Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1861-12-26
The Charleston COnAagratlOn.
FURTHER DETAILS

The Norfolk Day Book, of Tuesday. recey-
ed by the Old Point boat, contains extracts
from the Charleston Courier and Mercury re-
ative to the fire, but there is little additional
to what has already been sent.
W. b. Russell & Co., owners OF the sash
factory where the fire commenced, say that
the establishment had been closed, and the
furnace of the boiler covered With water be
fore the men left. The proprietor did not
leave for an hour and half, or more, after the
Workmen, and when he left everything was IN
order, and no signs of fire. In about an hout
and half afterwards Mr., Russell heard an
alarm From these circumstances he lnfers
that the fire was set, or was The result OF care
lessnesS on the part lumber OF country ne
groes, who bad been quaItered under an old
shed adjoining his establishment In allowing
their camp fires to get the better OF them.
After the breaking out Of the fire, the
flames continued to increase in violence, and
with the scarcity of water, seemed to deiy all
human efforts to arrest them. Keeping q
south-westerly course, the roaring element
rushed through like (orked lightning to com
mence the work of destruction. In King and
Queen streets the scene was truly terrible.
Roof after roof fell ia, the fire rushed out of
the windows and ieaped round buildings with
an awfulIy sublime appearance. The aarGes
spread right aud left, destroying and making
clean sweep of the fine residences OF Logan,
New, Savage, Mazyek, and the lower end Of
Broad streets uOr could the work Of destruc-
ton and desolation have been stayed, if it had
not been that the fire exhausted itself for the
want of material. In addition TO the churches
already mentioned as destroyed, there was the
Quaker Meeting House, on King Street Tue
savings institutions were burned, and also the
large southern express buildings The Mills
House was only saved through almost super
human exertionS, and its blackeued walls at
test the severe trial. The cathedral was rat
ed as Que of the finest architectural ornaments
OF the city. 1t was constructed of brown
stone, in very massive and costly manner
The fue building of the Sisters OF Mercy was
saved The extensive foundry and machine
shop Of Cameron Il Co, entirely destroyed,
embraced buildings, the Office, erecting shop,
machine and fitting shop, foundry, blacksmith
shop, two boiler shops, pattern store room and
iron room the stock of materials on hand, in
Guiding a large quantity for Government pur-
poses, valued at not less than 5000, 900, is all
gone. The Insurance is not stated. Messrs
McCabe & NarckeS State Cotton Press was
also destrOyed-the value Of the building was
$50 OOO-the building contained three han
dred thousand pounds OF Sea Island Cotton, in
seed, worth $l5, 900, belonging to Edis'o &
johns, Island planters; TO insurance. On the
cotton press there was all Insurance of $23,-
600 1t contained, also, fItv-two bales Of Up
land tton.
Among the handsome residences destroyed
are those OF Bishop Lynch, Geo. NJ Coffin,
Mr.. j. b Hayward, Postmaster Huger, Mss
Bowman, John Laureus, DR. Hayck, Captain
Rutledge, Jonn BOnuel, MeSSrs. Middleton,
McKaig, Gravely and WI Iams.
The C0urisr says the most gratifying Incl
dent of the fire was the zeal manifested by the
slaves, by their efforts as fremen and luborers
The entire population, male and female, work
ed most earnestly.
Subscriptions for the poor sufferers by this
terrible confagration had neen opened at the
Bank Of Charleston and 81 900 had been sub
scribed.
The Commissary General bad posted no
tice that food aud shelter for those deprived of
their houses by the sad calamity might be Oh
taincd on application to f. 5. Holmes, at the
Soldiers Wayside Depot Ann and Mary SIS
The Mercury of Friday, says yesterday was
a gloomy day for Charleston-buSncss was
universally suspended, aud with one impulse
our community has united in giving sympathy
and aid 20 the victims of this terrible public
calamity.
The Courier says The fearful couflra
ton that has just passed over Our city will
cause the eleventh aud twelfth OF December,
1861, hereafter TO he remembered as one OF
those dark, trying periods, which for a mo
ment seem to paralyze all our long cherished
hopes and bright anticlpations of the future
We have been visited 10y one of those mg>tc
rious dispenSatons of Providence which We
cannot attempt to solve Oar city has re-
ceived terrible blow which it will take work
of years to repair. Let us nerve ourselves
then for another start thankful that we are
still left with the same bold spirit and strong
arms to make new aud perhaps more substan-
lal prosperity for our beloved city"
REPORTED INSANITY OF GEN WM. I. SHER.
MAN-The painful Intelligence reaches us in
such form that we are not at liberty to diScred
it it, that Gen. w L. Sherman, late comman-
der of the Department Of the Cumberland, is
insane. 1t appears that he was al times, when
commanding in Kentucky. stark mad We
learn be at one time teegraphed to the War
| Department three times in one day for perms-
zion m avarnata KaDturkv apH int to