THE GREAT FIRE AT CHARLESTON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XVII, Issue 978, 26 March 1862, Page 3

THE GREAT FIRE AT CHARLESTON.

The Norfolk and Richmond papers of Dec. 15 give full particulars of the great conflagration at Charleston on the 1 lth ult., by which one-fourth of the city was burnt, and property destroyed to the amount of from five to seven million dollars. It appears that the fire broke out at nine in the evening, and by midnight had attained an appalling magnitude. Mr. Russell, at whose factory"it originated, expressed his belief that it was occasioned by an incendiary, or by the negligence of the negroes employed on the premises. The Circular Church, Institute Hall, St. Andrew's Hall, and the Cathedral, were among the buildings destroyed. The fire made a clean sweep through the city, from East Bay to King street. The mill's house, though several times on fire, eventually; escaped. As tenement after tenement was enveloped in flames, the panic became awful, and thousands of families,evacuated their homes and filled the streets. The. buildings in the lower part of the city, where the fire broke put, were principally of wood, and extremely inflammable, which accounts for the remarkably rapid progress of the fire. The ' Charleston Mercury,' of Dec. 13, says that "the fire destroyed five churches, and that the negroes worked zealously and faithfully to assist the masters. It was reported that the Georgia Legislature had appropriated 100,000 dols. for the relief of the sufferers, numbering several hundreds. A letter from Richmond asserts that a l-ebel soldier is reported to have said thatthe^fire is well known to have been the work of the negroes; but no evidence is adduced to establish the fact; 576 buildings were tot.illy destroyed; one negro woman was burnt to death. By order of General Ripley, several houses in the line of conflagration were blown up. The fire departments exerted themselves most energetically; but owing, it is said, to a stiff breeze from the east, and a deficient supply of water, their efforts were unavailing. The President, Jefferson Davis, at the meeting of the Confederate Congress on the 14th instant, sent a message, expressing strong sympathy on account of the calamity. In this message the President says-— "The State ol South Carolina, iv common with the other states, has made liberal advances'on account of the war, and this Government is unquestionably largely her debtor. With the existing pressure upon her resources, it is probable that her desire to aid the suffering city of Charleston may be restrained by other demands upon her available means. Under such circumstances, may we notexhibit our sympathy with her people, by an offer to place at the control of the Legislature of the state, now in session, a portion of the sum we owe her? The magnitude of the calamity affords the reason for making'an exception in her favour; and promptness of action will manifest, in the most appropriate manner, the sincerity of our regard for the people of that gallant state, and our entire sympathy in all that concerns them. I recommend, therefore, that Congress make an appropriation of such amouut as may be deemed sufficient for the purpose proposed, to be placed at the control of the authorities of the state of South Carolina." On the motion ot Mr. Kenner, of Louisaua, a resolution was adopted, appropriating-, the sum of 250,000 dollars "as an advance on account of any claims of thestate of South Carolina upon the Confederate States," to be paid to such persons as may be authorised by the Legislature of South Carolina to receive the amount.