The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1861-12-25

CAV With nag OF truce, and Vas met By Lieut.
Smith, OF the Island. No passengers came
down.
The Norfolk and Richmond papers give full
particulars Of the extensive corAAgration At
Charleston, s. C. The FIRE broke out at about
nine O'Clock on the evening of the llth, in BUS
cell 4 Old's Sash and Blind Factory, at the foot
Of Hazel street; crossing Hazel street and exten.
ding to the machine shop Of Cameron L Co.
Before miinight the FIRE had assumed an appsl
ling magnitude, and Meeting street, from Market
ment after tenement was enveoped in flames,
the panic was awful, and thousands of families
evacuated their houses, and filled the streets
The dwellings in the lower part Of the city.
where the fire broke out, we're principally Of
wood, aud extremely inAanmable, which accounts
for the remAI kAbly rapid progress Of the FIRE.
At midnight, Circular Church and the Institute
Hall we're burning. and the close proximity Of
the flames to the Charleston Hotel and the Mills
House, caused them to be evacuated by their
inmates. At one o'clock the FIRE tended more
southwards, towards the corner Of Archdale and
Queen street, to the rear Of the Charleston Ho.
tel, and TO the end OF Hayne street range, eros
sing Market street the ire spread down East
bay TO Cumberland street, and across to the Mills
House, including in its destruction, Circular
Church, Institute Hall, and the Charleston Hall
All buildings on King, from Clifford nearly TO
Broad Street we're destroyed before three
O'Clock.
Gen. Ripley, who superintended the move
ment Of troops. who had arrived at the scene a.
about this time, ordered several buildings in the
route of the conaAgrstion to be blown up, and
after some delay the o, der was executed, but not
before the Theatre. Lloyd's Coach Factory oppo-
posite, tie Express Office, the old Executive
building. and all the houses from this point to
Queen street, had caught fire and been destroy
ed.
At about four o'clock the wind changed the
direction Of the flames towards Broad street
Soon after, st. Andrews Hall took fire, and sub
st quenty 'ne Cathedral, the spire of which fell
shortly after FIVE.
The fire made clear sweep through the city,
making its track from East Bay to King street.
The Charleston Courier, of the 18th, gives u
list of between 2Oo and $40 sufferers. and says
the loss is estimated at from five TO seven million
dollars.
MIR. Russell, at whose factory the FIRE origina.
ted, thinks that it must have been occasioned by
employed there.
A dispatch from Charleston, of the ] 3th, says:
The Mills House, although threatened and sever
al times on fire, eventually escaped, and is only
slightly damaged.
Five churches we're destroyed by the Charles.
ton fire, the Cathedral, St. Peters Episcopal,
Cumberland Street Methodist, and Circular
church. The Charleston Mercury says that Eve
hundred aud seventy six buildings we're burnt
Ben McCulloch has arrived at Richmond.
From the Norfolk Day Book of to-day, we
learn that in the rebel Congress, on the 10th,
henry c. Burnett, and Judge Monroe, we're
sworn in as Senators from Kentucky, which
State has just been admitted to the Confederacy.
The Times dispatch, Washington, 18th says !:
"The House Postofice Committee unanimously
decided to introduce bill to abolish the frank
ing privilege. The committee have also conclu.
ded to grant no further privileges in the case of
soldier letters, other than that now given, tha;
of sending their letters forward without pre- pay.
ment"
The HsTa!Ts special dispatch says: "This P.
n. the pickets OF Benker's division we're driven
in BY the enemy. The rebels we're soon driven
back, with loss of many killed.
"The Secretary of War has submitted to Con.
gress a statement of Qaartermaster Meigs, ask.
ing the early appropriation of 81 ,O0O. 900, to
complete and pay for the gun boats, mortar
boats. and tug boats OF the Western Aotilla, 80
that they may not be unnecessarily DELAYED at
st. Louis until the interruption of navigation BY
ice. He states the 81, 500, 900 appropriated by
Congress at the last session. is sufficient only for
the construction, equipment and maintenance Of
seven Of the gun boats. Without expressing
any opinion as to the necessity of the feet or.
dered to be built by Gen. Fremont, he thinks the
if armed, equipped and well manned they will
add to the strength of the army in the West,
and the success OF the expedition intended to
open the Mississippi.
The report of Chief Engineer Barnard, which
has just been submitted to Congress BY General
Cameron, shows that the defenses around Wash.
ington consist of 40 works, mounting 500 guns
that the whole defenses are about IS miles, ex.
ceeding by several miles the famous works on
Torres Vedras, the most extensive Notifications
of this kind known in modern times. Gen. Bar.
nard asks the appropriation of $3.50. 900 from
Congress for the completion of these works.
Secretsry Cameron has also submitted to Con
gress . report in favor of an appropriation OIL
-, ITO, 900 for putting our coast defenees in or
der, from the lakes around to San Francisco, q
large portion of which is to be devoted to The
defepses of the New York harbor.
Washington, Dec. II.
Van Wyck's investigating committee, to in
quire into Government contracts, say in ,heil
report that they have examined 265 persons
The report embraces 100 pages, and their ID
bors are far from being finished. They propose
to push their investigation vigorously, so long a
ir is demanded BY the public interests. The af
fair Of the steamer Catalina was thoroughly sifted
There vas great conflict in evidence as to wba
would be fair price for the charter and cost o
running her.
Your Committee especially call attention Il
the arrangement between the Secretary Of tn,
| Navy and Mr.. Morgan, for purchasing vessels fo