Bradford reporter. (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, April 23, 1845, Image 2

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Wednesday,, April 23, 1845.
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The °Mee of the Bradford Re
porter has been removed to Col.
Means' Brick Store, (up stairs,)
entrance on the North side.
COMPLIMENT TO_MR. WILMOT.—The
Pottsville Emporium has the following
flattering notice of our Congressman
elect He is a young man of high
promise, thoroughly imbued with the
doctrines and principles of the republi
can school, and has already a position:
among the talented men of the State,
highly creditable to himself and, the in
telligent and patriotic district which h 6
represents. •
Mr. Wilmot, althoUgh a young man,
goes into Congress with a popularity
and standing in his own district, which
might be envied by statesmen and poli
ticians who had served the country long
and well. We have no doubt that he
will fully -sustain this high reputation
in Congress, and that his public acts
and services in that high official capa
city till' reflett credit upon his State,
and especially upon Northern Pennsyl-
vania."
MELANIIOLY ACCIDENT.—Patrick
Cummings. of Sheshequin township,
was severely, if not fatally injured, by
falling from a wagon, on Friday last, at
the end' f the bridge, in Wysox. A
sudden and unexpected motion of the
horses, precipitated him from the wagon,
with such force as to cause a compres
sion of the spinal marrow, rendering
his recovery doubtful.
BURNEp.—We learn by the Elmira
SrGazette, that on Monday week, the
'property of Esq. Pettingill, of Wells,
Pa., was all destroyed. The barn first
caught fire from 'the woods, burning a
large quantity of. hay' and grain, and
one horse, it next attacked his house
and consumed that with all its contents,
not being able to save anything, so ra
pid was the devastating element.
N6R TII BRAISTCIICANTAL.--The frier is
of 'the North Branch will be gratified to
learn that one of the last acts of the
Legislature, was to pass the supplement
to the bill incorporating the North
Branch Canal Company. We believe
there is now a fair prospect of the stock
being taken, and the consequent Com
pletion of this great and important
work.
ELECTION.--By an act of the late
Legislature, the qualified electors o
MoNnoE township, shall hereafter hold
their general and township electiis at
the house of J. P. Smith in said town
ship.
The qualified voters of Ridgbery
township are to hold their elections at
the house now occupied by Stephen
Harman ; in said township.
SlGNin.—The bill appropriating fif
teen thousand dollars for the building
of an insane hospital in Dauphin coun
ty, has received the signature of the
Governor, as has alio the bill appro.
priating fifty thousand dollars to the city
of Pittsburg:
TIIE EDITOR of. the Spirit of the
Times, says that his , life was assured
by the underwriters last week." It
certainly was unnecessary, for his
stock of assurance has always been re
ikarkably large.
VETOED.-Thp. Governor has vetoed
the bill incorporating the North Branch
Railroad and Coal Company. We are
obliged to defer the message until next
week.
WASHINGTON Inmo.—Fears are en
tertained that this gifted writer was a
passenger on the President, one of the
missing packet ships. —7-•••
THE Grans, of April 14, contains
valedictory of Messrs. Blair and Rives,
the concern going into the hands of
Messrs. Richie and Heise.
MR. Rtr b ent does not take charge of
the editorial department of the Globe
until the first of May,:, until then Mr.
Blair officiates.
ME SPACE BURNED. The city Re
gulator, for Pittsburg, states that the
burnt district co v ers fifty acres in the
city and sir acrts out of it.
Rata.—The city of Hudson was
visited by fire, last week,•the la:ge
coach and carriage factory of James E.
Delamater being totally destroyed.—
Loss $12,900; partly insured.
Zanesville; Ohio, on the same day
suffered by the destruction of several
buildings. Loss $12,000 ; insurance
$l,OOO. Judge Cooper's son died from
the excitement produced by the fire.
The Post office at lowa city was de
stroyed by fire on the 10th ult. The
origin of the, fire was a candle snuff
carelessly thrown among the papers on
the floor.
The dwelling house ; of .„Mr. John
Trego; at Ralston, Lycoming county,
was burnt down one evening last week.
At the time of the accident, Mr. Trego
with all his hands were fighting" the
,fire in the mountains, from which his
house took fire. But little of his furni
ture was saved, and his family narrow
ly escaped with their lives. Mr. Tre
go has lately removed to Ralston.
FIRE AT PITTSBURG.—An account o
this late destructive conflagration may
be found in another column. The citi
zens of of Philadelphia and Baltimore
are holding meetings to take measures
to aid the sufferers of that city. The
Legislature of this State has appropria
ted $50,000 to their relief.
The bill also releases the property
destroyed from taxation, and refunds
and releases all licences of merchants
and others having their goods destroyed.
These measures will relieve the imme
diate wants of the sufferers.
TERRIBLE STEAMBOAT ACCIDENT.-
The steamboat Elizabeth, started from
New Orleans-on Sunday evening last,
30th ult., and when entering the Cour
taubleau from the Atchafalaya, her
boilers collapsed, and completely tore
her upper works to atoms. The ex
plosion took place about 3 o'clock on
Tuesday morning, to which may be
attributed the preservation of many
lives, as her entire work above the
boilers were swept away, together with
her boilers and deck fixtures. Six or
eight persons were killed or injured.—
No blame to be attached, as usual.
EXLCUTION OP Zm'uox.—Samuel
Zephon, the negro condemned to death
for the murder of Cuffey Tod, in the
winter of 1844, at Guinea Hall, Phila
delphia county, suffered the extreme
penalty of the law in the Moyamensing
prison yard, on Friday last, Aprtl 18th.
The rope, through the carelessness of
the executioner, had been left too long,
and the wretched criminal, when the
drop fell, touched the ground ! He
was carried upon , the scaffold and the
second attempt was successful.
JEwErr's CONCERT.-A concert
of vocal and instrumental music is
given at the Court Muse, this evening.
The Dr. has wittrhim the highest tes
timonials from other places as an un
rivalled pianist. The concert will con
sist of instrumental and sacred songs,
and be entirely unexceptionable and
elevated in its character. We advise
all—ladies and gentlemen—fond of good
music and singing to be present.
GOVERNOR'S MEssAon. 7 —The follow
ing is the message of the Governor,
after convening the Legislature. Gov.
Shunk deserves praise for the prompt
and correct manner in which he trans
acts the duties of his station.
To the Senate and House of Represen
talives of the Commonwealth of Penn
sylvania.
GENTLEMEN.--On yesterday, when
I was informed that the General As•
sembly was about to separate without
having presented for my approval, the
ordinary and indispensable bill for the
support of Government, and for main
taining the credit of the State, a sense
of duty left me no alternative but that
adopted, of calling you together to-day.
It is to this bill that I call your atten
tion at this time, and it is needless for
me to urge the importance of its final
disposition before you adjourn.
The practice which has sometimes
obtained of passing numerous bills
through the forms of legislation, at the
closing moments of the session, and
leaving them to be engrossed and sign
ed by the Speakers, and presented to
the Governor after the adjournment, is
attended with. much danger, and in
volves consequences of doubtful consti
tutionality ; the General Assembly hav
ing, by its adjournment, suspended for
the time the law-making power. I
cannot urge upon you too strongly my
sense of the importance of discontinu
ing this dangerous innovation upon
former usages.
FRS. R SHUNK.
EXECUTIVE CHAMBER,
April 16, 1845.
Correspondence from Harrisburg.
Mamma°. 15th April 1845.
John B. Steriger e , was this day elec
ted Speaker of the Senate on the Bth
ballot, he receiving 17 votes to Henry
Chapman 10, and Wm. Bigler 4. Mr.
Sherwood, on one of the baliotings re
ceived 1 - 2 votes.
The New York and Erie_Rail Road
Bill has been defeated-in - the Senate,
and the interests of the North sacrificed
on the pretext that the construction of
that Road would injure the trade of
Philadelphia, by opening a more di
rect communication with the West, and
New York. The Representatives from
Philadelphia and most of the adjoining
counties are governed by a most selfish
and narrow sighted policy. They at-
tempt to make every town and county
in the Commonwealth tributag to her
interest! No question of importance
to any particular section of the. State is
allowed to pass, without a strict exami-
nation into its minutest bearing upon
the interest of Philadelphia. Are the
citizens of the State generally aware
that our Legislation is under the survie
lance of Philadelphia? Are the peo
ple aware that most of their Represen
tatives are made to succomb to the arbi
trary requirements of the nineteen Re
presentatives from the city and county
in the Legislature ? Such is the fact !
If a particular member has a Bill—even
a local Bill, of minor importance, he
meets with opposition from that quar
ter unless he will 'pledge himself to
support a measure of vast importance
to their constituents, and perhaps detri
mental to the interests of his own con
stituency. This has ever been the
case, and ever will be the case, until the
country members assert and maintain a
proper independence.
The Pittsburg Rail Road was de
feated in the House.
The Bill relative to the North Branch
Canal passed both branches without
amendment—that of Mr. Merrifield
having been rejected by the Senate, and
the House receding.
Lackawana county failed in the Sen
ate, although it was undoubtedly the
strongest and most unobjectionable case
brought before the Legislature. It was
represented that every citizen within
the proposed new county was in favor
of it, and that it contained 3000 faxables
and 14,000 inhabitants.
The Legislature is despatching busi
ness on the high pressure " system.
The Clerks are constantly running to
and fro with Bills--the Secretary of the
Commonwealth and Clerk are fre
quently announced in either branch at
the same instant—and the hury and
confusion, and excitement is surprising.
Just one minute before 5 o'clock, P.
M'. the hour fixed for the adjournment
sine die, a resolution has passed the
Senate with the rapidity of thought,
postponing_ the adjournment until to
morrow, the 16th. But the House re
fused to adopt it, and while the mem
bers were voting upon it, the Secretary
of the Commonwealth was announced,
and presented a proclamation from the
Governor, convening the Legislature on
the 16th, as they had failed to pass the
Appropriation Bill ! Here was a “fix !"
Some laughed—some frowned—some
looked wofully blank, and some declar
ed they •' would go home any how I"
Both branches adjourned sine die,
and will meet again to-morrow.
After the adjournment, I repaired to
the Rail Road and Canal Depot, to see
how many had)got on board the Packet,
and found nearly one third of the mem
bers, with bag and baggage, already
comfortably stowed away ! But I per
suaded several to take ofithe baggage,
and hold over, although quite a number
could not stand the disappointment, and
departed. Among the number who
left, was your excellent member,Maj.
ELLIOT, who assured me they, could
dispose of the Appropriation Bill with
out his aid, and that nis presence at
home was imperatively required.
April 16, Wedneday
The proclamation of the Governor
was read, and the r 01l of the - Senate
called, when twenty seven Senators
answered to their names ; absentees,
Messrs. Babbitt, Enue, Heckman,
Hoover, and Morrison. A message
wart received from the Governor, rela
tive to the appropriation Bill. The
Senate took a recess until 11 o'clock,
having passed a Resolution to transact
no other business but that pertaining to
the Appropriation 'Bill. A message
was received from the Governor, in
forming the Senate and House that he
had signed the Appropriation Bill,
which had not been presented to him
when the Legislature adjourned sine
die.
NEw Rom) LAW.—The following
law, passed at the late session of the
Legislature, will be found of interest to
our citizens.
A further supplement to an act entitled "An
Act authorizing the laying out and locating
a State road from the borough of Elizabeth
town, Allegheny county, to the borough of
Brownsville in Fayette county, and for other
purposes, passed the
. thirteenth day of April
one thousand eight hundred and forty-three.
SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Se
nate and House of Representatives of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in Ge
neral Assembly met, and it is hereby en
acted by the authority of the same, that
it shall be the duty of the road commis
sioners of the several townships in the
counties of Bradford, Tioga and Potter
within thirty days after'they shall have
obtained the assessments from their re-
speetive assessors, to meet together a
the office of the town clerk, and make
an estimate of the probable amount ne
cessary to put the roads in good repair
for the current year, and also the amount
of money necessary to pay off the ex
penses and debts of said townships and
proceed to levy a tax for road purposes
not exceeding one cent on the dollars of
valuation: Provided, That if the same
should not be sufficient to put the roads
in good repair, they may proceed to levy
an additional tax, and also to issue their
duplicates accompanied with their war
rant for collection, to the several collec
tors of county rates and levies, or some
other suitable person for such
,sum in
money as they may deem necessary to
meet the liabilities of their respective
townships : Provided also, That noth
ing contained in this section shall be so
construed as to authorize the said com
missioners to collect in money more
than one quarter of the amount so levied.
SECTION 2. That the road tax levied
by the supervisors in the several town
ships in the counties of Bradford, Tioga
and Potter, for the year one thousand
eight hundred and forty four, shall be
considered legal to • all intents and pur
poses, as though the act to which this
is a further supplement had not been
passed, and the said supervisors shall be
allowed the same compensation for their
services _in said year which is allowed
by former laws regulating supervisors in
said counties, and all arrearages of road
taxes for said year which shall not have
been worked out or otherwise paid on
the roads, shall be handed over to the
commissioners elected in pursuance of
the act to which this,,is a further supple
ment and worked out on the roads agree
able to said act, and the auditors of the
several townships in said counties shall
settle the accounts of the said supervi
sors, agreeable to the former laws in such
case made and provided.
SECTION 3. That the act to which
this is a further supplement shall not be
construed to affect any view or review
of any road that shall have been made in
pursuance of an order issued from the
the court of quarter sessions for said
counties, "previous to the first day of
September, for the year one thousand
eight hundred and forty four, and all
roads which shall have been viewed in
pursuance of said order, shall be proceed.
ed in„and confirmed by the courts of
said counties, in the same manner that
they would have proceeded in, under the
laws existing previous to the passage of
this act, and supplement hereto referred,
and the said roads shall be recorded by
the clerk in the book for the recording of
roads and bridgel for said counties in
the same manner that it has heretofore
been done.
SECTION 4. That the eighteenth and
wenty-first sections of the act to whicl
this is a further supplement, being sup
plied by the first section of this act, the
same is hereby repealed, and this act is
to take effect from and after the passage
of the same, so far as relates to the coun-
ies of Bradford, Tioga and Potter, and
-in case of the neglect or refusal of the
commissioners elected under the act -to
which this is a further supplement, to
discharge the duties enjoined on them by
said act, they shall be' proceeded against
in a like manner and subject to like pe
nalties as supervisors were under former
laws in said counties. Provided, That
the duties and power heretofore exercis
ed by supervisors under the 4th, sth and
7th sections of the act relating to coun
ties and townships, and county and town
ship officers passed the 15th April 1834,
shall hereafter in the aforesaid counties
of 'Bradford, Tioga and Potter be exer
cised by the road commissioners elected
or appointed by virtue of the act to which
this is a further supplement, and the
said load commissioners shall be autho
rized to issue their warrant for the col
lection of such road taxes as shall not be
worked out on the roads under the direc-
tion of the said path-masters to constable
of the proper township or borough, who
shall proceed to collect the same as other
debts are collected on executions.
SEcnox 5. That in case there shall
have been a tie in the election of any
commissioners authorized to be elected
by the act to which this is a further sup
plement, the two commissioners legally
elected in any township-shall fill the va
cancy by appointment and a majority
of the board of commissioners shall form
a quorum for the transaction of business.
E. W. HasArtn, Esq., has been ap
pointed Deputy Attorney General for
the county of Bradford.
[From the Pittsburg Morning Post of Friday.]
Tremendous Conflagration..
Twenty Squares of the City in Ruins—
from 1000 to 1200 Houses destroyed
- —Loss estimated at ten millions.
It is our painful duty to record one
lof the most - terrible fires that every de
vasted any city on this continent. A .
great portion of our busy and popuieus
town is in ruins. More houses have
been destroyed by this single and hor
rible conflagration, than have been con
sumed by all the fires that have occur
' red in this city before.
Those acquainted with the plan of
Pittsburg, will realize the extent of the
terrible calamity we have suffered, when
we state that nearly all that part of the
city extending from Ferry street up the
Monongahela river to the city line, and
thence to the head of the entire suburb
called “Pipetown " [Kentington] has
been destroyed.
The fire reached up market street as
far as the south aide of Third street,
and up Wood street as far as the south
side of Diamond alley. The bounda
ries of the burnt ,, district may be thus
described : From Water street up Fer
ry to Third street, (the 3d Presbyterian
Church was saved,) up Third to Wood,
up Wood to Diamond alley both sides ;
up Diamond alley to Smithfield street,
and thence down Smithfield to fourth
street, both sides ; up Fourth street to
Ross street, and thence to the head of
Pipetown, including, as we have esti
mated above, about 20 squares, and
comprising from 10 to 1200 houses,
many of the warehouses containing
goods of immense value—they were
grocery, dry goods and commission
houses, and their spring stocks had been
just laid in.
The - fire originated in a frame build
ing over an ice house belonging
to Wm. Diehl, near the corner of Sec
ond and Ferry streets.. The wind was
blowing stiffly from the Northwest,
though it frequently veered to other
points, and owing to its variations, the
fire extended up Wood street further
than it otherwise could have done.
It was first discovered about 12
o'clock, and was not materially checked
till sin the afternoon. Even while we
write, (at 9 o'clock. P. M.,) the en
gines are playing vigorously in Wood
street.
. We can give no adequate idea of the
distress which pervades our stricken
community. The progress of the
flames was so fearfully rapid that many
persons had not time to remove their
goods—others, again, had got their pro
perty into the streets, when the flames
seized it there, before it could be remov
ed to a place of safety.
Others still would not believe the
devouring element could reach their
dwellings, and did not think of remov
ing until it was too late to save their
furniture. And we saw many people
who escaped with nothing but the ap
parel they had upon their persons.
At dark, you might see, at every di
rection, families sitting without shelter,
guarding such portions of their house
hold furniture as they were able to save
from the flames, and not knowing where
they would lay their heads, or procure
a morsel of food. Of course the kind
ness of their more fortunate fellow citi
zens did much to alleviate their suffer
ings, and we believe all were provided
for as well as the melancholy nature of
affairs would allow.
• The Councils met in the afternonn,
and attempted to devise some means to
stay the conflagration. It was propos
ed to blow up houses that seemed in
the way of the flames ; the deliberations,
however, were ineffectual in result,
and we believe but one or two buildings
were blown up. • It seems to us, in
deed, that there could not have been
time to accomplish any thing in the
way of destroying houses, so terribly
rapid was the progress of the fire.
There is abundant reason for thank
fulness that so few lives were lost.—
There are many rumors of men being
killed, and burnt and wounded—but
they are not authenticated. One wo
man is certainly burned, and we saw a
poor old man, tottering along with the
help of two friends, his face badly burn
ed. The loss of life, however, cannot
be learned in the awful confusion which
prevails.
We know not how to express our
sense of the- lively gratitude to which
the firemen are entitled from our afflic
ted and ruined citizens, as well as those
they saved--nothing in the shape of
reward can compensate them for the
incessant toil they had to undergo, and
for the unyielding, heroic firmness
which they manifested under the appal
ling terrors wideli surrounded them on
every side.
If they had had a sufficiency of wa
ter during the whole time, they could
have saved much more property—as it
was, they prevented the destruction of
on incalculable amount.
The following are the principal pub
lic buildings, manufactories and offices
that were destroyed :
Globe Cotton Factory, corner of 2d
and Ferry streets.
Fire Navigation Insurance Office,
Market, between Secod and Third.
Firemans' Insurance Office, corner
of Market and Third,
Penn Insurance Office, corner of
Market and Third.
Bank of Pittsburg, Fourth, between
Market and Wood.
Office of the Daily Chronicle, do ,
_ Job Printing office of J. B. Butler
Third, between Market and Woo,
streets,
Merchants' Hotel, corner of 3 4 1 az ,
Wood streets.
A. Kramer's Exchange office,
Jones & Sibbet's Exchange o il
corner corner of 4th and Wood., streets.
Wm. A. Hill's Exchange Cqee
between Fourth street and Mu rton .
Alley.
R. & R. H. Pattersona's Eagle am
Bazaar Livery Stables, Diamond Alley
and fourth et,
Associate Reformed Church, 4th 81.
near Grant.
Baptist Church, Grant st.
Baketvell's extensive Glass Wo r k
Water, above Grant st.
The Monongahela House, dea trove ,
with all the furniture.
Monongahela Bridge, entirety de
strayed. It is rumored that severa
lives were lost on the Bridge.
The Dallas Iron Works in Pipetown
entirely destroyed.
The loss sustained in the destrnetio
of the above buildings is immense, bu
it is small when compared with the de
struction of merchandise in the ware
houses on Water, Wood, let and 2
streets.
The merchants found it irupossibl:
to attempt to save anything; whol
blocks were destroyed in a few minutes
and the 'most they could do was t,
make an effort to save their books, and
but few of them succeeded even in
that.
11 will be many years before our eitv
can recover from the effects of -t:,i
dreadful calamity ; it has cast a blight' ,
over the commercial and manufacturing
enterprise of hundreds of our most wor
thy citizens, and in an hour has swept
from them all the profits of year's of toil
and industry.
To tkeir fellow citizens who have
been fortunate enough to escape this
w ide-spread destruction, they must look•
for aid to ,‘ commence the world anew,"
and we-are confident grey will not look
in vain.
We write in the hurry, confusion
and excitement of the terrible ti me , and
tinder the physical weariness caused bv
laboring to save the furniture of the
house of one of the editors, which was
burned to the ground—therefore, we
may omit much that we sought to ;In.
tice—but we have endeavored to give
as full an account of the calamity as we
could.
We are informed that two keswele
lost at the fire yesterday. •One was an
old woman, in the netghborhoud of
Grant and 3d streets, who had no 31(1 to
remove her furniture, and she relused
to leave her dwelling until it ivas too
late to sate her. •
The other that we heard of was a
gentleman doing business in Wood
street, but we hope it may he a mere
report. We hear rumors of many Ines
being lost, but as none of the reports
are authentic we refrain from givinir
them until we receive more reliable its.
formation.
GETTING READY.—The Post Master
General advertises that he will receiie
proposals, until the 10th of May, for
furnishing fifteen thousand balances for
the various post-offices in the United
States.- > They are to be ronstrocied on
a plan best calculated to ascertain the
weight of letters, and other mailable
matters, under the post•otice law of
3d of March, 1845, and will be teguiftd
to indicate a half ounce, and any given
weight between half an ounce and eight
ounces. -
INF AMMATORY RHEUM ATP:IL—This,
dreadful malady, like all others, is caus
ed by the impurity of the blooa, andcan
be cured by that medicine only which
will cleanse and purify the body.
Wright's Indian Vegetable Pills are
.
a certain cure for every description ci
Rheumatism ; because they expel those
morbid humors which are the cause net
only of Rheumatism and Gout, but of
every ache or pain we suffer. In or
der to make a speedy and radic4loe
of inflammatory Rheumatism, Om
four to eight of said Pills should be re
ken every twelve hours, until every
particle of inflammation or pain is re
moved. This course, if properly fol
lowed up, will in a short time make a
perfect cure of the most violent attack
of Rheumatism ; at the same time the
blood and other fluids will be so com
pletely purified that new life and rigor
will be given to the whole frame.
For sale' at the store 0f.1.T. &E .
D. Montanye, in Towanda, and br
agents published in another` column of
this paper.
W e ' taution..—As counterfeal
are abroad, avoid all stores 'of docitlri
character, and be particular in all cas
ses, to ask for Trright's Indian Pr
table Pills.
IarTHE BRAD. CO—VEDI C:4I
SOCIETY will hold its quailed!'
meeting at the office of Drs. Huston tt 16 0 ;
in Towanda, on Wednesday, the 7th
May next, at 2 o'clock, P. M.
E. H. MASON, .Secre.l977:
Married.
In Leßaysville, April 3, by Rev. JangsP l Z;
LAUREN TRUE, of Green eo., W. r..t°'
POLLT Rouncsox, of Middletown. Su'
In Franklin, on the lath inst., by Wm. 8 ,, 13k ,.
Es(1•1 BURTON BROWN, to Miss Eva M""
EiER, all
on the 17 of Franklin. g - f•
In Rome, 1 7 th inst., by the Rev. •••
Whitney, Ge.o. SIBLEY to Miss Coortir
"Ressavr.