The New York herald., 1863-12-19
G n A r L e S 7 . N.
THE LATEST. BY THE ARAGO.
Another Catastrophe In the
Ruins Of Sumter.
Its Immediate Evacuation
Certain.
Tho DISTINCTIONS in the HarbOr
Broken Up by a Gale.
The Rebel Floating Battery
Ashore.
Charleston Heavily Shelled from
Battery Putnam.
Particulars Of the Weehawken,
Disaster,
&sy &s'' &ss

The steamship Arago, Captain Henry A. Gadsden from
Port Royal c. at eight A. M and Charleston bar, at
three NJ the 18th nst arrived here at nne O'Clock
yesterday morning.
Our dispatches furnish with items OF import
relative to the progress Of the bombardment Of
Sumter and siege Of Charleston. which give in con-
densed form.
Mr.. Grantjcan pursor Of tho Arago, will accept
thanks for prompt delivery Of papers and dispatches
Tbe Arago brings eightysno nrst and hundred and
twenty second class passengers and the mails
Among the passengers Brigader General r. s. Fos-
ter and portion OF his staG.
On the morning OF the 7th the light vessel on Frying
Pan shoals broke adrt from her moorngs during north
east gae aud in clearing her bride from the wndass
her second mate stockcy Of the captain, killed
The vessel made SAIL and reached Port Royal ths 9th
At eleven A. NJ Friday. December H. the bark Alice
Provost Nichols. from Philadelphia with coal for the
navy, went ashore Martins Industry Shoals while
tempting to got TO Port Royal aud total loss tho
same night, in an easery gale the light vessel Mar
tins Industry broke adrft from hor moorngs but sue
ceeded in getting into Port Royal without damage Tenn
porarily the Cumbria is moorod in about the
latitude and longitude the light vessel was TO
exhibit light at night.
Mr. Oscar G. snwycr's Dispatches.
FOLLY Island. 8 C, Dec. ID, 1868.
BoMBARpnEsr FORT suMrRs-As RxpLosioy.
The bombardment OF Fort sumter is steadily maintained
from our mortar batteries with ess eject.
On Friday last while shells dropping into the
fort explosion which attracted the attention
Of all on Morris Island by Its violence dense cloud
black smoke from the ruins of the work aud
continued to pour out tor time and strcamed
James Island like sombre pail The OF the
explosion s subject OF conjecture. Many think
that a magasne exploded and communicated 1rc 10
mass OF cotton bales used as protection to bomb.
proof within Others suppose that OF Internal
mschn prepared for the advent Of assauitng col
umns by which they should be blown to pieces accden
tally exploded and doubtless carried dcs.rucon among
the garrison ITSELF n the latter hypothesis be correct
is the only instance where the "engnoer hoist
with his petard" There Is doubt that
burned the smoke clearly indicated tho
OF the material consumed What damage done by this
explosion and con1agraton TO the garrison aud the
itself may mover know, but that life was lost
cannot be doubted by those who the explosion Per-
naps the Mercury or Courier may throw some light
the subject In spite OF any explosion In the work the
rebels still hold and likely hold Fort Sumter We
likely 70 gain possession Of Sumter for some 70
come.
ruH nsnxr's FIRE
Tho enemy's nre recently works has been at
times quite severe, but with little effect Our nre OF
course increased rapidly and partially slenced the
encmys guns. With tho exception of this monotonous
firing nothing has occurred Islands Of any great
importance.
CAVALRY.
Our troops Kiowah have occasional alarms and oil
quickly under arms ready 10 repe any attack the
enemy may choose TO attempt. The alarms hAvo been
occasoned BY the cpemy's cavalry which pcke front
OF lines and sometimes dashes down pickeh
to raise . hubub. The rebel horsemen well &C.
quainted with the topography OF the island that I'm
possible for forccs 70 cntap them get them within
range Of rifles. Recently they have "gobbled up"
three soldiers sergeant. VINO had gone outside
lines 10 daylight 10 forass. the capture WAS made
90 quietly and quickly that the absence
Of tho captured not observed until late an
hour for any efforts TO rescue them would have been use
loss This little affair has taught valuable los.
son, which they not likely 10 forget very scon.
| wnuoK oy nARK ALICE PROVOST.
During the gale the bark Alice Provos,
from PhAdephia for Port Royal With coal for the navy.
went ashore Port Royal habor and likely 10 prove
total loss. she sailed from Philadelphia, under com.
mand Of Captain Nichols, the 7ih inst, end the
nrst day out began 10 leak badly BY keeping the
pumps going most Of the time Captain Nichols
enabled 70 keee the oloraby free from water
She arrived Of Charleston bar. and communicated with
the Wabash on tho lOth and ordered 70 Port Royal
On the fo'owing mornns . heavy gale from the north
cast arose. and the weather bpcame very thick and the