The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-05-14

. broke OUT on board the steamboat General Pike,
. moored in line with several other boats on the
other side OF the river, between IgicIS and Gret-
ma. In less than one hour, eight steamboats, were
enve"ped IN the c0ntiagraon, aud when the alarm
was given by the bells of the city, the distance be-
tween the ferry landing and the place of canhagra-
ton was so great, that it was known beforehand
the fire would spread with terrific rapdity before
the engines could reach the spot.
By this time the boats Telegram, Ca hrst-rate
steamer of the Red River line) Republic, Editor.
Madls1n, IenSas, Grenada, Gen Pike and Dni.
"eoo were entirely destroyed. The Republic was
: large and valuable boat and the Editor A huIk
with no machinery in.
Ere ltwas completely consumed the Gen Pike
Win two other steamers, broke loose from their
moorlngS ana went down the river, passing the
point OF A!glerS, crossing with the current to tb,
shipping in the third district, and setlinp on fire
the tobacco warehouse, which is no W used as the
barracks OF the Turc0s. Fortunately, the whole
iOrce OF the battalion quite ready Tor any euar
gency, and thanks to their unwearied exertions
they saved the building, three several times
Another hull lodged at Post No. 43 in the Third
district, and swinging alongside OF the ship In,c-
pendeGce, greatly damaging her.
Another large ship, at Post No. 49, ard partly
laden with cotton, was also on fire bv the float.
! ing incendiary, and injured to great extent
f"rtunately, all the cation on the levee escaped
ignition. The new t0w-boat Baltic was also put in
imminent danger by another of the n,atips burn-
ing nuns, but she eventually escaped. The steam
er O"hqueror was not so fortunate, as she burned
loose and drjtted down the river AZ far n. ~, IA,
Dacco warehouse, where she made LANDING 10 b.
entirely destroyed there. The loss bv mis- gr..t
conhagratiOn cannot be less than Sl0O 600 than n
most Of the boats destroyed or Injured save I'M
Telegram and Conqueror, were nor of great value
LAUNCH OF STEAM RAM DErrZc-,-Tbis v,ss.I
was launched on the 24th April last md dra,v. r,-
lS12 ieet water The extreme length of the De
tence is 292 feet; breadth from the beams "a fa.
the extreme depth. 3S feet inches. She is 3 GGg
tons register, and has been pierced for Is ouns =
The engines possess 600 horses power ard rho
speed at which the irgate is rpckoned TO sail is mt
the rate 0i lO knots an hour. After the manner of
the Great Eastern, she is double-bottom4d and is
ron-platcd to the extent Of 40 feet to feet h.ly
the water-ine. The bulkhcads are covered kv mr.
mour plates, which furnished with plated doors
of the same material. AtIhe stern the new fri,atr
Is strongly fortified by an elaborate process brinr
| intended to act as a steam ram; and with a prom
| inenty pr0jc ing beak the workmanship is So a.
ranged that hostile ship would be- struck under
| the water-line, and Immediately sunk The upper
and main decks are of iron; the fighting decks
being composed Of oak, Of about six inches 10 thick
ness. The magazines are within the armour coated
portions OF the ship, and below the water-lun; and
when finished, it is expected she will be able to
carry lOO-poundur Armstrong guns-NercagHe
Daily Chronicle.
| FRIGHTFUL OoCuEEENCE.-A butcher named Ham
! was walking in field near Stratiord in SnTnlk
| England, the other day, when bis attention as lie
subsequently stated, was attracted by '.roarjUe.
noise" At first he thought it was thunder but he
was snon horriied finding that his clothes were
all in blaze, his coat having been igniad by
| -
the tune, the progress the flames very rapid,
and although the poor fellow endeavorcd to save
himself by rolling about n the ground, his exer-
| tons were OF no avail, and every article that he
! had upon him consumed or torn away hv him
in a burning state, with the exception of his bus
kins, shoes, aud part of his stockings. When these
were removed the flesh came away with them end
the sufferers whole body reduced to such 4
dreadful state that, although ne received every at
tentlon on being found, he died soon afterwards
NAw MARRIAGE Law FOR IRELAND In the Eng
| liSh House OF Lords, second reading has been
| mad OF the Marriage Law Amendment Bill the OBJ
! jet of which to amend the law relating To
! mixed marriages in Ireland The law OF Earlnnd
and Ireland was formerly the same but the altnrl-
non was introduced in the reign of George H..
Tor the purpose of discouragng marriages between
Noman Catholics and Protestants. At present if
| either party proessed to be Protestant, a mar
! rage celebrated by Roman Catholic priest was
not legal. Great abuses arose in consequences of
the facilities given to the seducer by this state OF
things The bill provided that mix I'd marriages
might be celebrated by a Roman Catholic priest in
registered building after due formaIitics had been
| gone through, and between the hours of eight and
two in the day.
OFFICIAL CoURIEsrEs.-From the following taken
from the official paper at Montgomery, it seems
the Confederated States do not intend to ALLOW the
Northern government to get ahead of them ia
courtesies and politeness:
! C9icjaJ Co~rtesies.-Hon. VIM. H. Seward, Mr..
Lincolns Secretary of State has forwa ded to the
! Hon. Robert Toombs, Secretary of State of tho,
| Confederate States. copy, enclosed in a govern
ment envelope, OF Mr.. Lincoln's blockade prncla-
nation. The courtesy and kind feeling which
! prompt the act were duly appreclaGed; aTu re-
! tnrn, copy of President Davis Proclamatinn in
Mr. seward, enclosing in government enveopeo of
| the Confederate States.
| CoNrRABAND OF WAR.-The following articles
have been officially declared as coming under the
head of ''contraband of war" by the Adminisra-
ton: "Gold and silver coin, checks or bills OF
! change for money, articles OF food Clothing, and
! materials for the manufacture of clothing; rifle,
! pistol, musket and cannon balls and shells; gun
| powder and all materials used in its mauufaciurr:
! ammunition and munitions and implements of war
of every description; books of military educafiua;
saddles, harness and trappings for hving artillery
field and staff officers and cavalry troops horses
gun carriages, timber for ship building, all kinds I'll
naval stores, engines, boilers aud machinery tor
boats, locomotive engines and cars for railroads.
and goods and commodities which might be useful
! to the enemy in
MARYLAND.-Ifit it should ever be the misfortune
| of the Federal Government to be unsuccessful in
the great conflict which seems tn be impending in
the vicinity OF ahngtOn the feeling of suppress
| d hostility which So largely exists in Mary
land, would make itself felt with fearful efrct upon
! the Northern army. The power for mischief which
| they would possess in such a contingency would
/ be immense; and it can hardly be doubted that it
would be experienced with fearful effect. At pres
ent, however, it seems probable that the people
of thst State will abstain from positive pagticipa-
tion in the military movements except far as
| they may be Obliged by the preseHce OF the United
| States army, to identity themselves with them
". Y. journal Of Commerce.
AFFRAY AT KNoxvl. E, TGxN.- Our city has been
! the scene OF much excitement to-day. Mr.. Waugh
an made a speech saving he would give the corpo-
ration authorities thirty minutes to contne ChateS
! Douglas, notorious Unionist, or he would lynch
him, as he had threatened the life of Capt. Morgan.
of the Tennessee volunteers. During the speech Of
| Mr.. Vaughan, shot fired by some uukna.vn
hand from window of the Lamar House. which
mOrtaIlV wounded DDuoInS Ifn =,
! lower window, heavily armed, aud surrounded by
large crowd at the time. The shot iured no one
! else. Ball, wh" was shot Yesterday, is dying; and
Douglas, shot to-day, cannot possibly survive.
STAMPED LErrERs-The Postmaster-General has
ordered the preparation of sheets of letter paper,
| cut gummed and embossed with the three-ccnJ
| postage stamp-combining in one, both letter
sheet and envelope Also similar sheets, nntr size to
! be packed IN such manner may be necessary to
insure the Transmission Of the sheets by mail.
| This will be capital safeguard against the care
! lessness of correspondents who prone to omit
placing postage stamps on their letters. Il will
also be just the thing to obviate legal difficulty
| which sometimes arises in identifying the date of
enclosure with that of the official post-lnark.-
u. s. Nal.
BEAuREGARD DEAD.-The Philadelphia North
american now has it that General B.auregard
killed at the Sumter fight. The following is the
story:
We saw last evening, at pubIic house in Wal
nut street, a seaman lately rom charleston, who
| declares that, to his personal knowledge, General
! Beauregard killed in the bOmbardment Of
| Sumter. The statement made by our informant is
that Beauregard was killed by spent ball. iutlict-
ing a crsnia confusion, from the effects Of which
! he subsequently, died. His remains sealed in
a metallic coffin and conveyed to France
A PHMosopHIcAL FAcr.-A balloonist states that
he has made the following discovery:
| take bar of brass, which, when weighed on
the earth'S surface actually weighs fifteen pounds.
| When | ascend up three miles in the atmosphere
and weigh the brass bar it actually weighs, bv
spring balance, seven and one half pounds. Five
miles up it only weighs three and one-tourth pounds.
What is the cause of this? The want of atmos-
pherc pressure and the suns attractinn which
becomes more apparent the nearer approach its
Ibit.
10 the English House OF Commons on the 2Gth
ult., Mr.. W. Il. Forster gave notice that it the
honorable member for Galway (Mr. Gregory
brought forward his motion on Tuesday next, with
regard to the recognition of the southern Couted-
ercy, which, after the intelligence received this
morning, he hoped he would persist in doing, he
(Mr ForSter) should withdraw the smendmrut uf
which ne had given notice, and move instead the
previous question.
The Sandwich and East Bridgewater companies
which were to leave Boston for Fortress Monroe
Friday afternoon in the steamer Pembroke re-
fused TO enlist for three years, and returned to
their homes. They supposed when they left home
that they were going to be added to the companies
IN the Third Regiment at Fortress Monroe, which
were enlisted TOR three months.
| THE CROPS IN DoRCHESTER COUNrY.-Ihe Cam