and doing all that possible
to subdue the CONFEDERATION.
1t appears that the fire originated from furnace fue,
situated at the basement Of the Prince of Wales Tower
4
thic dining room and other apartments in this tower.
The plate rooms, which contained gold plate valued at
/ between two and three millions of money situated
Immediately under the Gothic dining room where there
raging but 1t not considered necessary to remove
any portion of it, the were made fre-proof.
SURVEY OF WISCONSIN, IOWA, AND MINNESOTA.
Messrs. Lippencott 4 Grambo of Philadelphia, have
just published by order Of Government, complete and
elegant work upon the geology of Wisconsin, Iowa. and
Minnesota The document which comprises the reports
OF Dr. DAVID DALE OWEN and his assistant scientific corps
is issued in two quarto volumes and another
of plates and maps. The region, de- Upton Of which
is here given by the geocgis is said 70 be the most
tensve hitherto reported upon by any American scientific
corps The maps include extent Of territory upwards
Of hundred miles in length from north to south and
about three hundred and fifty in extreme breadth The
survey takes in the Mississippi and all its tributaries,
from the to its junction with the Missouri the
Missouri high Council Bluffs the Red river of the
North and part Of the northern ahd southern shores Of
Lake Michigan. The superficial extent of the whole is
judged to exceed two hundred thousand square miles be-
ing about two and half times large the whole
island of Great Britain.
0ne-fourth of the ninety streams which this vast
territory contains have been thoroughly explored The
geological researches exhibit considerable variety of
formation Coal has been found in abundance; but the
coal measures of Iowa much haluwer than those Of
Illinois, and the mineral generally inferior to that found
in the valley of the Ohio river Beds of nodular ron
found in many places the Mankato and Lesuer rivers
are the only metallic deposites Of much promise. On
Soap creek have been discovered salt springs, aerdng
weak Brine the quality Of which it is thought may be i'm
proved by boring is stated that large portion Of the
region consists of rich prolific SOIL well adapted for all
agricultural purposes. Indeed Of the lands the
Cedar and Des Moines rivers hardly be exceled in
fertility Yet the country in the vicinity Of the
OF the Black and Chippewa rivers and the streams flowing
norhward into Lake Superior hopelessly arid and
unfit for cultivation These refuse lands however, do
not amount to than onefoureenih part Of the whole
| two hundred thousand square miles
This beautiful country offers many powerful induce
ments to the settler But alas SUD lies the thorn
Among the beautiful streams which frequently inter-
sect the country and upon the beautiful praries and ia
BILE lands which extend large portions Of it, Turk the
two great torrents Of the Western poneer-inermttent
eyers and venemous insects The members of the expe-
dtion suffered from both OF these annoyances and the
explorers returned from their labors with the loss of one
or two Of their pary.-Boston Journal.
The MANUFACTURE OF UMBRELLAS, PARksoLs, &c.--It
is interesting to observe in what large classes of
the population in the city Of New York obtain the means
Of livelihood The day scarcely dawns before Chatham
and Division streets Broadway and other large thorough
fares moving with the human tide setting into the
lower wards tbs mostly of youthful character made
up Of clerks, porers mechanics and artisans also of
large numbers of young females employed in sewing hats
caps clothing umbrellas, &c. in connexion with various
wholesale manufacturing establishments Those houses
cod in he MI