The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1864-08-09

Ny FIRST feeling Was that Of utter
sstonishmeuti bot a crash succeeded
by a deaieuing explosion in The very
street on which nay apartment was
situated, brought me with bound in.
to the centre Of the room. Looking
from tire window, saN ERE and smoke
issuing from house in WHICH wrre
stored the drugs Of tire medical pur-
yeyor a watchman was running
fran,ically down the street, aud when
he reached the corner just below me,
commenced striking with his staff
against the curb, a signal Of alarm
practiced among the Charleston po.
lice. AT first | thought meteor had
fallen; but another rush and whirr
right over the hotel, and another cx-
piosion beyond, settle any doubts |
might have had--lhe city was being
sbeilsl, People are not given TO
laughing under such circumstances,
Tut | will defy any one who Witnessed
what | witnessed on leaving my room
not TO have given way 10 mIrIh in
moderation. The hotel was crowded
with spectators, who had been attract
ed to the city by the sale of some
blockade cargoes, and the corridors
were filled with these terrified gentle
men, rushing about in the scantiest
costumes and the widest alarm, One
perspiring individugl, Of porty dimen-
sions, was trotting to and fro with one
boot on and the other in bis hand, and
this was nearly all the dress he had to
boast of.
In his excitement and terror he had
forgotten the number of his room, from
which he had fastened at the first
alarm, and his distress was ludricrous
to behold. Another, in a semi-siato
OF nudity, with portion of his gar
ments on his arm, barked the shins of
every one on his way TO drag sn enor-
nous trunk TO the staircase. On
reaching the hall found motley
crowd, some OF whom with the biggest
of words we're cursing the Federal
commanders. Whirr! came another
shell over the roof, and down on their
faces went every man of them into
tobacco,uice and cigar ends, and clat-
tering among the spittoons. | need
not say that this is q class Of men
from whom the Coniederacy hopes
nothing; on the contrary, by their
extortlon, practiced on a suffering
people, they have made themselves
exeerated. II a shell could have fall
len in their midst and exterminated
the whole race of hucksters, it would
have been of great benefit 10 the
South. The population was now
aroused, the streets filled with women
and children, making for the upper
part Of the city, where they would
find comparative safety. The yolun-
teer fire brigades brought out their
engines, and paities of the citizen re-
serves were organized rapidly and
quietly, to be in readiness TO give as
sistance when required.
The first engine that reached the
house struck by the first shell was
one belonging to negro company and
at it they went with will, subduing
the fire in a marvellous short time
At every successive whirr above them,
the negroes shouted quaint invectives
against "cussed bobolitionists,' scat
tering for sheher until the danger was
passed. Through the streets went,
and down to the Battery Promenade,
meeting ON the way sick and bed-rid-
den people, carried from their homes
on mattresses, and mothers with in
fants in their arms, running they
knew not whittier. Reaching the
Promenade, cast my eyes towards
the Federal position, and presently,
beyond James Island across the
marsh that separates it from Morris
Island, came fash, then dull re-
port, and after an interval Of some
seconds frightful rushing sound above
me told the path that the shell had
taken; its aight must have been five
miles.