Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1861-12-20

O0l0Del J0mW8naiug
Brigadier General Ia Thomas, Adjutant
General United States Army
GREAT FIRE I'm CHARLESTON-A
LARGE PORTION 0R THE CITY
aN ASHES,
FoRTREss MONROE, Dec. 13, via Balti-
more.-A flag of truce under command of
Captain Milward took Atr. Eddy, Of North
Carolina, to Craney Islaud to-day.
From Norfolk we have Intelligence of NEST
disastrous FIRE at Charleston, S g. A despatch
10 the Norfolk Day Book Of to-day from
Charleston, states that FIRE broke out in that
city on Wednesday night, which was euppo sed
to have been the work Of an iocend iary. At
the date o. the last despatch, o'clock Thurs
day afternoon, the FIRE was still burning. The
Round Church, the theatre. the Institute, and
other public buildings, are stated to have been
destroyed. The FIRE swept across Broad
Street.
Assistance lad been sept for from Augusta.
The Grand Lodge of the Free aud Accept-
cd Masons met at Richmond on Monday and
elected Lewis B. Williams, of Orange, Grand
Master for the ensuing year.
New York, Dec. I4-The special des-
patches received here from Old Point say that
groes.
The Baltimore .4naerican of Saturday says:
Our private advices from Norfolk do not make
any mention connecting the slaves with the
coDhagration, further than that it was suppos-
ed to be the work Of an incendiary. The fire
is said 70 have originated in sash factory,
near the junction of King and Broad streets;
that it crossed Broad street, and to have reach
ed the Institute Hall, the Round Church aud
the Theatre, on Meeting street, must have
passed diagoually across Clifford, Beaufort,
Princess, Queen, and Chalmers streets, dis
tance of nearly half mile through the very
heart of the city. As no mention is made of
the distraction of the City Hall, Court House
Guard House, and Christ Church, at the four
corners of Broad sad Meeting streets, is to be
presumed they have escaped.
The Mills House, one of the principal ho-
tells of The city, about half-square from the
Round Church, on Meeting, street, is also
said to have been burned, together with the
Catholic Cathedral, aud asylum, ou Afchdale
street
The fire was said TO DO still raging on
Thursday evening, having continued for forty
eight hours. The theatre, which is said TO
have been burned, is the extreme point on
Meeting street, that We are enabled TO locate
the extent of the conf hagration, and its des~
truction would necessarily involve several
squares Of closely-bu frame buildings in its
rear. From an examination of the map, we
think it likely that the Charleston Hotel has
escaped, though it is not more than square
beyond the theatre.
There is another statement brought by pas,
sengers that the Catholic Cathedral is burnt
This, If irues would extend the Gre across King
street, distance Of four or five squares west
of the Institute Hall and the theatre. and
would warrant the rumer that one half of the
city has been destroyed.
We learn that the FIRE was checked on
Meeting street before itreached the largo build
ing of Adams Express Company, on the corn
er of North Market street, though most of the
Storehouses on the other side of Meeting street
we're destroyed or damaged.
LATER.
We learn that the passengers by the flag of
truce from Norfolk state that the greatest ex-
citement prevailed tbero on Friday morning,
and that great variety Of rumors we're afoat
as to the origin of the eoahaeration 1t was
stated that the cash factory was fred by free
negro, who had been arrested, and confessed
that it vas intended as the hrs. move for an
extended slave insurrection.
1t was also rumored at Norfolk that large
number of negroes had been arrested, who had
been found 10 pcssessisn of arms and knives,
and that the confession Of the ineendiary had
been fully eorroboratcd. These, however, are
nere rumors, suoh as woad likely be ia circu-
sti0n under all the circumstances, aud may
or may not be we'll founded. The despatch 10
the Norfolk papers, dated at Charleston, at
o'clock on Thursday evening, makes 40 men
tCu Of serviIe insurrection.
THE LIGHT SEEN AT SEA.