Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-12-17
A CALIFORNIA STEAMER CHASED.
The Cabinet ana Great Britain.
MASON AND sLIDsLL WILL NOT
IA GIVEN Up.
Senator Polk, of NO.. With the Rebels.
Further Particulars OF the Fire
at Charleston.
Loss Estimated at $4,000, 900
to 100000. ~

New YoRK, December l6-The steamer
C.h0mpionl from Aspinwall the 7th, has ar
rived, with large number Of army officers
and nearly $1,000, 900 in treasure.
She reports that on the l4th, in lat. 80 3O'.
Ion. "a, was chased by thPee-masted pro-
peller, square rugged on her foremast, round
stern, smoke stack between main and mizzen-
mast; bad two large boats, painted white.
hanging smidships apparently a new iron
vesseli bottom painted very bright red.
After an hours chase she hoisted the
English flag, OF which we took no notice.
The ships Lancaster, Wyoming and Cyane
We're at Panama on the 9th.
The steamer NarddgdnSet was at Acapulco
on the 10th ult.
Especial TO the New York Herald1
The President has received no official in.
formation from England, relative to the Ma
son and Slidell affair. The Cabinet has been
IN session for several hours to day. during
which our difficulty with England was dis.
cussed with great calmness and firmuess:
whatever the demands from England NAV be.
and the English newspaper buster is not
'aKen as any true indication of the intention
OF that Goyeinment-our Government has
resolved that Mason and Slidell shall never
be given up. This may be relied upon as
hxed fact. The impression is that England
would make demand for the release Of the
rebels seized, but that lengthy correspond
ence Wouid settle the matter without a war
Especial Dispatch TO the New York TfmesI
prominent and influential citizsn of
Maryland, who has recently been in Rich
mond, reports that the U MON sentiment ia
Eastern Virginia is rapidly increasing. He
says That II Congress does not legislate uu-
faVorably on the slavery question, that DOR.
ton of Virginia is safe for the Union.
The rumors of messenger arriving post
haste with dispatches for Lord Lyons are
n nj ipno ofraV,a IL. Il -
eminent in regard to Slidell and Mason il
expected at the beginning of diplomatic
correspondence. .Ir 10
gentleman just arrived from Missouri
states that Senator Polk has gone over to the
rebels and is taking counsel with them at
Memphis. His treason has long been Ha-
league.
FoET MONROE, December I6 The Norfolk
and hiehmond papers give full particulars of
the extensive conhsgration in Charleston.
,. U. The tire broke out on the llLh inst in
q sash and blind factory, at the foot of Hazel
street, extending to the machine shop of
Cameron & Co. .-'J
Before midnight the FIRE had assumed an
appalling magnitude, and Meeting. street
from Market to Queen, was mass of flame
as tenement after tenement was enveloped
in flames
The panic became awful, and thousands of
families evacuated their houses and filled the
streets. The buildings in the lower part of
the city where the fire broke out, were prin-
cipally of wood, and extremely iuflamable.
which accounts for the remarkably rapid
progress of the fire. f,,.- -,
AT midnight the Circular Church and Iu-
sttute Hall were burning, and the close
proximity of the flames to the Charleston
Hotel and the Mills House, caused them to
De evacuated by their inmates. At one
O'Clock the ire tended more southwark to-
ward the corner of Archdale and Queen
streets, to the rear Of the Charleston Hotel.
and to the end Of Home.street; crossing
Market-street, the fire spread down East BaS
to Cumberland-street, and across to the
Mills House, including in its destruction the
Circular Church, Institute Hall and the
Charleston Hotel.
All the buildings on King-street, from
Clifford nearly to Broad, were DESTROYED
before three clock. =.
GeneIal Ripley, who superinten the
movements of the troops, who arrived on
the scene at about this time, ordered several
buildings on the route Of the confsgration
to be blown up.
After some delay the order was executed,
put not before the Theater, Lloyd's coach
factory, opposite the Express Ofice, the old
Executive buildings, aud all the houses from
this point to Queen street had caught FIRE
and were destroyed. AT about four O'clock
the wind changed the direction of the flames
toward Broad street. Soon after st. Andrews
Hall took fire, and subsequently, the Cathe-
dral the spire of which fell shortly after
five o'clock. r
The fire made clear sweep through the
city, making its track from East Bay to
King.street. The Charleston Courier Of the
18Th instant gives list of between 200 and
300 sufferers, and says that the loss is esti-
mated at So, 600. 600 to 81, 900 900.
Mr.. Russell, at whose factory the FIRE
originated, thinks that it must have beenoc-
casioned by an ineendiary or by the
negligence Of the negroes. ---vri..
The Mills House Is only slightly dam aged.
A message was sent to the Confederate
Congress on Friday, by President Davis, in
relation TO the conHagration at Charleston,
recommending an appropriation in aid of
the sufferers. A resolution was accordingly
unanimously adopted, by Congress appro-
priating $3.50, 600 as an advance on account
of the claims of South Carolina upon the
!, Confederate States.
A dispatch from Richmond, dated the l4th
inst, seys that the Federas five hundred
strong, attacked Col. Edward Johnson at
Valley Mountain on the 18th inst but were
repulsed with great loss after an engagement
OF several hours.
The latest particulars in regard to the fire
at Charleston, five churches were destroyedF
Pauis Episcopal Church, the Cumbsrllnds
street Church, the Methodist Church and the
Circular Church.
The Charit ston Mercury says ffty.seven
buildings were DESTROYED by the fire.
River News.
PITTsBUBG, December l7--l2 M.-River