Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-01-27
Obstructive Comflaxratiom In Portland, Me.

Our Custom House formerly called the Exchange
Buiiding--is in ruins. The most destructive and
disastrous fire The" has visited our city tor many
years, occurred between the hours of 5 and of
Sunday morning. Jan. 6, completely destroying our
noble Custom House and vast amount of public
and private property. The bull ling itself one
of the finest public editceS of the country, and can
not be replaced short of 100000 It's principal
room far better then that in the Custom
House of Boston, New York, or Philadelphia.
In addition to the several Offices connected with
the collection of the customs, there in the
building, city Post Office, the United States
Count room, with the Offices of the Marshal of the
United States the Clerks of the United States Cir
cult and District Courts, the Atlantic Bank the Com
mercial News Room, |. S. Baileys book store, and
the extensive and valuable collection of the Natural
History Society.
Out of the building nothing was saved except a
portion of the contents of the Post Office, and part
of Baiey's books, except such matters were Sc
cured by safes. The condition of these is not yet
fully known, but the belief is that the large safe in
the Custom House, in the second story, containing
specie and the valuable papers of the Government is
uninjured. The vault of the Atlantic Bank is not
yet opened, and its outer door is slightly sprung so
that it will probably have to be forced.
All the furniture of the Custom House, and all its
books and papers not in the safe, burned. 1t
w impossible to enter the Custom House rooms,
and everything Is gone except what the safe contains
The Courtroom furniture, the Law Library, and
Judge Wares valuable private Library, were all de-
stroyed The Library of Judge Ware cannot be re-
placed with money. 1t ntaned choice collection
of works on international law, Admiralty and the
Civil Law. prncip ay in foreign language, contain
Of Maine.
UNFORTUNATE AND FATAL ACCIDENTAL higly
respected gentleman of Petersburg, whose name we
with old from motives of consideration for the feel
ngs of the distressed family, of which he is a mem
ber was last Saturday night, the innocent committer
0! deed which will cause him many bitter pang
of grief in the future He was awakened about
eleven o'clock by noise in the yard which is at
the rear of his residence and rising quietly he softly
raised his window and looked out Casting his eve
IN the direction OF his chicken COOP which is con-
siderable distance from the house. he perceived some
| thlng moving about which he thought small
boy, but on account of the intervention of very
thick grape vine he could not be certain He had
two guns in the room one loaded with sugs and the
other with small shot; Selling hastily the latter he
discharged it at the person, thinking to brighten him
Oft, rather than expecting to hurt him. The intrude
| fell heavily to the ground. Mr.. - rushed from the
house in agony of excitement, and turned in tn,
! direction of the chicken coop. What was his an
gush at the bloody sight that met his ewes: He haf
! taken the wrong gun and killed - his TALES
Shanghai ??-Demoerdt.
| MECHANICAL TYPoGRApHER.-R S. Thomas. o
Wilmington, N. C., has invented improved Ty.
pographer, or machine for printing directly upor
paper, so that ideas may be put in print without be
ing written. and afterwards composed as in the ordi
nary manner. The invention consists in having
wheel the axis of which is placed in permanent bear
lngs' and having type attached to its perphry In
deTneath this wheel there is cylinder placed in ,
sliding frame, having the paper which receives thu
impression OF the types wound around it.. The twp,
spon the wheel are linked by proper rollers and boil
the wheel and the cylinder are operated by hand A
patent has been applied for.-Scientifc Anerican.
A CENTENARIAN's TOE NA1L.--Hannah, a negress
the property of Mrs Cairns, died in Petersburg or
Tuesday night last, at the age of 1913 100 wears =
| In order to preserve a relic of the aged woman
some curious person took the toc-na from her RICH
foot, and sent it to the Petersburg Express-the edi
tor whereof thinks it could be made available fo
opening oysters Ii is about two inches in length
spiral shape. aud two inches 10 circumference a
[ the base