The Local news. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1861-1862, 1862-01-21

" chapter of accidents" recently took place
at row of dwellings, in this city =
A soldier came in upon one of the
dwellings,, through the ceiling, as much
to his own surprise as to the wonder and af-
frightment of the lady occupants. The oc-
casion did not admit Of explanation, and the
ladies at once sought protection in the ad
Joining dwelling. The soldier got out of the
house about the same time, and made tracks
in the opposite direction. The ladies had,
however, scarcely been able to'statethe facts
Ito the mistress of the adjoining house, when
there came "a voice from 'thesupper part of
that, house-4"Let me outlet me out !"--
The gentlemen attached to the house were
absent. but, nothing daunted, the mistress of
the houseisummoned her negro woman, and
providing herself with revolver, proceeded
up stairs to the room whence the voice is!
sued. She opened the duor--the chamber
kwas without an occupant. but from a locked
closet in the corner tho voice still issued,
crying more loudly, as the steps approached
g Let me out-fur Gnc's sake let ne out !"
While the lady took accurate aim at the cen.
tire Of the door, the servant uplposed il, and
there within was the same soldier who had
taken the ceiling and ladies of the other
house by surprise. '.Don't shoot. madam .
said the occupant of the closet, u don't
want to harm anybody; ouly want TO &c
out" '"You are at perfect liberty to do that
said the lady. The occupant of the closet
stood not upon the order of his gong, but
went at once, and was out Of the door in the
twinkling Of an eye.
+ An investigation Of the occurrence led to
. the discovery that loft extended from one
end of, the row to the other without partition.
The house at the end Of the row is haarrack
and the place ofconfnemeht for ill-doers, was
the garrett room This communicated, by
trap door, with the loft in question. The
soldier attempted TO escape by means rf this
loft. Missing his footing on the rafters he
trod upon the laths of the ceiling and went
through. Having escaped from this house,
he was taken again by the guard, and again
placed in limbo. Upon the second attempt
to escape. he iell into the closet above men,
toned, which was not plastered, ard com.
municated above directly with the loft Up
on this inform alton being obtained. the trap
door in the barracks was closed up. and all
chance Of future " budgets Of biunders" in
that neighborhood stopped for the present
The MAYORS OFFlcE.-AppIications for
licenses. which still continue, were he only
business at the Mayors office this morning.
RIVER MovEMENTs.-A single small YES
sci is the only arrival at this port since our
last report. Navigation is still impeled by
fog.
The eruption of Vesuvius appears to be
increasing at latest dates instead of subsid-
ing. There are eleven craters above Terre
del Greco, all emitting sulphurouse vapors
and the largest is from seventy to eighty feet
deep and one hundred feet wide.
The U. S. Secretary of the Treasury has
decided that teas on shpboard prior &, the
passage of the last tariff bill in August are
entitled to enter under the old duties. This
is an important decision, involving a large
amount.
The Boston Journal of the 18th inst. saws:
1.-THE developments which have been made
since the government entered earn estly upon
the work of ferreting out those engaged in
the slave trade show that New Bedford has
been the centre of active operations, and that
the business of fitting out as unsuspicious
whalers vessels really intended for the slave
trade, has been carried on to considerable
extent; but the money and means used in
the business have been furnished bv parties
in New York"
The New York Times does not mince mat
tiers with Mr.. Lovejoy. and condemns his
speech in the House Of Representatives
touching upon the release of Mason and
~Slidell. It pronounces sit difficult to keer
ones temper under the strain to which Mr.
L0vsj'y put it % Tuesday" .
ar