From Norfolk.
[special Correspondence of the Dispatch.]
Norfolk, Nov. 11, 1861.
This morning at 3 o'clock, the large brick building, on the south side of Wide Water street, known as the old Custom-House, was discovered to be on fire, and notwithstanding great efforts were made by the firemen to arrest the progress of the flames, all the wood work was destroyed.
The building was occupied as a guard house, barracks, &c., and has been very useful since the commencement of the war. There was on the first floor a considerable amount of government property, mostly connected with the Light-House department, the greater part of which, consisting of lamps, oil, machinery, &c., was saved.
The structure was built of Baltimore bricks of superior quality, with very heavy and substantial wood work, and though not a showy building, was valuable and in a good state of preservation.
The old Custom-House, as it is called, was finished about forty years ago. The Act of Assembly authorizing the Governor to cede to the alted States the jurisdiction over the lot of land on which it was built, was passed February 1, 1819. Before the erection of the building now destroyed, a large warehouse on Town Point was occupied as the Custom-House for this port.
The beautiful granite Custom-House recently erected, and now used principally as headquarters of the army and post-office at this station, answers admirably all the purposes designed, and is a handsome ornament as well as an important public improvement.
Some defect in the construction of the stone work, by-the-bye, requires attention.
The steamer Wm. Selden went down this morning to Fortress Monroe, with a flag of truce, carrying the officers and crew of the French steam-frigate Prony, wrecked recently on the North Carolina coast.
They will proceed to New York, on their way to Europe.
The officers of the frigate express themselves in terms of much thankfulness for the services rendered and polite attention received from the people of North Carolina and Virginia.
The storm here Saturday night was quite heavy; the wind blew with much violence, and the rain came down in copious showers.
Along the line of the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad, the telegraph wires were broken in several places, and many trees of large size were blown down.
Three men, named G. W. Perryman, J. M. Price, and John Kennedy, have been arrested at Pig Point and imprisoned here on the charge of passing counterfeit notes on the Bank of Hamburg, S. C.
A boy about 15 years old, named John Moore, has been committed to jail on the charge of burglary.
The store of Allot & Rundle having been broken open and money stolen therefrom, suspicion rested upon young Moore, who, when arrested, had money in his possession which was identified. 