THE YELLOW FEVER
IN
NORFOLK AND PORTSMOUTH,
VIRGINIA,
1855,
as reported in the
DAILY DISPATCH
Richmond, Virginia.
Transcription by Donna Bluemink
Note: Correspondence usually dates from the previous day(s) so there may be repetition between news and correspondence of various dates.August 30 to September 5, 1855.VIRGINIA.
THE FEVER AT NORFOLK AND PORTSMOUTH.–A letter writer from Norfolk is of the opinion that the deaths there, are not all reported by the Board of Health, and average 25 daily. There are 600 cases in the city. Ex-Mayor Stubbs and his family are convalescent, as is Lieut. Branham of the Blues.
In Portsmouth John L. Porter, assistant constructor in the Gosport Navy Yard, has been taken to the Naval Hospital. The family of Mrs. Robert H. Tatem and two children of Mr. Jones Totterdell are down with the fever. Drs. Trugien and Maupin are out of danger, it is supposed. Dr. Wm. P. Williams of New Orleans, accompanied by C. Solomon and D. Strandbury, nurses, and Mrs. Wilson, Mrs. Mahony, Miss Ann E. Kuhn, and Mr. Wm. A. Gibson, have arrived at Norfolk from Baltimore.
LATEST MAIL NEWS.
Correspondence of the Dispatch.
Progress of the Fever in Norfolk and Portsmouth.
Norfolk, August 28, 1855 - 5. P. M.No one who is not on the spot can imagine the suffering, chiefly from the want of common attention, now existing among a large number of our population. Good nursing is more essential in Yellow Fever than medicine; and nurses are so scarce that it is often impossible to obtain them. One of the greatest favors that could be conferred on Norfolk at present would be to send there a large corps of attentive nurses. They are more needed than physicians, and their advent in our city would be joyfully hailed by our afflicted people. To show the desolate condition prevailing among the lower class as Mr. J. P. Anderson informs us that two or three days since, while going around on his missions of mercy, seeking out the sick and needy, he came across a man who had been down with the fever two days, entirely alone and forsaken, lying in his bed unable to move, and actually wallowing in his own excrement! The stench of the room was so abominable that Mr. Anderson had to copiously scatter about it chloride of lime, before he could venture to remain a few minutes in the noxious atmosphere. The man was promptly cared for, but of course relief came a day too late, and he shortly after died.
This is but one of many cases, we may say, of daily occurrence, and loudly appeals to the charity and sympathies of nurses abroad. Independent, also, of doing a good action by coming among us, they will be liberally, aye, largely compensated for their valuable services. Among those who have rendered themselves conspicuous for faithful services in these trying times, we have to notice John Jones, a mulatto slave, employed by Messrs. O'Brien and Quick, who in his humble, but now highly important capacity of hearse driver, has by the unwearied and faithful performance of his really laborious duties, won for himself, the esteem and regard of the entire community. From the commencement of the disease, Jones has been actively employed night and day, in driving the ill-fated fever victims to the Cemetery. In many instances having to shoulder the coffins in which were the bodies of the dead, and place them in his hearse without any assistance whatever. All of the friends of the deceased having fled panic struck from the corpse.
Night and day the rattling of the dismal "car of death" could be heard rapidly driven by Jones, who sat in his seat "solitary and alone," (except the silent passenger within,) puffing away at a long nine, and looking as cool and unconcerned as if he was driving a gay party to a festive picnic! So he has continued up to this hour–and it is fearful to contemplate how many poor wretches he has driven to their last homes since the sixteenth of July. Probably not less than five hundred! And with the prospects ahead, if he survives the epidemic, he bids fair to "charioteer" 500 more before the close of the awful drama! The people intend, by public subscription, to purchase the freedom of Jones, should he be so fortunate as to pass safely through the fever, as a reward of his courageous, cheerful and faithful conduct in his "particular line," throughout the epidemic.
The following are the latest deaths: John Freeman (colored); Mrs. Sinnott, Talbot st.; Mr. Curtin, Union st.; R. Holihan, Water st.; Mr. Noonan, Commerce st.; Eliza Godfrey, Woodsides Lane; negro man at Mrs. Jones' boarding house; child of Mrs. Bixby, Fen Church st.; Mr. A. Etheredge, Union st.; Mary Garrett, Water st.; negro of C. Bailey's, Main st.; negro man, Church st.; James House, over Toy & King's; Thomas Lewis, Main st.; Edwd. Seymour, formerly of Columbia, S. C.; niece of Mrs. Wm. Graves; daughter of Jeremiah Hendren; young lady at Insell's; (pilot) on the Point; free negro, in the fields; Miss Eliza Todd, daughter of the late Mallory Todd, Esq. Total 20. Capt. Henry Decker and Jno. Winter, died at the Hospital yesterday.
We regret to state that the Rev. Mr. Wills, Methodist pastor, was taken with the fever last night, also Dr. Halson–his mother and sister are very sick; John G. H. Hatton, Esq.–his daughter is ill; Wm. C. Southgate, Esq; O'Brien, of the firm of O'Brien & Quick; Ro Balls, and a large number of negroes. Miss Anna Camm had the fever, which terminated in typhoid. She is not expected to live; Rev. Mr. Dibrell is very sick; Dr. Constable is worse; Miss Sally Walker, of Manchester, is something better; three of Mr. Barry's family are down, and all of his servants; Miss Sarah Pitcher, reported dead at Eastville, is recovering; Dr. De Castro, recently arrived from Cuba, has the fever; Dr. Higgins is much better; Mr. Wm B. Pitcher died of the fever, at Eastville, on Saturday. The weather has changed from excessive heat to a cold temperature, with a disagreeable drizzling rain. It is very unfavorable for the sick, and will probably prove fatal to many. VERDAD.Dr. Craycroft, of Philadelphia, now at Norfolk, writes:
"The disease is a most malignant type, and has not yet reached its culminating point. It is no doubt, on its Northern tour, and next year you may expect a visit from this terrible destroyer in Baltimore and Philadelphia–the year following it will decimate New York, and will continue to travel North, and only stop when the warm temperature comes below 70 deg. Fahrenheit.
"There are a great many families here who are very well off in this world's goods, who are entirely dependent on the Howard Association for their bread and meat. The physicians' horses are very much jaded, and have not a bale of hay in the city. No mattresses. Mr. Ferguson has had to seize cotton bales on the wharf, and use them as mattresses. "
Gen. Wm. H. Whitehead left Weldon, N. C., on Sunday for Norfolk, with about $600 worth of provisions, collected by his indefatigable zeal, along the line of the Seaboard and Roanoke railroad, principally from the farmers. Messrs. Whitehead & Cary, of Weldon, contributed themselves two hundred bushels of corn and seventy-five cords of wood.
Dr. De Castro, a young Cuban physician from Philadelphia, is down with the fever. Dr. Alex Young is not dead as reported.The President of the Howard Association sent the following note to the Mayor of Charleston, S. C., on Thursday last:
DEAR SIR: We require physicians and nurses, and I am authorized by the Board of Health and the Association, to request of you the favor to send us such doctors and nurses as you can spare. The expenses, &c., shall be attended to.
Norfolk and Portsmouth from nine to ten hundred cases. We are without nurses, and our physicians are broken down.
P. S.–If a telegraph operator can be had, please send us one. Please send by express, or in any other way, to the "Howard Association, Norfolk, VA," 50 or 100 pounds range leaves for the use of the sick.
Upon the reception of this letter a public meeting was held in Charleston, and committees appointed to solicit subscriptions.
A letter writer gives the following account of Mayor Woodis' death:
It was not until Saturday afternoon that the fever developed itself. About 5 o'clock that night until the moment of his death he was unconscious. Drs. De Castro and Craycroft, (of Philadelphia) and Captain Nathan Thompson, of North Carolina, were his nurses. When I called yesterday morning I saw he was fast dying. I could see his skin jaundicing from moment to moment. He spoke but a few indistinct words while I was with him, the purport of which was that he wished to go out and attend to his duty; but although he looked me full in the face he did not know his old friend and playmate. In the hope that he might return to consciousness before he died, I ran off to bring the Rev. Mr. O'Keefe to attend him, leaving Captain Thompson at his bedside. Mr. O'Keefe immediately repaired to see him, but his prayers and spiritual admonitions failed to elicit any sign of consciousness from my dying friend. Meantime I hurried off to collect together the few intimate friends that are left in the city, but I had scarcely been absent from his side fifteen minutes when I was told he was dead. Old Captain Thompson, who saw the signs of the monster approach, closed his eyes and held his chin at the instant the breath left his body. He says he never saw one die so easily.
Through the kindness of Mr. J. H. Lewellyn, of the Curtis Peck, we received the Norfolk Argus of yesterday, in advance of the mail. The following is the list of deaths for the 24 hours ending Tuesday 2 P. M.
Mr. Proby, Commerce st.; James Treanor, 60, do; Frank, slave of W. H. Haynes, corner of Freemason and Brewer st.; Miss Eliza Todd, 40, Bute st.; Dr. Cannon, 32, (at Thompsonian depot) Main st.; Edw. Seymour, 38, Bute st.; Miss Lester, 17, Church st.; Miss Hendren, Church st.; Jesse Wiles, 37, Voss st. Total 19.
This report (says the Argus) shows a considerable decrease in the number of deaths, and we do hope we have seen the worst of this terrible scourge. There are very many new cases; but the disease must be of a milder form, or perhaps it is better understood by the physicians. The weather is cool, wind northeast, with considerable rain. What effect this may have upon the fever, remains to be seen.
We take the following items from the Argus:
Another Minister Sick.–We regret to announce that Rev. Mr. Wills, of the Cumberland Street Methodist Church, has been attacked with the fever. He was engaged in the faithful and diligent discharge of his pastoral labors among the sick until he was compelled by the sickness to retire from the field. His esteemed lady has entirely recovered.– One or two of his servants are also down.
Dr. Higgins.–We are happy to be able to state that Dr. Francis L. Higgins is now convalescent.–Dr. Thomas Penniston, and Mr. J. D. Mark, of New Orleans, have given him their constant and careful attention and superior skill; and to them, under Providence, has his valuable life been saved to his family and our community.
Arrival.–The schooner Accomac, Capt. Wools, arrived here yesterday morning, with freight, transferred from schooner Sarah Minge, Capt. Weaver, from Philadelphia.
Nurses and Carpenters.–The Howard Association advertise for twenty good male and female nurses, and three or four good house carpenters, –the latter to erect additional buildings for the sick.
Relief for the Sufferers.–The visitors at the White Sulphur Springs held a meeting on Thursday, over which Col. Pickens, of South Carolina, presided, and raised a subscription of $900 for Norfolk and Portsmouth.
Market Arrangements.–An arrangement is being made, by which farmers from Lambert's Point, who are willing, can come to Fort Barbour, at the upper end of Church street, with marketing for sale.
A Hasty Summary.–The dreadful epidemic is still doing its work of death; the weather rainy, damp and unpleasant, copious shower of rain; physicians dashing in every direction; aid for the suffering still coming in; very scanty supplies of fruit, vegetables, &c., in market; sad, gloomy and thoughtful countenances to be seen wherever a human face appears; good nurses for the sick in great demand; immense flocks of hungry pigeons in the streets and squares, in search of food; the hospital wagons, passing slowly and frequently down to the covered lights with the sick for the hospitals; even Sundays in a week, at least in appearance; no store seems to be opened, but there are several; four or five who kept open last week are sick now; the death of our excellent Mayor the general conversational topic; on Sunday there were 62 persons in the church in which there has heretofore been the largest congregation; the hands in the Argus office thinned out alarmingly, but no deaths as yet. We could go on for hours, but other duties compel us to throw down our pen.
Portsmouth.–We failed to get the regular report of deaths last evening; but the number did not exceed 5 for the 24 hours ending at sunset. The number of new cases however, for 36 hours ending at the same time was very alarming, being between 30 and 40.
D. Trugien, we are grieved to say, is considered beyond all hopes of recovery.
In Charleston, S. C., $375 has been collected; and on Sunday evening Drs. St. Julien Ravenel, A. B. Williman, J. M. Covert, S. C. Rich, and four female and three male nurses left for the infected cities.–On Monday, Drs. Skrine and Steele, and five nurses, left for the same destination. Adams & Co.'s Express Company have agreed to forward all goods from this city for Norfolk and Portsmouth free of charge.
In Wilmington, N. C., $450 has been raised.
Under the obituary head in the Norfolk papers are published the names of Miss Eliza A. Todd, daughter of the late Mallory M. Todd, and Miss Mary E. Graves.
THE FEVER IN PORTSMOUTH.
The Portsmouth Transcript of Tuesday, has the subjoined article. It will be remembered that the accounts represent the recovery of the noble Trugien as hopeless.
Up to Sunday, sunset, the deaths reached twenty and upwards. At about 8 P. M., L. W. Boutwell, a most estimable man and clerk in the Navy Yard, who lost a most interesting daughter a day or two ago, breathed his last. He was a nephew of the late Commodore Warrington. On Monday, the new cases and deaths had diminished considerably. There were 80 cases under treatment at the Naval Hospital. The Surgeon there, with Drs. Harrison and Steele, are most attentive and kind–and have been very successful in the treatment of those cases which reached them in time. Many were sent there in a dying state and past all hope. Drs. Maupin and Trugien are doing well. We do not know what would have been the extent of the mortality and misery, had not the council succeeded in obtaining the use of the Hospital in the present emergency. To the President of the United States, as well as to the able and humane report of Surgeon Whelan, Chief of the Medical Bureau, we are mainly indebted. The Commodore of the yard here, too, has afforded every facility in supplying the demand for coffins, which Mr. Stoakes could not wholly meet.
Death–death–and red coffins are the sole subject of contemplation and objects of sight at present to our community.
Our Council is without a quorum, and those of them who remained cooperated with a few citizens, have undertaken the management of affairs. The want of the needy are supplied and the sick and dying attended to as well as our distressing position and circumstances allow.
Our Mayor is now confined to his bed with the prevailing epidemic.
The Transcript publishes the following list of deaths there since the 23d:
August 23.–Peter Galilee, Mr. Gaines, Mary A. Beasly, Joseph Dunton, Eliza Jarvis, Lucy V. Pace, Joe Young (colored), and 4 at hospital.–Total 11.August 24.–Mrs. Wm. Moore, Dr. Lovett, negro of D. Scott, negro of F. Herbert, Miss E. Boutwell, Jas. Anderton, Susan Ross, colored man of W. Bohannon, Mrs. C. J. Reynolds, Peter Galhen, Mrs. Avery Williams, colored woman of Mrs. Riddick, Mrs. Whiten Hochins. Mr. W. Hudson's wife and child, and 6 at hospital.–Total 21.
August 25.–Mrs. Gates, Mrs. Mathias, ____ Lane, col'd, ____ Fops, col'd, ____Hushen, col'd, Caroline Baker, Mrs. Heatley, Wilson Williams, ____ Smith, Miss E. C. Herbert, Mr. Brener's child, Herbert Grimes, Mr. Grimes, and 13 at hospital.–Total 26.
August 26.–Chas. Meyers, John Myers, Miss Margaret Manning, Mrs. Tatem, Miss Williams, child of W. Dobbs, negro man at Jas. White's, negro woman at Avery Williams', Dick Gordon, col'd, Morning Larence, col'd, F. Fowler, black child at Dr. Maupin's, Mrs. Atkinson, Mr. Spratt, Mrs. Buchanon, none at hospital.–Total 16.
Aug. 27.–L. Boutwell, son of Malachia Williams, Jas. Powers, Miss M. Dunham, 2 col'd children, daughter of H. George, 5 at Hospital.–Total 12.
The Mayor of Portsmouth acknowledges the receipt of $1,273.23 from Richmond; $343.13 from Fredericksburg; $2,912 from Petersburg; $10 from Oceola tribe of Red Men, Alexandria. Drugs and money from Philadelphia before mentioned; game from Baltimore; any quantity of Hampton's Vegetable Tincture from Morrimer & Mowbray, Baltimore. Contributions should be directed to D. D. Fiske, or W. Watts, Portsmouth.
The Rev. Jos. Archiwadden has arrived from Georgetown, D. C., and is stopping at Benj. Spratley's house.
LATEST FROM PORTSMOUTH.
Death of Dr. Trugien.PETERSBURG, Aug. 29.–Dr. Trugien died in Portsmouth this morning at half-past six o'clock. He was but 28 years of age. Throughout the fever he has shown an energy and determination which has been unsurpassed, and dying leaves many heavy hearts in Portsmouth which looked up to and confided in him. His case is one of the noblest instances of self sacrifice which has ever come within our notice.
The deaths in Portsmouth are decreasing, but the new cases are increasing.
Britingham, the mail carrier, is dead.
Allen, conductor on the Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad, is reported dying.DEATH OF DR. TRUGIEN.–Dr. John Schoolfield of Portsmouth, writes thus to the Petersburg Express, in relation to the death of Dr. Trugien, published by us yesterday:
"The sad task devolves upon me of announcing the death of our dear friend, Dr. J. W. H. Trugien, who though still breathing, cannot survive but a few minutes; I was summoned here at 2 0'clock, a.m., to see the last of him; but his brain was, and is still so oppressed that he has not recognized me.–During his lucid moments he expressed his full preparation for the change, and his perfect resignation to the will of God.
Truly has a good man fallen. But I will not now attempt to write his eulogy. At some other occasion, I may express my views of his character, which was such that it deserves more than a common newspaper epitaph.
'He worked at the oar until he fell,' to use his words in a letter to the Express. After an exhausting days' work on Thursday last, he set up all night with a sick friend, and on Friday complained slightly. I immediately took him to the hospital, where he was doing well until Sunday night, when he was seized with apoplectic convulsions, which were partially relieved by free bleeding. Since then he has been gradually sinking–I have not the heart to say more."
Up to Monday there have been 91 deaths by the fever at the U.S. Hospital of citizens of Portsmouth, besides 16 of the officers, sailors and marines of the naval service.
The following are the names of the dead in Portsmouth, not before published:
Charles, son of Mrs. R. H. Tatem; James Hanrahan; Thomas P. Wren; Mrs. Wm. Roser; L. W. Boutwell; Mrs. Covert; John Kennedy; Mr. Millar; James Powers.
J. Jack and wife; John D. Cowper and wife; and Major Samuel A. Forbes, (who is ill); a child of the late Wilson Williams, and Miss Fanny Williams, daughter of the late Patrick Williams, are sick.
Mr. Samuel Brewer, a most prominent and useful member of one of the Baptist churches, is improving and great hopes are entertained that he will recover.
Dr. G. W. O. Maupin is convalescent; he has been exceedingly ill.
HISTORY OF YELLOW FEVER IN NORFOLK.
Previous to the great fire of 1804 when the greater part of the town was destroyed, Norfolk was annually visited by yellow fever, but after that event it did not re-appear until 1821. Dr. Robt. Archer, the Health officer at that time, published a history of the fever in the Medical Journal, from which we make the extracts below. The similarity between the disease in its origin, progress and duration are strikingly similar. The bilge-water of the Franklin, it is said, emitted the most intolerable stench. It will be seen too, that a Mr. Price, acting as clerk in the warehouse on the wharf, was one of the first victims in 1821. Among the first that fell during the present epidemic, was Mr. A. J. McFaddan, an accountant who was engaged until one o'clock the night previous to his being taken with the fever in making out accounts against the Ben Franklin steamer, for the Gosport Iron Works. Mr. Carter, a machinist from Richmond, who went down into the hold of the Franklin to repair her boiler, also sickened and died; and another mechanic, who descended to "step" the mast in the bottom of the vessel, shared the same fate as the two others above mentioned.
The yellow fever made its appearance in Norfolk on the 1st of August, and continued to rage with more or less violence until gradually and imperceptibly yielded to the frost about the 1st of November. During that time there died, as nearly as can be ascertained, 160 persons, of whom 53 were females, 30 negroes, 106 adults, and 60 foreigners. Europeans, and particularly the Irish, were most obnoxious to the disease–next to these, the natives of the northern and eastern States. The emigrants from the West Indies suffered comparatively nothing, and very few of the old inhabitants were affected. I did not meet with the disease in any individual who had had it before.
The last winter was unusually severe; and Fahrenheit's thermometer, at one time during the month of January, fell to ten, which was several degrees lower than it had been for many years before. The spring was very backward and wet.–We had a snow storm on the 18th of April, and the summer set in very warm in June.
Fair Prevail'g Thermometer
Jan Feb March April May June July On the 20th of July a vessel from Point Peter, Guadaloupe, laden with rum, sugar, and molasses arrived in the harbor. Having discharged her cargo at an upper wharf, her bilge water was pumped out on the dock, between Southgate's and Warren's wharves, which was found to be so putrid and offensive, as to render it expedient that the doors and windows of a neighboring house should be closed, in order to exclude the effluvia arising form it. This and Southgate's warehouse were about equally distant from the vessel–say 15 or 20 yards–one on the east, the other on the west side of the dock.
On the 1st of August Mr. Price, acting as clerk in the warehouse, was taken sick with fever, strongly marked with symptoms of malignancy, and died on ___. On the same day a negro woman, cook to the family occupying the other house, was attacked, and died on the 9th. On the 4th two ladies of the family sickened, the elder of whom died on the 10th. About the same time a boy, aged 16, and an infant in the same family were attacked, but both recovered. On the 9th the lady of the house had a slight attack, from which she soon recovered, and the only one who escaped of the whole family, seven in number, was the master of the house, whose duties fortunately took him from home at the time the bilge water was discharged.–Young Piercey, who had assisted in pumping the vessel, and a boy by the name of Andrews, who had frequently been about her at the time, both sickened and died, one about the 15th day of the disease, the other with 48 hours after the attack.
It is evident, therefore, that the effluvia arising from the bilge water was the immediate cause of disease in every instance that has been recorded; for every individual had been exposed to its influence, and almost every one who had come within its atmosphere was more or less affected by it.
The cause being removed, it was expected the disease would have terminated; but not so. On the 10th of August it appeared in Woodside's lane, distant from the aforesaid dock only the width of Southgate's warehouse, or about 60 feet. This lane is bounded on the east by another very filthy dock, for it serves for a common sewer for all the offal of the neighborhood, and at low tide is bare and exposed to the action of the sun for a considerable distance from its head. The residents upon this lane were mostly Irish, recently emigrated, and persons in the lowest circumstances, addicted to filth, intemperance and every species of debauchery, and consequently the fittest subjects of disease. The fever extended gradually to Water street, first around the head of the dock last mentioned; from thence to the lower end of the street, in a block of wooden buildings under which the tide flowed, and equally unclean with those of Woodside's lane; and, in a very short time, embraced the whole section of the town bounded by Market square on the east, Main street on the north, and the river on the west and south. It was almost exclusively confined to these limits, although a few insulated cases appeared in more remote parts of the town, most of which could be traced to the infected district; but before its termination the virus had become so attenuated and diffused, that several persons, who had no communication either with the district or patients removed from it, were infected.
I do not wish to be understood as subscribing to the doctrines of contagion and importation of disease, as generally implied, when I say that the vessel from Guadeloupe had some agency in its production in the present instance. A foul air generated on shipboard, and one brought from a foreign port, are two distinct things; but that bilge water, vegetable and perhaps, animal matter and the like, whether of foreign or local origin, under certain circumstances of atmosphere, temperature, &c., are capable of engendering disease, no one, I am persuaded, is prepared to deny. For this reason our quarantine restrictions, which are absurdly severe upon passengers and crews (as in no instance that has come within my knowledge has the yellow fever ever been communicated from the patient to the attendant), should be more strictly and scrupulously enforced with respect to vessels and cargoes.
No very material change was observable in the progress of the fever until the 3d of September, although it appeared to be in a manner influenced by the state of the weather, and was more or less violent as the thermometer rose and fell. On that day we were visited by a hurricane from the NE, shifting soon after to NW, and accompanied with torrents of rain. It exceeded in violence any that had occurred within the memory of the oldest inhabitants, and continued about two hours and a half. The tide rose to an unusual height, and covered all the wharves and lower street, particularly the infected districts. Care was taken to move the water from the cellars and other low places that had been inundated, and lime was profusely scattered over them. The existing cases did not seem to have been much benefitted by the storm. It evidently, however, had a tendency to reduce the number of new cases, and mitigate the violence of their symptoms, and we had reason to expect its entire subsidence in a short time. But about the last of the month it began to increase, and though generally of a milder character, several cases of extreme malignancy occurred.
Unfortunately, many persons who had removed from the infected district, persuaded themselves, from a favorable change of weather about the first of October, that all danger was over, and returned. Most of them paid for their temerity, as their temporary absence only seemed to have prepared them for becoming victims of the disease. Several who had contracted the ague and fever in the surrounding country, who had been well evacuated, and were regularly continuing their tonics, were attacked and died. There was no way by medicine or otherwise of preparing or fortifying the constitution to resist its power. Salivation even offered no security, and the only means of escaping the disease, was to get beyond the atmosphere that engendered it.
Dr. Archer here gives the method of treating the disease, and concludes by relating the following circumstance:
An accidental circumstance which occurred in a patient under my care, afforded additional evidence, if it be wanting, of the utility of cold bathing in yellow fever.–He was an old man sixty years of age, in the third day of the disease. The febrile symptoms ran very high; he had excessive vomiting, and complained of great distress about the head; a cathartic was prescribed, and in preference to remaining in his chamber, he betook himself to a neighboring wharf to wait until it had ceased operating. During its operation he fell into the river, and with difficulty was snatched from a watery grave, by some person passing at the time. He was taken home and put to bed. A profuse perspiration ensued; his fever left him, and he found himself next day perfectly recovered.
ADVERTISEMENT.
THE YELLOW FEVER.–Important letter from the venerable Dr. Hampton in the 81st year of his age.–In a letter to the proprietors of Hampton's Tincture, dated August 18th, 1855, he says:–"I see in the papers, that the Yellow Fever is now prevailing to some extent in Virginia, I have ever believed that the Tincture (Hampton's) given in large doses on the discovery of the first symptoms, a reaction would at once follow and immediate relief be the result. I would recommend the Tincture, in preference to all known discoveries.
Hampton's Vegetable Tincture the great restorator and invigorator.–It has shewn itself most powerful curative of NERVOUS DISEASES, in their various forms, giving new life and vigor, restoring the shattered constitution and thus infusing hope in place of despondency. By its mild, pleasant and safe action on the stomach, liver, kidneys, lungs and the nervous system, it cures Dyspepsia, Liver Complaint, Diseases of the Urinary Organs, Coughs, Asthma, Bronchial Affections, Consumption, Scrofula, St. Vitus' Dance, King's Evils, Worms, Rheumatism, Gout, Neuralgia, Fits, Fistula, Piles, with diseases arising from impure blood.
The FEMALE SYSTEM has in Dr. Hampton's Vegetable Tincture a cure for its numerous and complicated derangements. Hundreds who have been debilitated and dispirited, and on the verge of a premature grave, have been restored by its use to blooming health, which we are abundantly able to prove by such a host of LIVING WITNESSES as we think no other medicine can produce.
$1 per bottle, six bottles for $5.
Sold in Richmond, by O. A. Strecker, and Purcell, Ladd & Co., and by all the Druggists in Petersburg and elsewhere. Call and get Pamphlets gratis. au 25–d&cts.
DEATH OF DR. TRUGIEN.–The death of this young physician is one of the most lamentable that have taken place in Portsmouth. He had been very successful in his treatment of the fever. He showed not only a great deal of humanity in his attentions to the afflicted, but devoted himself to them with an indefatigable zeal and physical endurance which astonished all familiar with his movements. He was only 28 years old, was a young man of great promise and was remarkable for the kindness and piety of his disposition. We know not how better to communicate an idea of his invaluable services and those of the late mayor of Norfolk, than by the following anecdote. An Irishman from Norfolk came into the Dispatch counting room the day that these two lamented persons were reported to be sick, to enquire what was the news from his city. Upon being informed that they along with others, were down with the fever, he lifted up his hands, and exclaimed: "If Dr. Trugien and Mayor Woodis dies, then good-bye Norfolk and Portsmouth!" The look of despair with which the simple hearted laborer expressed himself, gave great force to his exclamation. It is a consolation that there are others left who are devoting themselves with a heroism that is deserving of the highest eulogy, to the relief of the destitute and the sick; but the deeds of Woodis and Trugien will live as long as there is anything known of the ravages of yellow fever in Norfolk and Portsmouth.
PORTSMOUTH.–A letter from one of the young physicians who went from this city states that there are seven physicians in Portsmouth, and that they have each a district assigned them. There are about 4000 inhabitants only, now in the city, and there are 300 sick with the fever–one out of every thirteen of the population.
LATEST MAIL NEWS.
Progress of the Fever in Norfolk and Portsmouth.Norfolk, Aug. 29.
You cannot imagine how badly the fever has affected this city. Upon my arrival I was perfectly astonished and almost dismayed at the desolation which met my view.–Nearly everybody has left and Death and Solitude hold undisturbed the reign in this plague-stricken city.The Howard Association have procured the old City Hotel, which they are about fitting up as a Hospital, and I expect to be quartered there as a nurse. I have nothing more to write to you, not being quite familiar with things here yet. Yours, H.M.
Norfolk, Aug. 29th, 6 P.M.
Many persons believe (in which we fully concur) that the cause of the dreadful epidemic now devastating our city, can be traceable to the different localities about town, in which the seeds of the disease has been germinating for several years, ready for an explosion whenever a sufficient impetus was given to the poisonous malaria therein engendered. The arrival of the steamer Ben Franklin in our waters, and the opening of her hold at Gosport, spread the disease there and in Portsmouth, already open to receive the infection from the same causes–from which, after gathering sufficient strength, it crossed the river to our ill-fated city, and inoculating our already infected atmosphere, like the addition of fuel to fire, spread like the besom of destruction and scattered death and distress in its march on every hand. The predisposing causes of the fever may be found in the filthy state of many of our docks, and the filling up of sunken lots in various places with mud, decaying wood, and refuse vegetable matter.–This has been going on for several years, and as a consequence, the malaria issuing therefrom has been increasing in poisonous effluvium, and yellow fever for the past two or three summers, has visited us more or less, though only in particular districts. This summer is the first time it has ever assumed the form of a general epidemic, and that may have been induced by the peculiar fitness of the weather assimilating with the causes mentioned above.The question arises in the minds of many, will we have the fatal scourge again next summer? Will it be a yearly visitor to us, like it is to New Orleans? The opinions in answer to these enquiries are various. Some believe not, while others contend that until the causes that originated the disease are destroyed, or in other words, until the damp, muddy malaria issuing from new filled up lots become firm, dry and solid earth, (which it will take some years to do,) that our city may expect the same visitation in a smaller or greater form for several summers to come. This is certainly a sad prospect, and, if verified, will act disastrously upon the future prosperity of our city. Already many families talk of removing for good, and if the fever assumes an epidemic form next season, we may expect to see a large final stampede of many of our most respectable citizens. We sincerely trust that this may not be the case, and that the Almighty will, in his infinite mercy, spare us from such an awful visitation again.
The following persons were taken with the fever last night:
Dr. Wm. Selden; Chas. H. Beale, Esq., late editor of the News; Mr. Barrom, keeper of the City Hall; Ignatius Higgins; W. S. Forrest, reporter for the Argus; Thos. Corprew's mother; Oscar Watlington, of the firm of Watlington & Bro; Henry Watlington; C. C. Bottimore; Mrs. Mallory Todd; Wm. Henry Garnett; O. W. Edwards; 5 cases at Police Officer Cherry's; Mrs. Skinner and her two children, Duke St.; Miss Maria Sawyer; Henry Jordan; Pax Pollard; Edw. Delaney; Joseph Wilkinson, wife and child, Queen st.; Wife of Conway Whittle, Esq.; Henry M. Moore, and two children; Misses Mary and Rebecca Ghiselin (or Ghrislin); Miss Evelina Fitzhugh; and number of negroes –altogether about 100 new cases!Frank Tarrant is very low; Dr. Constable is sinking; Capt. Guy and his wife are better; Dr. Higgins is better; Wm. S. Spratley is easier; Rev. Messrs. Dibrell and Wills are better.
Dr. Thom[p]son, from Baltimore, was taken last evening, and died this morning. Fatal and swift!
From Portsmouth we learn that the disease is slaying the people on every side. Dr. Trugien is dead; N. Brittingham, the mail carrier, is dead; Mayor Fiske is lying very low; Dr. Maupin not expected to live; Winchester Watts very ill.
The following are the latest deaths in this city to date: Mr. Proby, Commerce st.; negro Frank, owned by W. H. Haynes; Miss Lester, Church st.; Jesse Wiles, Voss st.; Wm. Wells, house carpenter; Dr. Thompson; Mrs. Insell, Tunis' Saw Mill; child of Thos. Jakeman; Mrs. Inge, Voss st.; Master T. Lewis and his sister, Main st.; Mr. Jimmy Trainer, clothier; James Harrison, of the firm of Harrison & Capps; Captain John S. Fatherly; Mrs. Amy Small; Mr. Scott, soap maker; Dr. M. M. Cannon, Mr. Beveridge, Mr. Rynott, Market Square; Jos. Tatem, Chapel street; Mrs. Beckly; negro man, (free) Hawk street; Betsy Capps, Hardy's lane; child of Thomas Spratt, four negroes buried by Salusbury.–Total 25.
The fever has broken out in the city jail; one prisoner, a Mr. Hebden has died, and several others are sick; it would be an act of retributive justice if Goslin, imprisoned there, awaiting his trial for the murder of Murphy, could fall a victim to it, as the principal witnesses against him have died, and he stands a fair chance of escaping, should he survive the epidemic. VERDAD.
Correspondence of the Dispatch.
FROM PORTSMOUTH.
August 29th, 5 P.M.The fever here is on the increase, but of milder character.
The city has been divided into districts–the following physicians being in attendance:–Dr. Walters, of Baltimore, north of London street; Dr. Webster, of Baltimore, from High street to London; Dr. Riser, from Philadelphia, from High street to the county; Dr. McDowell, from Richmond, south of South street; Dr. Howle, from Richmond, in Gosport; Dr. Cole, from Philadelphia, in Newtown. The number of new cases in Portsmouth on Sunday, the 26th, 53; deaths 25.–On Monday, 27th, 74; deaths 18. Today we have no reports from the physicians, but supposed to be on the decrease, both in new cases and deaths.
Drs. Bilisoly and Hodges are the only resident physicians of this place now capable of doing duty. Of course you know poor Trugien is dead.
Dr. Hargrove of Richmond is quartered in Norfolk under the direction of the Howard Association. I am pleased to see that Mr. Henry Myers of Richmond has arrived in Norfolk.
The population here usually 13,000 is not now over 2,000.
You will hear from me again. Yours, T.P.H.
LATEST FROM PORTSMOUTH.
Petersburg, Aug. 30.–The fever in Portsmouth is abating. Dr. Maupin is reported very low. Mrs. Jno. B. Davis, Capt. Allen of the S & R Railroad, and J. Woodly are said to be better.
The New Orleans nurses and physicians went down to Portsmouth today.
Col. Winchester Watts is better.
WE ARE INDEBTED to Mr. Hill, of the steamer Augusta, for a copy of the Norfolk Argus in advance of the mail.
The following is the list of deaths for the 24 hours ending Wednesday 2 P.M.:
Joe Tatem, 40, Chapel st.; Martha Lewis and her brother, Thos. Lewis, 10, Main st.; Captain John S. Fatherly, 45, Charlotte st.; Mrs. Inge, Voss st.; Clement Hill's child; Mrs. Small, Mariner st.; Andrew Scott, 79, Brigg's Point; colored woman, Boush's Lane; Thos. Spratt's child, Smith's Point; Maria Beekly, 52, Roanoke Avenue; Thos. H. Beveridge, 42, do; Mary Eliza Starke, 13, Main st., daughter of Capt. Starke, U. S. Marines; Dr. Thompson, of Baltimore, at National Hotel; Mr. Rhinot, Market Sqr.; Wm. Wills, Main st.; Miss Spiatt, 11, York st.
We take the following item from the Argus:
Portsmouth.–For the 24 hours ending sunset Tuesday, 11 deaths.
New Orleans.–A despatch has been received stating that in New Orleans $3,000 had been raised and 10 nurses sent on.
Board of Health.–The Board of Health have filled two vacancies by the election of Dr. Wm. Moore and Wm. D. Roberts, Jr.
Duties of Mayor.–Dr. N. C. Whitehead, the Senior Magistrate, has promptly accepted the Mayoralty, which devolved on him in consequence of the death of Mayor Woodis, and has entered on the discharge of his duties.
Remember the Printer.–In consideration of the suffering in Norfolk, Mr. Robert Anderson has forwarded the Argus $5, advance on a year's subscription.
Medical.–Dr. Richard Blow has arrived and offered his services gratuitously to the citizens of Norfolk
Dr. Cameron died Wednesday. Dr. T. Marsh and his son are very sick. Messrs. Paxton Pollard, a well known teacher, and John G. Hatton, were not expected to survive yesterday.
The steamer Augusta came up yesterday with her colors half mast, through respect to the memory of Capt. John Fatherly.
A letter dated 28th says:
"But three stores are open in Portsmouth, and the people live almost entirely on salt provisions. Sixty-three new cases are reported on Monday, and three physicians have yet to report. Meal and flour are much wanted. Mayor Fiske, who is down, not with the fever, is thought to be better. James H. Saunders, Secretary of the Howard Association, is down this morning."The reported indisposition of Mr. Saunders is doubtless incorrect, as the Norfolk papers say nothing of it.
Another letter of the same date says:
"Among the deaths today we have to announce that of Edward Seymour, Esq., a distinguished lawyer of Columbia, S.C. He has been on a visit to his family here for the last two months, and has fallen a victim to the fever. The widow and two little daughters of the late Captain W. E. Stark are very low, and are not expected to survive throughout the day. J. H. Rogers is also very low. W. Walters, son of the proprietor of the National Hotel, was taken down this morning. Ex-Mayor Stubbs and family are out of danger."In Williamsburg $300 has been subscribed for the sufferers. The citizens of Charlottesville have raised $100, and Dr. Ed. S. Hicks, of that place, has left for Norfolk, to relieve the suffering. He arrived in Richmond yesterday.
The Beacon of Monday in announcing its suspension, says:
We have for six weeks past wended our way to our office as usual, and discharged our editorial duties. Two of our hands have left us some time since, two are down with the fever, one of our pressmen is sick with the fever, and our foremen has given us notice that he intends leaving town. We will then have only two small boys, and it is impossible to employ compositors for love or money.
Donation.–The Howard Society acknowledge the receipt of $5 from Wm. M. Caldwell, N.Y., late a Lieut in the U.S. Navy.
Sad Case.–A letter writer from Portsmouth, under date 25th, says: Miss Margaret Manning is dead. This young lady deserves especial attention. Together with her father and family, she left Portsmouth upon the appearance of the fever. A little more than a week since, hearing that her uncle (B. W. Palmer,) was taken down, she, not being able to procure a vehicle to take her to Portsmouth, walked from her country retreat to that place, a distance of seven miles, to aid in nursing him. He having the advantage of good nursing, speedily recovered; when she took the fever, and in a few days died.
Philadelphia, Aug. 29.
The subscriptions for the Norfolk and Portsmouth sufferers still continue to come in. Thus far they have furnished the following aid: In money up to the present day, August 29th, $12,448.33.
Of this, $630.17 was contributed by the Catholic Clergy from collections taken up on Sunday last and which was sent in equal sums to Portsmouth and Norfolk. Fifty dollars were also contributed by the Coates Street Central Presbyterian Church, Rev. Dr. Duffield, Jr.
In addition to the above the Committees have sent on about $2,250 worth of medicines, disinfectants, &c. Among these the Committee acknowledge the receipt of three dozen old Port, from "a citizen of West Walnut street."
The following assistants have gone on today to aid the afflicted: John Gowen and W. H. Ellis, Nurses, and Doctors R. L. Briggs, of Honesdale, Pa., and J. Eccleston Marsh, of this city, with C. D. Shreeve, Apothecary.
John Robertson, formerly of Cuba, who knows something of "Yellow Jack," left here yesterday for Norfolk.
SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR NORFOLK.
We give below an account of a meeting at the Salt Sulphur Springs, to raise subscriptions for the sufferers of Norfolk and Portsmouth, furnished us by a friend at that place:
At a meeting of the visitors of the Salt Sulphur Springs, in Monroe county, on the evening of the 26th of August, held for the purpose of rendering aid to the afflicted citizens of Norfolk and Portsmouth, on motion of Mr. Lucas of South Carolina, the Rev. Dr. Richard Fuller, of Baltimore, was called to the Chair, and Geo. L. Brent, of Richmond, appointed Secretary.
After a touching address by Dr. Fuller, explaining the object of the meeting, a committee of twelve, consisting of the following gentlemen, were appointed to solicit subscriptions from those present. Sam'l Du Bose of S. C., Chairman; Thos. P. Devereaux of N. C.; R. Gallaway of N. C.; Benj. Jones and Wm. B. Randolph of Va.; Jas. Wright and N. H. Brown of Ala.; J. M. Shackelford of S. C.; J. W. Pugh of La.; G. L. Bedford and C.W. Foster of N. Y.; J. P. Norris of Phila.
The meeting was then favored with a graphic description of the suffering of the citizens of Norfolk and Portsmouth; after which $350 were subscribed by the visitors, and more is expected. Yours, L.
THE NORFOLK PAPERS.
We regret to learn that not one of the papers of Norfolk appeared yesterday morning. It is a striking proof of the ravages of the epidemic. We hope their suspension will be brief.
LOCAL MATTERS.
THANKSGIVING.–We invite the attention of our readers to the subjoined card of the Mayor of this city, setting apart next Thursday as a day of thanksgiving and prayer to a kind Providence for the blessings of health which Richmond enjoys, and for the removal of that fatal plague which has already hurried from time into eternity so many of the residents of our sister cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth. Other cities have devoted a day to thanksgiving and prayer, and we have no doubt that the people of Richmond will gladly suspend all business and devote one day to the worship of the Great Ruler of the Universe, whose bountiful mercies have been so lavishly expended on them, while their neighbors and friends have been sorely afflicted with disease and death. We publish the Mayor's card below, with the hope that it will meet with a warm, united approval by our entire community. Read it:
CITY OF RICHMOND, MAYOR'S OFFICE, August 31st, 1855.
Whereas it has pleased Almighty God, in His good providence, to grant to the inhabitants of this city a season of unexampled health and general prosperity, it has been thought becoming and proper to set apart a day for the grateful commemoration of His distinguishing goodness: it is, therefore, recommended that Thursday next, the 6th day of September, be observed as a day of thanksgiving, and that all the citizens of Richmond be earnestly requested to unite in the religious services of the day; and, in so much as our sister cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth still suffer from the ravages of the fatal disease which has so sorely afflicted them, it is recommended that special prayers be offered on their behalf, that it would please God to remove the pestilence from them and grant to them the blessings which constrain us to make a public acknowledgment of His mercies. JOSEPH MAYO, Mayor.
NURSES FOR NORFOLK.–Two of our German citizens, Messrs. Frederick Steinbrunn and W. A. Bolt left this city for Norfolk yesterday, where they intend offering their services to the Howard Association as nurses for the sufferers from yellow fever.
SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR NORFOLK.–At St. Peter's Catholic Church, on last Sunday, a collection was taken up for the people of Norfolk and Portsmouth. The sum raised amounted to $195–very liberal for the congregation of that Church, whose members are generally poor. This sum has been sent to the Howard Association, to be divided as it deems proper between the towns.
RELIEF.–The children of Alexandria have been active in sending relief to the sufferers of Norfolk and Portsmouth. Mattresses, pillows, candles, bread, lemons and money are among things sent from that port by the Steamer Star.
CONTRIBUTIONS.–Among the contribution in Charlottesville for Norfolk and Portsmouth are $40 from the Hon. Wm. C. Rives and son, $25.64 from Baptist Church, $13.80 from Disciples Church, $20.51 Presbyterian Church, $15 from Methodist Church.
LATEST MAIL NEWS.
Progress of the Fever in Norfolk and Portsmouth.
Norfolk, August 30th, 5 P.M.The physicians say that every one who remains here until the close of the epidemic, will be attacked with the fever in a greater or less degree. They also advance the idea that persons who have remained thus long and now leave for a more salubrious climate, will stand as great a chance of taking the fever after their departure as if they tarried among us. Thus the poor people of Norfolk are in a ticklish quandary, placed as it were between two fires–to remain is fever, to depart is fever–and the unfortunates, nervous and trembling, know not what course to adopt. We would advise all who are frightened to leave–we do not believe in the idea advanced by the Doctors.
We know that their chances of safety will be one thousand per cent better away.–Twelve thousand or more persons up to this time have left Norfolk. Out of this number about twenty have sickened with the vomito and died. Suppose these twelve thousand had remained in this fever-infected slaughter house, and how many would have "gone the way of all flesh?" By a moderate computation, judging from the average range of our mortality, at least one thousand! The reader must understand that hundreds and hundreds have left within the last two weeks, and nearly all who have been heard from express themselves as feeling well, and free from headaches and wandering pains in the body that troubled them here, superinduced by the poisonous malaria they have been inhaling. If the doctors really believe in this doctrine, why is it that they immediately remove, if possible, a patient from an infected district to an atmosphere free from infection?–and why do the sick at Julappi hospital, fanned by the fresh and pure breezes from the sea, do so much better and recover so much faster than those in the city? The idea is preposterous.
The epidemic, in the number of new cases, is increasing to an alarming extent. We have only 1500 whites here, and they are thinning off daily, and yet the mortality is fearfully increasing! The Board of Health do not report one-half the number of deaths; some of the physicians do not make any returns at all–they are too busily employed to take the trouble, many of them having as high as seventy fever patients on their list.
The Board of Health reported, for the 24 hours ending yesterday, 17 deaths. We stirred about, and sent you on a list of 26! and we do not believe we found out the whole. A large number of new cases occurred last night; among them we note, Thomas Spratt and the whole of his family; James Hathaway, jeweler; Joseph P. Anderson; Dr. Robt. W. Rose; W. W. Camp, Cashier of the Exchange Bank; and several in St. Clair's family; Miss Martha Holden, schoolmistress, Bute street, had the black vomit this morning, and is dying; J. G. Hatton, Esq., is dying; Dr. Thomas C. Constable, after vomiting blood, died this morning at 3 P.M. [?]; Charles Smith, dry goods merchant, is dying; Miss Romy Dodds, very ill; Ignatius Higgins is very low; Miles Butcher has the black vomit at Ocean View; Captain Guy is getting well; Mrs. Conway Whittle, reported yesterday as sick, was a mistake; it should have been Mrs. F. Whittle, wife of Lieut. Whittle, U.S.N., she died this morning. We regret to announce the death of another physician, Dr. Thomas Nash–he died this morning.–Dr. Higgins is convalescent, and will leave for the North tomorrow.
The gallant and whole-souled Ricardo and ten nurses, from New Orleans, will be here tonight. Their advent will be most joyfully welcomed, for we need their services sadly. Mr. James H. Finch, of the Argus, has won for himself the admiration of the profession, and the esteem of the reading community. While the rest of our papers have stopped for the want of hands, he, with the aid alone of one compositor, has kept the Argus going, and seems determined not to "give up the ship." Mr. Leonard, the editor, is sick, W. S. Forest, the reporter, is down with the fever, and nearly the whole duties of the office has devolved upon his shoulders. May he bear it gallantly to the end, and pass through the epidemic safely and sound! He is the only one left of all the old hands of the establishment, that has so far escaped. From Portsmouth we continue to receive dreadful accounts. From two o'clock yesterday to four, (two hours,) there were sixteen deaths, and forty new cases! Is not this awful? The following are the latest deaths to date:–J. Tatum, Edward Whiting, Miss Drusilla Gayle, Mrs. Lieut. F. Whittle, Miss Mary E. Starke, daughter of the late Capt. Starke, United States Marine Corps; Miss Spiatt, York street; Colored woman, Boush's Lane; Frank Tarrant, Widow Davis, Duke street; Mrs. Mallory Todd, Miss A. Hern, Dr. Thomas Nash, Dr. Thomas C. Constable, E. Ballance, Tom, (free negro) Union street; four slaves–Total 19. Weather cool in the shade, and scorching in the sun–very unfavorable. VERDAD.
FRANKLIN LODGE of Odd Fellows in Wheeling has contributed $25 to the sufferers; $50 have been subscribed at the Shocco Springs, N.C., and $360 at Jones' White Sulphur Springs, N.C. Meetings have been called in Danville and Wytheville for the same purpose. Georgetown, D.C., has contributed $1000. The nurses from New Orleans who have arrived at Norfolk receive $60 per month, and Dr. Campbell, who has charge of them, receives $250 per month, all paid by the Virginians in the former city.
Mrs. Mary McLellan, of Baltimore, who has had much experience in New Orleans as a nurse, has left as a volunteer for Norfolk.–Trinity Church, Washington, Rev. G. D. Cummins, pastor, has contributed $115. In that city the Postmaster has placed a tin sheet over the door, having painted on it "Contribute to the sufferers of Norfolk and Portsmouth."
Miss Lewis, second daughter of Mr. Thos. Lewis, (next the City Hotel,) Mr. T. H. Beveridge, driver of one of the sick carriages, and his wife's mother, all died Tuesday night, in Norfolk. Col. Simon Stone and Mr. Wm. H. Garnett, prominent members at the Howard Association Office, are also down with the fever.
We have received no papers of yesterday from Norfolk–all the journals in that city having stopped issuing. We gather the following information from passengers by the Curtis Peck:
Deaths.–The number of deaths for the 24 hours ending Thursday 2 P.M., was 17. Among the victims were Drs. Nash and Constable, Mr. J. G. H. Hatton, Lt. Whittle's wife, Miss Laura Mallory, Miss ___ Mallory, his sister, Mrs. Mallory Todd, Mrs. Walter Jones, Wm. Crawford from Hampton.–Four servants belonging to Mrs. Mallory Todd, deceased.
Hopeless.–Dr. Wm. Selden is not expected to live, nor is Dr. Halson.
Recovering.–Rev. Mr. Wills and Rev. Mr. Dibrell are recovering. Dr. Higgins is also recovering.
New Cases.–Captain Page has been taken down with the fever.
Among the Negroes.–The fever is said to be raging among the negroes, and there are many fatal cases.
Rumored Death.–We saw a letter dated Norfolk, 31st, which stated that the young physician who came down from Richmond on Saturday was dead. Dr. Crow left this place Saturday for Norfolk, but we hope the rumor may prove untrue.
FROM PORTSMOUTH.
In Portsmouth, the fever was on the increase. There were 80 new cases there on Wednesday and fifteen deaths; on Thursday there were ten deaths.
Deaths.–Among the deaths are Mrs. Nathaniel Manning, Mrs. John B. Davis, Luther R. Woodson, Mrs. Wm. Gwynn, Miss Clara Bilisoly, only 17 years old, and Wm. Pebworth.
Ill.–Samuel A. Forbes, John Woodly, and Conductor Allen, of the S. and R. Railroad, are ill.
New Cases.–Among the new cases is Dr. Leon Gelbardt of Richmond, who was taken to the Naval Hospital on Thursday.
The Negroes.–The greater portion of the new cases are among the colored population.
VIRGINIA.
THE FEVER IN PORTSMOUTH.–From the correspondence of the Petersburg Express, we have the following news from Portsmouth: Mr. Sam'l Brewer was dying Thursday; Dr. Schoolfield and wife were both recovered–the former being now in attendance on the sick. The funeral of Dr. J. W. R. Trugien took place Wednesday afternoon. Among the medical faculty who attended it were Drs. P. C. Gooch and Howle, of Richmond, Covert and Rich, of Charleston, and Walters of Baltimore. There was scarcely a dry eye in the assembly, and even the grave digger wept bitterly. J. D. Cower and wife were lying ill, and the latter was not expected to survive through Thursday night; Miss Fanny Williams was in a hopeless condition; James Williams, jr., who has just lost a wife and child, was taken down Thursday, as was his sister, Mrs. John A. Foreman; Miss Sarah C. Manning, who lost her entire family–a father, mother, and aunt–was taken down Thursday, as was Virginius Haynes, a son of Mrs. J. B. Davis. The correspondent of the Express highly compliments Rev. Vernon Eskridge, chaplain U. S. N., for his self-sacrificing labors.
DR. SCHOOLFIELD.
The restoration to health and duty of Dr. Schoolfield, President of the Portsmouth Board of Health, will be highly gratifying to his many friends. He has shown himself, during the deep afflictions of Portsmouth, one of the most energetic and devoted members of his noble profession; and, both on his own account and on that of the suffering community of Portsmouth, we rejoice that his useful and valuable life has been spared.
Correspondence of the Dispatch.
Lexington, Sept. 1st, 1855.A meeting of the citizens of this town was held on Friday night last, 31st ultimo, in the lecture room of the Presbyterian Church, for the purpose of raising means for the relief of the sufferers of Norfolk and Portsmouth.
The meeting was organized by appointing Mayor Middleton, Chairman, and Mr. J. L. McLaughlin, Secretary.
The Chairman briefly stated the objects of the meeting and requested the gentlemen present to contribute as much as their means would allow them. About sixty dollars was contributed. The meeting was small, (not more than 25 gentlemen being present) owing in a great measure to the shortness of the notice, and a great many citizens being out of town. A committee of four were appointed to raise subscriptions in the town, and three from the county at large.
The meeting adjourned to meet in the same place on Monday night, the 3rd inst. that being Court day. It is expected there will be a large meeting, and it is confidently hoped that from three to four hundred dollars will be raised in the town and county.
The Rockbridge Lodge No. 46, I. O. O. F., have contributed $20, making $80 in all. More soon. F. S.
LATEST MAIL NEWS.
Progress of the Fever in Norfolk and Portsmouth.
Norfolk, Aug. 31st, 5 P. M.Julappi Hospital, selected by the Board of Health as a place of refuge for the destitute sick, is pleasantly situated on the Elizabeth river, two miles from the city, and in full view of Craney Island, James river and Hampton Roads. The locality is one every way desirable–fanned by the breezes that sweep across the broad expanse of contiguous waters, having a pure atmosphere, and sufficiently far from the infected districts, yet convenient for the purposes designed, it presented the best spot to be found in our vicinity for a wholesome, safe and comfortable retreat. Formerly a race course, it was semi-annually the resort of the lovers of the turf, and numerous well-contested "heats" have been run over its wide and level track. Those of your readers who may have visited it on such occasions will recollect the Club House, handsomely situated about two hundred yards from the river's bank. Here cheerfulness and hilarity–the excitement of high play–and the retort of wit and repartee, called forth by the gassy qualities of sparkling champagne, was wont to prevail, and "set the table in a roar"–now, alas! what a sad change has come o'er the spirit of the scene; where mirth and festivity resounded, and the loud bugle called the jovial multitude to "the stand," to witness the day's performance of "blooded nags"–the gloom of sickness hovers, and the shriek of suffering, and wail of sorrow, dies in the moaning echoes away, and falls upon the ear in tones or tremulous sadness!
In this club house the quarters for the sick are principally located. It is a long building, some hundred and more feet, by thirty wide, divided into two apartments–an upper and lower–extending the whole length of the house. The upper story is devoted entirely to the accommodation of females, having long rows of cots extending through the whole room, in parallel lines to each other, with sufficient passage ways between each to admit without inconvenience to the nurses and attendants. The whole is kept scrupulously clean and neat, and every thing through the management of the kind "Sisters of Charity," goes on with the regularity of clock work. In the lower story the male patients are lodged in the same manner, and with the same cleanliness and order.–The "Ally House," and stables, have also been fitted up for the sick, and are made as far as possible, comfortable and pleasant.–The small dwelling-house nearby is appropriated to the use of the nurses, Sisters of Charity, and the resident Physicians. Dr. Wm. Wilson, assisted by Dr. Muller of Baltimore, are the resident Physicians, and have gained for themselves much credit for their successful treatment of the patients under their charge. Very few have died when compared to the mortality in Norfolk; but whether this is owing to the superior purity of the Julappi air, or the superior medical skill of the Julappi doctors, we can't pretend to say; but we are rather inclined to put our faith in the former, with all due deference to the experience and tact of the latter. Dr. Robert H. Gordon is the visiting Physician; he is ably assisted by Dr. George Upshur, who has passed through the "thick" of the epidemic, from its commence-ment, with an untiring frame and an unflinching heart, and a calm and cheerful countenance. Long may he flourish!
There are at present about fifty fever cases under treatment, with sixty or seventy convalescent. The mode of treatment is the same pretty much as in the city, varying under different circumstances, and peculiar phases of the disease. No one treatment can be relied on in yellow fever cases; the temperament of the patient, the state of his system, may call for different modes at different times. Generally, however, in common cases, the course pursued is very simple. As soon as the patient is attacked, he is given a purgative either of calomel or castor oil, and placed as soon as possible in a strong mustard bath, with two or three handfuls of salt sprinkled in it. Here he remains for some time, and is then placed in bed on one or two blankets, and covered with two or three more. If he complains of great pain in the head and back, (which nearly all do,) mustard plasters are placed to each, and hot bricks to his feet. The object now is to drive out the perspiration, which, if not a stubborn case, will shortly follow, and the patient will be in a profuse and fever-destroying sweat. He will now be much relieved, and great caution must be taken to preclude a return of the attack. Now, careful and attentive nursing is of great importance; for the slightest imprudence or indiscretion, will bring on a return, and most generally prove fatal to the sufferer. Of course, this is but a simple treatment of a mild form of the disease. There are other cases of a more malignant nature, which require stronger remedies and more skillful exertions, to check the fearful vomito, and save the patient. Indeed, there are numbers of cases in which the skill of science and medicine prove utterly vain to arrest the progress of the disease, and bring it to a favorable termination. Such was the case of poor Captain Halsey–he was prostrated at once, and blood, black and oozy, issued from his ears, nostrils and mouth, until merciful death put an end to his sufferings. So the Dr. Thomas C. Constable, whose death we reported yesterday–no medicine could check his incessant vomiting; until at last a hemorrhage supervened, and he vomited blood until he expired.
We have said in one of our letters, that yellow fever was a strange disease–aye, it is "passing strange." No man can tell how a case will end, under six days; the patient will apparently be free from fever–from pain–from danger–when a sudden and unlooked for change will take place on the fifth or sixth day, and he will rapidly sink and go off in a comatose or lethargic slumber!–Truly, indeed, it is a strange disease, often baffling the skill of the most experienced and skillful. Instances of a most distressing character, occur daily, in which three, four, and sometimes an entire family are broken up, or swept from the face of the earth, by the remorseless and direful scourge. The Christian family lost three brothers within a few day of each other; the Le Pages two interesting daughters; White's two sons are now sick. Passed Midshipman Walter F. Jones died, and his mother soon after sickened, and followed him to the grave yesterday evening. The widow of the late John J. Camp has been bereaved of all her children, two daughters and a highly esteemed and promising son. But the most dire affliction of all occurred in the family of Mr. Thomas Lewis, merchant, Main street–two weeks ago he was happy in the possession of health and the love and society of a wife, two daughters and a son; but the invisible poison of the scourge swept along towards his happy household; first the youngest daughter was taken, and perished in her bloom and beauty; then the next daughter followed; after, the father, bending under the weight of many sorrows, grieving, and fever-struck, succumbed to the dread destroyer; the son soon sickened and died; the mother, poor lady, could not bear the shock of such an awful calamity, added to the fearful fire of fever, and she also perished! Thus the whole family was completely broken up, and father, mother, daughters and son, now sleep together side by side, under the green turf, "low i' the ground!"
We have now four physicians down with the fever. Drs. Geo. Halson, Silvester, (Jr.). Wm. Selden, and McFadden, of Philadelphia. Although we have many physicians here, they all are so full of practice that it is found almost impossible to obtain their services in cases of recent sickness. One is compelled to keep his own medicines by him, always ready to take or give to a friend or neighbor, in cases of necessity. Every person has been compelled to be his own doctor, and it really seems as if those thus attended, recover much more frequently than the patients under the treatment of the regular physicians. Why it is so, we cannot tell–but such certainly is the fact. We are glad to announce that Dr. R. W. Rose is up, and much better. Drs. Wm. Selden, and George Halson are mending, the two Miss Hawkins and David Dunbar are out of danger; J. R. Ludlow, of the Dispensary, of the firm of Ludlow & Tunstall, having worked himself down, left yesterday for Alexandria, to recruit. John S. Lovett, Attorney at Law, formerly a druggist, has taken his place, and works harder we think, than he ever did unraveling the most stubborn point of law. To give some idea of the amount of business done: The number of prescriptions put up yesterday amounted to 300, and there are four or five more prescriptions stores in town. Dr. Richard B. Tunstall, we are gratified to say still remains at his post. It pains us exceeding to announce the illness of Mr. O'Keefe, the Catholic pastor, who was attacked with the fever yesterday evening. His loss would be severely felt at the present sad juncture of affairs. He has been a gallant and true soldier of the cross, and won for himself the esteem of our entire community, without regard to sect or party. May he recover!–We note below the latest deaths: Thos. Presson, Wm. C. Whittle, Miss A. Bangs, Mrs. Walter Jones, Mr. W. Batkins, Mrs. Foster, Allyntown; N. D. Hanby; child of Mr. Brooks, Concord st.; child of ____ Swain, Water st.; Miss Laura Mallory and sister, (died within five minutes of each other.) Ann Rice, Mr. Hosier, Church st.; Mrs. Elizabeth Stark, widow of Capt. Stark, U. S. Marine Corps, Jno. G. H. Hatton, Teller of Farmer's Bank; young man at Skinner's; young man at Bixby's; child of Jack Smith; child of Frank Johnson; col'd man of Mallory Todd; Wm. W. Hill, Newcastle st.; Mr. Andrews, Bute st.; Miss Martha Holden, Bute st.; 5 negroes–Total 30. We do not pretend to give a complete report of the deaths–it is almost impossible to obtain the whole. Yesterday 35 were buried, and today there will be at least 33.
We understand the Rev. Tiberius Gracchus Jones, has published a communication in the Dispatch, reflecting on our article in reference to his desertion of his post, which appeared in the Dispatch of the 24th inst.–We have not seen the article ourselves, but several friends, who are good judges in such matters, have, and they inform us that it amounts to nothing–that it has failed to satisfy the public–and advise us not to notice it. We have concluded to take our friends advice; and so let it rest. Nothing that we could say, if we felt so inclined, could do Mr. Jones more harm than he has done himself. In Portsmouth, the deaths, at sundown yesterday, were 17. Jno. H. Williams, Esq., clerk of the court, was taken with fever last night. VERDAD.
THE ACCOUNTS from the infected cities are of a most melancholy character. In Norfolk on Friday there were forty burials, and nine deaths after the list was made up.
The Augusta, Saturday evening, brought up several persons who had gone down to tend the sick, some of them having yielded to the earnest advice of physicians, who assured them that to remain was almost certain death. Among them are Dr. Hicks, of Charlottesville; Mr. Clark, of Petersburg; and Messrs. McDermott, Jordan and Doran, of Richmond
Our informant, who left Norfolk Saturday, says that the state of things there is truly appalling.–While walking one of the principal streets, he saw a man lying on a cellar cap, in almost the agony of death, with no one in sight of him. A little further on he saw a young child rush screaming from a house, and upon going in, found that one of her parents had just died, and the other was lying on a bed of death.
Mr. Ignatius Higgins, Teller of the Virginia Bank, was thought to be dying on Friday. The Rev. Wm. Dibrell, as we have ascertained on reliable authority, was ill on Friday. Mr. Jno. Brooks, grocer, was down with the fever. On Beaver street there are a great many cases, among them Wm. Britzel and his wife. Miss Catharine Baylor, an interesting young lady of fifteen years, died on Friday morning. Four of Lieut. Whittle's children are down with the epidemic. Dr. Higgins was much improved, and had gone on to Philadelphia.
Dr. Hardgrove, Dr. Crow, and Walter Scott, of Richmond, are all down, and the latter is very ill.
Mr. Wm. Cain, proprietor of Cain's Hotel, in Norfolk, and J. C. Shield, former editor of the Norfolk Courier, died in Richmond, Saturday.
The New Hospital which has opened in the City Hotel, Norfolk, is called the "Woodis Hospital," and was chiefly under the direction of Mr. Henry Myers, of the Richmond Hospital, until that gentleman returned Friday, to resume his duties in the hospital here.
Two Philadelphia physicians are reported to have died.
Among the nurses sick are one of the Sisters of Charity, (Sister Mary Ann,) was taken sick at Julappi Hospital; Dr. Quigenfusse [probably Zieglefuss] of Philadelphia; Dr. Beard, of New Orleans; B. B. Walters, Esq., Proprietor of National Hotel; Mr. Jordan, (confectioner,) and his mother, on Main street.
In Augusta, Ga., $500 has been collected; at the White Sulphur Springs, Va., $2,500; at Port Tobacco, Md., $221, and $16 from Oriental Lodge Odd Fellows, Washington.
Drs. Williams and Jackson left Washington, for the infected cities on Friday.
On Friday the following persons came up from the South, to render their services at Portsmouth and Norfolk, viz: E. E. Jackson, Mr. and Mrs. Parker, and a colored boy, from Charleston, S. C.; Dr. Campbell, Capt. Ives, Treasurer of the Howard Association, and ten female nurses from New Orleans; Drs. J. B. Read, and R. J. Flinn, also, T. J. Charlton, J. E. Godfrey, J. J. McFarland, and R. W. Skinner, Medical Students, and Wm. Ebbs and Jno. White, Assistants, from Savannah.
In the official list of deaths published in the Argus, for the 24 hours ending Monday, we find the names of J. W. Batkins, Thos. Pressar, Miss Davis and Miss A. Bangs.
The following is from the Norfolk Argus:
Sad! Sad!–Truly our soul is sickened and depressed at the gloom now hanging over our devoted city. The sword of the Destroyer is still suspended above us, and ever and anon descends and sweeps from our midst some of the noblest of our people. All that human effort–all that the self-sacrificing spirit of the few who remain with us, can accomplish, has been done to turn aside the devastating progress of the scourge which the Almighty in His wisdom has inflicted upon us. Mercilessly has it taken friend from friend, parent from offspring, offspring from parent, brother from sister, sister from brother, husband from wife, wife from husband–sparing neither youth nor age nor loveliness. There is nothing to relieve the darkness around but the exertion of those gallant spirits who seem determined to do their duty with a self devotion which will ever reflect honor upon their efforts. May they reap the Christian's reward.FEVER IN PORTSMOUTH
The Portsmouth Transcript, which was issued on Friday again, has the following review of his field of misfortune since its issue four days before:
The number of patients visited in town on Wednesday, reached about five hundred, including new cases. On Tuesday the deaths numbered thirteen. And on Wednesday eleven died. These data the writer has collected from the reports of the attendant physicians, and an allowance for those who failed to report. On Thursday the number visited amounted to five hundred and fifty, including eighty-one new cases. The deaths, as reported by authority, were thirteen in town and fourteen at the U. S. Naval Hospital, making a total of seventeen. It is the opinion of the profession that the disease is assuming or has assumed a milder type.
The statements just made exclude the cases under treatment at the U. S. Naval Hospital. We were there Sunday last, and have been there daily, with some exceptions since. There has been a diminution of cases sent there, and the deaths also have been less during the week. The number of our people there approaches nearly eighty. Every attention is bestowed upon them, and Surgeon Minor, a gentleman of ability and enlarged experience, with his talented assistants, Steele, Harrison and Walke, are indefatigable in their care and ministrations to those under their charge.
Our indefatigable Mayor is yet down, but we trust will pass through the disease and be enabled in due time to re-enter upon his duties. He has been devoted to the service required of him, and has nobly co-operated in the charitable work which demands the co-operation of all of us who remain.
Winchester Watts, Esq., and Dr. Maupin are entirely recovered. They dined at the residence of Mr. John G. Hatton on Friday.
Samuel A. Forbes is dead.
Dr. Maupin at the Hospital, is convalescent; and Dr. Schoolfield is occasionally seen upon our streets, but too enfeebled yet to resume his professional duties. We now have ample medical attendance–the "Macedonian call" having been nobly responded to by our friends abroad.
Such is the personal state of matters, and although the number of sick does not decrease, yet we are perhaps now in better condition to respond to the necessities of the times, than we have been heretofore.
It appends the following list of the deaths since the 27th inst:
Aug. 28th–James Hanrahan, Mrs. Burham, Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Martha Rozier, Thomas Wrenn, Mrs. Godfrey, Mrs. Randolph's child, orphan at the Academy, Nathaniel Brittingham, Charles C. Tatem, three children, names not received–total 13.
Aug. 29th–Son of Mr. Buckner, Mr. Trapple, son of Malachi Williams, negro child at Dr. Peete's, Coleman Donahoe, child of Charles Myers, Mrs. Charles Avery, Robert Powers, Mrs. Harwood, Miss Sophronia Gwynn, Mrs. N. Manning–total 11.
August 30th–Mr. Cooke, Newtown, negro man of Mrs. Brickey, Mrs. Mintas, Capt. Samuel Forbes, Mrs. Frances Gywnn, Miss Bilisoly, negro child at Mr. Bohannon's, negro child at Dr. Peetes, Wm. Pebworth, son of Mr. Broughton, negro man (Bill) of John Cocke, Miss Morrisett, Mary Jane Nosay, and 4 at the Hospital–total 17.
A letter dated on Thursday from Portsmouth says:
The deaths of today, up to 3 o'clock, have been fourteen–twelve in town and two at the hospital.–Below are some of the names: Major Sam'l Forbes, Mrs. William Gwynn, child of William Broughton, Bill negro boy belonging to John Cocke. A negro man belonging to Miss Bricquet was found dead this morning in a kitchen on Broad Rock. Mrs. Colonel Charles Cassell, Mrs. John B. Davis, and Virginius Haynes, her son were taken with the fever this morning; also Ned, a negro boy belonging to J. W. Collins.There is so little communication between Norfolk and Portsmouth that we hear but little from the former place.
I have just learned that Miss Morriset, daughter of Robert Morriset, of Newtown, is dead. Mrs. Mary Bohanon is also dead.
John Emmerson is out, having recovered. His brother Arthur and Mrs. Armistead are both well.
A great many reports have been in circulation in regard to J. Gustavus Holliday, Esq. The truth of the matter is, that by his constant endeavors to relieve the sick and destitute, he over exerted himself, and went to the Naval Hospital for a day or two to recruit himself. This is the whole truth of the matter.
LATER FROM NORFOLK AND PORTSMOUTH.
By way of Telegraph from Petersburg, we are placed in possession of the most melancholy news from Norfolk and Portsmouth.
Rev. Anthony Dibrell, one of the most widely known ministers in Virginia, died on Saturday.
Ignatius Higgins, of the Exchange Bank, died on Saturday.
John Andrews, a member of the Norfolk Blues, also died on Saturday.
In Portsmouth the ravages of the fever are represented as awful. Yesterday morning Captain Allen of the Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad, was taken with black vomit at the Naval Hospital, and his recovery was considered hopeless.
On Saturday, John Woodley, Dr. Collins' nephew, died.
There were eighteen deaths from fever in Portsmouth Saturday, and from sunset Saturday evening to sunrise yesterday morning, orders were given for fifteen coffins.
Dr. Leon Gelbardt, of Richmond, arrived in Petersburg yesterday evening, from Portsmouth, completely exhausted. He says he has not now and has not had the fever. He was shunned at the depot, as if he had been a wild beast. He took his lodgings in the town, and was hospitably cared for.
The gallant Ricardo of N. Orleans had telegraphed to that city for twenty more nurses.
The accounts from the two infected cities are appalling.
Correspondence.
Salt Sulphur Springs, Aug. 29.. . . . holding a meeting for the purpose of evincing our sympathy for our fellow citizens of Norfolk and Portsmouth. Rev. Dr. Fuller was called to the chair, and opened the meeting with a few appropriate and feeling remarks. Mr. George L. Brent, of Richmond, was made secretary. A committee of twelve was appointed to solicit contributions. They entered at once upon their duties, and whilst so engaged, the meeting was addressed by Mr. Cooper, of Portsmouth, who gave an account of the dreadful scourge which is now desolating our sister cities. It was a melancholy gratification to us to participate in such proceedings, but a very slight manifestation of the feelings which must have animated those who were present. Who of us could fail to sympathize, deeply and sincerely, with those people whom an inscrutable Providence is visiting with such awful affliction.
A heart of stone would bleed to read the accounts which daily reach us. For one, I am thankful for the opportunity thus offered, and though I could only put in my mite, yet it was done most cheerfully, and with the prayer that He who sent would also stay the pestilence. Truly are we now taught our entire dependence upon his watchful Providence, and should we not thank him for our blessing? The visitors here send about $350 as their share of the contributions to our stricken friends. R.
NORFOLK AND PORTSMOUTH
Terrible and heart rending are the accounts of the ravages of disease among our fellow citizens of Norfolk and Portsmouth. We refer our readers to the distressing details in our paper this morning. With a population reduced in Norfolk, to from 3,000 to 5,000, and in Portsmouth to 1200, say some others, 2,000–the mortality in the former on Sunday was 50, some accounts say 60; the latter 32!
Yesterday we learned that there were not coffins to bury the dead, and some 125 were collected by ___ ___ of this city, and are sent down this morning on the Curtis Peck. We hope our undertakers will put hands to work and make up others as rapidly as possible. God forbid that any of the dead in our sister cities should be buried without coffins.
A correspondent informs us that the people of Norfolk and Portsmouth, intend to appeal to the General and State Governments to grant the means of removal for their entire populations to Old Point and elsewhere. If it be practicable, we trust it may be done. Any thing that can save their live or mitigate their afflictions in God's name, let it be done.
Norfolk, Sept. 1st., 5 P.M.
The new Hospital, under the superintendency of Mr. Marks of N. Orleans, was thrown open for the reception of the sick, yesterday morning. It is the large building on Main street, formerly known as the City Hotel, and occupied by that prince of landlords, Mr. Bray B. Walters. Though the situation is considered as being in one of the most infected districts, we have no doubt that the patients, if attentive treatment and good nursing can be of any avail, will do well, and stand a better chance of recovery, than if left uncared for at their own houses. A good corps of nurses are engaged, and Marks, a "host in himself," will be constantly in attendance, and see that everything is done that can be, for the comfort and convenience of the sick.
The recent change in the weather, from a clear atmosphere to a damp and disagreeable one, has shown its unfavorableness in the late increased number of deaths and new cases. It is useless to endeavor to keep a full list of those who are, one may say, taken down with the fever hourly. Out of our present white population, more than one-half are already sick; and before frost, it is thought by many, the epidemic will go through the balance, in a form of greater or less mildness.
The Rev. Mr. Armstrong, who goes around a great deal among the sick, on his missions of love and consolation, gives it as his opinion, that there are at the present time, from 1000 to 1200 persons sick with the fever in Norfolk, and we have no doubt whatever, that he is correct.
On the visitation of the yellow fever in 1821, one hundred and sixty person died from the disease in Norfolk, during the months of August, September and October. During the present epidemic, at least 500 victims have fallen, up to this time, (about six weeks,) and the reader can conjecture pretty well how many more will follow suit in the "dance of death," if it does not abate before the first of November. The ravages of the fever of 1821, is small, when compared to the fatality that has marked that of 1855. A great many persons have been taken down sick since yesterday. We name, in part: Walter Belote; Jno. F. Small; sister of Jno. S. Lovett; J. Clegs; Mr. Lockwood, at Marsh's factory; W. C. Barnes and mother; Miss Fannie Camp, daughter of G. W. Camp, Esq; two of Mrs. John Allmand's daughters; three of Mr. Peed's family, James st.; Wm. M. Pannell, clerk in Farmers; Bank; George and John Reid, sons of Wm. Reid; and a large number of negroes.
The Rev. Mr. Dibrell, we regret to say died this morning at 5 o'clock. He was the Pastor of the Granby Street Methodist Church, and in the faithful discharge of his duty, scorned to desert his post in the hour of danger and death, but nobly, like a true Christian, stood by his flock, administering the comforts of religion, visiting the sick and dying, until at last, with "harness on back," like a gallant soldier of the Cross, he too has fallen, and gone to enjoy that unspeakable reward which he so richly deserves! We have also to announce the death of Ignatius Higgins, Esq. His attack was a very severe one, and from the commencement very little hopes were entertained of his recovery. He was taken on the night of the 27th, and died calmly and peacefully this morning at eleven o'clock.
He held the office of Teller of the Exchange Bank, and was universally esteemed. He leaves a widow and several young children to deplore their great loss. It gives us pleasure to state that the Rev. Mr. Wills and Mr. O'Keefe, are better; Mrs. Rudder, Bute street; Geo. Dyson, Henry W. Skinner's Wife, E. Summer's daughter, Mr. Hallett, of the firm of Dixon & Hallett, and Thos. Foreman, are very low. Mr. Daly, his wife and adopted daughter are all down–his wife is dying. Dr. George Halson lies in a very critical state–it is found impossible to operate on his urinary organs. He must die if not soon relieved. The late John G. Hatton, died from this cause, and Charles Smith, Church street, and T. Foreman, are suffering and sinking in the same way. We this morning learned the death of L. R. Gibson, jeweler, who died a day or two since, in Princess Anne, from fever; also Parker Sharpley, at Ocean View. 140 patients had been received at the City Hotel Hospital, up to this hour, and numbers are pouring in constantly.
We note below the latest deaths: Sarah S. Stoit; J. Lichtestien; Miss Stosser, Main st.; Enoch Land, Mr. Wagner, foreman to Kirkpatrick; Rich'd Dove; Rev. Mr. Dibrell; Ignatius Higgins; son of Wm. Stevens; J. T. Hodges, Miss Bettie Baylor; Mrs. A. Cunningham; Master J. Wood-ward; Son of Mr. Boothby; J. Hunter, (free col'd,) found dead in the street with the vomito; 5 negroes; total 20.
Number of deaths in Portsmouth, ending at sunset yesterday, 14. VERDAD.
Norfolk, Sunday, Sept. 2nd 5 P. M.
Scenes of affliction continue to multiply as the fatal fever progresses. Families are broken up–children made orphans–wives husbandless and childless–widow lost their only stay and support–buried with their negroes! O poverty! O desolation! O pestilence! Well do ye go ahead in hand together–and faithful have ye performed your work! Mr. Z Sykes, the assistant Inspector of Streets, gives us a gloomy picture of the melancholy scenes he is doomed to witness in his daily rounds. The other day he had occasion to inspect a lot on Charlotte street. He found in the yard three curly-headed little children, romping about, rolling on the ground, with unkempt hair, and dirty, tattered garments. He enquired for their Father–"Pa-Pa is dead"–"then where is your Mother?" "Ma-ma is dead too!" "Yes,"–added the youngest–"and a big ugly black man came, and carried them away, directly they were dead!" "Good God!" continued Mr. Sykes, shocked at the scene–"and who have you to take care of you?" "Mary, the colored woman next door, gives us some bread every day." Never said Mr. Sykes, have my feelings been so pained–the forlorn condition of the little orphans–their tender years, and childish insensibility of their great loss, made me sick at heart, and I could not restrain my tears! We need not add that the bereaved innocents were taken in charge by the Howard Association, and will be duly provided for.
Several of our prominent citizens fell last night. Among the list we regret to announce Dr. George J. Halson; A. Ferret, Esq., bookkeeper at the Exchange Bank; William H. Garnett, an active officer of the Howard Association; and young Wm. Silvester; Robt. S. Bernard, the druggist, was taken down this morning; also John Clarke's father, wife and daughter. Dr. Campes is very sick; John Williams is better; Pax Pollard is said to be dying; also the son of Lieut. Whittle; Mr. O'Brien died this morning; Dr. W. Selden is better; Hallett very ill. We note below the latest deaths to 5 P. M.: Sally Petree, Pepper's Lane; slave owned by John Cool; Mrs. Jones, Magazine Lane; Mary Kavanaugh, Queen st.; Rosanna Pettet; white child, Broad st.; Peter Holland; child Mrs. Murden, Addington's Lane; Mrs. Lundrum, Cain's housekeeper, (she died in ten hours after her attack); Wm. Henry Garnett; Wm. Silvester; A. Forrett; Dr. Geo. Halson; Mr. Wright, of the firm of Webb & Wright; Mr. Daily and his wife; Mrs. Burke, Broad st.; L. Bradford (free col'd;) Fry, slave of N. Parker; Thos. Foreman; R. Ballance; Zack Ballance; Fk. Fitzgerald; (the Percer's son); M. M. Brooks, grocer; Mr. Lepage's grandson; O'Brien, of the firm of O'Brien & Quick; 5 negroes–total 31.Wm. E. Cunningham, Editor of the Beacon, was severely attacked last night. G. W. Camp's wife and three children are down; two sons of the late Rev. Mr. Dibrell taken last evening; Tom Keeling was taken down last night. There were orders for fourteen coffins in Portsmouth at 8 o'clock this morning. We will bury here at least 40 today. 50 coffins arrived from Baltimore this morning.–They are greatly needed. VERDAD
THE DEAD.–In comparing our correspondent's letters with the reports of the Board of Health and also with a list of the dead handed us by a friend who came up in the Curtis Peck, we find many names not given in his letter, while he gives many we do not see elsewhere. This would show the absence of system, which we suppose is impossible to maintain now in the infected camps.–We copy below, from other sources, names of persons dead in Norfolk, not given by our correspondent:
E. Wiggans, T. Flaser, Dr. Waison, E. Duesberry and wife, Wm. Seymour, Miss F. Trueman, Thomas Trueman. These names are from the list of our friend by the Curtis Peck, who adds, "There are about fifteen lying dead now, and no coffins to bury them. Forty-two were buried Friday, fifty-five on Saturday and sixty on Sunday."
From the report of the Board of Health of Friday and Saturday, we add: Mrs. King, Henderson's Lane; Miss D. Gale, 33 Cumberland street; Nathaniel Hill, New Castle street; White man in Summers' row, Water street; three blacks; Mrs. Mahone; Mary Hand, 37, rear National Hotel; Catharine Colhoun, 43, West Main street; Mr. Withey, Queen street; Mrs. Flaherty, Main street; Wm. Hoyt, 19, Concord street; Lydia Morse, 25, Rothery's Lane; one colored.
The Norfolk Argus of yesterday states that the editor had obtained from the books of the Howard Association the names of only about 12, who had died during the 24 hours ending Sunday 2 P. M., and adds that they were only about one-fourth of the victims that had fallen, say fifty. Private accounts say the number reached sixty on Sunday evening. A letter, dated Saturday evening, states that bodies had been exposed over 30 hours waiting for coffins.
Among the sick in Norfolk is Mr. John Williams, clerk of one of the Courts. Ed. F. Mallory from Richmond, had arrived in Norfolk and commenced nursing the sick.
PORTSMOUTH.
The following deaths occurred from sunset Saturday to sunrise yesterday morning:
Wm. Weston; Miss Cecil Ghio; child of George Thompson; Col. Cassell; Mrs. Charles Bilisoly; Mrs. John Lash; two negroes belonging to Mr. Gunter and W. W. Davis; Marshall & Daughtery, U. S. Mail Agent; and five deaths not reported. Buried Sunday 32 and 8 coffins ordered for the Naval Hospital.A dispatch from Petersburg gives us the following additional names of the dead of Sunday in Portsmouth:
Thos. Ruddsen; Wm. Ford; a son of Dr. Minor of the Naval Hospital; Miss Roselia Tatem, and Jno. D. Cowper.We have also the following additional information from Portsmouth via Petersburg:
Fever Increasing.–From sunset Saturday to sunset Sunday evening, there were 400 new cases in Portsmouth. The expenditure for the suffering averages daily $800. An appeal is contemplated to the counties of Virginia for aid.
Hampton, Sept. 2, 1855.
Before the papers of Norfolk can convey to its readers the sad intelligence, you will be in possession of the fact that another victim of the terrible pestilence has passed from the stage of human existence, in the person of JOSEPH H. ROBERTSON, Esq., formerly, and for many years the Register of Norfolk borough, and subsequently Norfolk city. "Death loves a shining mark," and found it in him. He came on last Tuesday from amid "the wreck of his household gods," at the earnest invitation of his old and faithful friend, the Hon. Frank Mallory, to seek amid the shades of the latter gentleman's country seat, about two miles from Hampton, that repose which his spirit needed, from the terrible scenes and circumstances by which he was surrounded in Norfolk, and in his own household. On Saturday, 25th ult, his beloved wife sunk under the hand of the destroyer, preceded by a few days only, by her nephew, Past Midshipman Jones. On Tuesday following, Mr. Robertson landed in Hampton, and proceeded as I have remarked, to his friends, Dr. Mallory's, leaving Mrs. Page, a sister of his wife, still suffering from the effects of fever, but convalescing. On Thursday, Mrs. Walter Jones, another sister expired with the fever, and last night at 12 o'clock, Joseph H. Robertson.
"Calmly gave his spirit up, and went
To share the rich rewards that wait a life well spent."This morning just as the sun was rising, his body was committed to the dust of the family burial ground, about five miles from Hampton. Over his still cold remains, the sublime ritual for the dead, as used by the Protestant Episcopal church, (of which the deceased was for years a member,) was said by the Rev. John McCabe, the Rector of the Episcopal church in Hampton. Mr. Robertson was a prominent citizen of Norfolk, and the tidings of his death will fall like a knell on the ears of his numerous friends.
Among the sad cases of fever in Norfolk, death never claimed a lovelier victim than Miss Laura Mallory. Her's was a holy and beautiful character, and when her friends lost her on hearth, Heaven added another to the circle of the "just made perfect." But a few short weeks since, she was on a visit to Hampton to a relative, but as soon as she heard of death's doing in Norfolk, she remarked, she must go home to help to nurse her mother and sister, if they should be taken. She had lost a brother last year in Vicksburg, with the yellow fever, and she seemed ever after that to see a hand and hear a voice, that others could not hear and see; yet she was cheerful, and tried to make all around her happy. She had a peculiarly sweet face and saintly smile. She went home, and now she and a younger sister, who were lovely and pleasant in their lives, in "death are not divided."
There are several families, (the few remaining links of a once happy chain of fireside associations, now severed and broken,) sojourning at the hotels in Hampton, among whom is the family of Moses P. Robertson, Esq., of the firm of E. P. Tabb & Co., Norfolk, who has lost in a few days his wife's brother, mother, aunt and uncle; also the widow of the late lamented Barclay. This lady has lost her husband, her niece, and brother-in-law, two servants, and one was dying in Norfolk on Saturday night.
A meeting of the citizens was held here yesterday, at the court house, at which Col. Charles K. Mallory presided, and Rev. Dr. McCabe acted as secretary, for the purpose of expressing the grief of this community at the untimely death of Hunter Woodis, Esq., late Mayor of Norfolk. A committee was appointed, and a series of resolutions were presented by James Barron Hope, Esq., as chairman of the committee, which was seconded by Rev. Dr. McCabe, who in a few brief remarks, referred to his personal acquaintance with, and friendship for the deceased, and paid a just tribute to his character as the self-sacrificing and noble chief magistrate of Norfolk city. These resolutions, I am told, are to be published. They reflect honor and credit on their author, Mr. J. B. Hope. A committee was appointed at the same meeting to make collections in town and country, for the benefit of the afflicted citizens of Norfolk and Portsmouth. Two hundred and odd dollars were sent to the Howard Association from this place, on yesterday, and more will be forwarded soon.
There have been no cases of fever here among the citizens, except in one instance, that of a young man from the country who went over to Norfolk, exposed himself while there, poor fellow, most wantonly, and of course took fever and died on his return. Mrs. Church, of Norfolk died with the fever at the Afton House (Tabbs) on Thursday; there were four blacks, servants who had come to the county sick on yesterday, but no one among our own population. The physicians are at their posts and unremitting in cases where they have been called in. They have no apprehension that in such an atmosphere the disease can spread–God grant it!
During the whole time it has raged in Norfolk and Portsmouth, while hundreds have flocked to Hampton for refuge, there have been but five white cases and four blacks in town and country, and all of these very feeble when they arrived.–This (I speak it with humble gratitude) tells well for the health of the place. Yours truly, C.
P. S.–The Government Steamer Engineer, Captain Olmstead, came to our wharf this evening, and the reports from Norfolk are so heart-sickening that I cannot go into details. Suffice it, the citizens of Norfolk are dying, dying, dying–20 bodies are lying unburied for want of coffins, and the spirit of pestilence is abroad at almost every hearthstone and bedside, smiting, crushing, killing, like an avenging demon! Great God! Spare thy people, and "in the midst of wrath remember mercy."
NORFOLK AND PORTSMOUTH
Steamer Curtis Peck, September 3, 1855.We regret to learn that the fever at Norfolk and Portsmouth is not less malignant in its type. Perhaps not less than 1,300 are under treatment, and the mortality in Norfolk during the last twenty-four hours was between forty and fifty. Twenty-five deaths had occurred on the part of Main street embraced between Hall's corner and the City Hotel, and were unburied in consequence of the want of coffins! We understand that the Federal and State Government will be appealed to aid in the general removal of the inhabitants to locations on the neighboring shores and Old Point,–the troops encamping out, in order to afford the accommodation of the barracks to the unfortunate families of the afflicted cities,–and that Col. Wright, commanding the new regiment, commonly called from its peculiar drill, the "Shanghai" Regiment, has volunteered to protect the towns from pillage and fire, during the exodus of their inhabitants. The moral courage required to face the plague, is even greater than that necessary in the hazards of the battle field, and augurs well of the new regiment.
Norfolk, Sept. 1, 1855.
Here I am in this city of sorrow, of sickness, and of death. Since my arrival here upon Friday last to the present moment, I have been constantly attending, as nurse, to the sick for the Howard Association, and now I am nursing Dr. Sylvester, who has been very sick, but is now getting better. There are a great many doctors here; some from New Orleans, Savannah, Mobile, Charleston, Philadelphia, New York, and all doing what they can to alleviate the suffering of this dreadfully afflicted city. But we want more nurses, and them quickly. Dr. West, of New York, who sat up with Dr. Sylvester last night, says that the new cases are greatly upon the increase; and the Lord only knows when or where it will cease. I am yours, truly. E. F. M.
DR. DE CASTRO has left Norfolk for his home in Cuba, and Drs. Freeman of Philadelphia, and Peniston, of New Orleans, were to leave on Sunday for their respective homes.
There were 5 deaths at the Woodis Hospital on Friday night.
Among the deaths on Saturday, was that of R. R. Dove, sealer of weights and measures.
W. E. Cunningham, editor of the Norfolk Beacon, Mr. Gatewood, an attache of that paper, and nearly all the hands and apprentices, were down with the fever. Rev. Mr. O'Keefe, Dr. Selden, young Mr. Walters of the National Hotel, and Capt. Guy, of the police, were improving.
A letter from Norfolk, speaking of the New Orleans nurses, says:
Ricardo, of New Orleans, and his gallant party of doctors and nurses, are doing noble service.–They are an unique organization, and I cannot help telling you of a peculiarity of Ricardo, who as you know, is a whole-souled Southerner. He calls his nurses the "French artillery," and has them in as good discipline as you ever saw a military company. They sit together at the hospital at the old City Hotel, and the instant he calls for one, he or she rises and answers, and immediately bundles up and travels to the place designated. I never saw such system. Pity that we had it not before.Dr. A. A. Bignon left Tuesday for Norfolk. In Charleston, S. C., five more nurses were sent on Friday, and the Ætna Fire Company contributed $150 to the relief of the sufferers.
Aid for the Sufferers.–We learn that the sympathy of the counties in the section of the State near Norfolk is becoming quite active. The county of Isle of Wight had at last dates loaded a vessel with provisions which would be dispatched immediately to Norfolk.
IS YELLOW FEVER CONTAGIOUS?
Since our neighboring cities have been visited by this disease, the above question is so often asked, that a few facts, having a direct bearing upon its solution, will, I hope to some extent, prove acceptable. Ignorance on this point has already been the cause of a most severe and unnecessary quarantine restriction against the sufferers at Norfolk and Portsmouth, and many (in other respects) worthy and charitable citizens have barricaded their doors, lest the poor terror-stricken fugitives should contaminate them; and many of those who have been so fortunate as to escape from the infected districts into a safer situation, have been visited by the disease, and on account of this bug bear contagion, hurried from their shelter to an hospital, and under circumstances when the utmost quiet is necessary to the recovery of the patient.
The late Wm. Fergusson, M. D., an English physician, and Inspector General of Military Hospitals, thus expresses himself:
"To pen up the inhabitants upon the infected ground is to aggravate the disease a hundred fold; and is, in fact, as cruel and absurd as it would be to barricade the doors against the escape of the inmates of a house that had taken fire, on the insane pretense that they would otherwise spread the conflagration. The quarantine authorities will no doubt interpose to save the world from the dire contagion; but let them be referred to the annual epidemic at New Orleans for information how often the yellow fever has been conveyed from thence to the upper settlements on the same river, to which the fugitives, sick and well, uniformly fly for refuge, or even to the steamers that carry them; how often at Vera Cruz it has been carried out of the town even to the first stage on the road into the interior; or how often in Spain it has ever been transported, except to another station under the same circumstances, of heat and drought and defective perflation, therefore falling, if not having already fallen, into the same predicament from the same causes.
. . . "No experienced men, unblinded by the prejudices of the schools and authorities, or blessed by the expectation of quarantine office, can seriously believe it (yellow fever) to be a contagion. It affects no one from proximity to the diseased, and cannot be conveyed to any low temperature."Dr. G. F. Bone, Surgeon to the forces, (English,) had a long and extensive experience in the treatment of this disease, in the West Indies, and his opinion is entitled to much weight. He says:
"In hospitals that are well constructed, and where a correct hospital discipline is enforced, the attendants of yellow fever patients are not liable to the disease. That in the Naval Hospital, Barbadoes, the total number of patients treated from 21st June, 1821, to 22d February, 1822, was 243.– Out of this number 101 were fever patients under treatment for other diseases took the fever; none of the nurses, 38 in number, or other persons employed in the hospital, 53 in number. Twenty-two of the fever patients died, and with one or two exceptions, post mortem examinations were made by himself or his assistants, and none of them caught yellow fever."
If more proof is wanting, take the disease as it manifested itself in the epidemic which visited New York in 1822. From the official report of Dr. Joseph Bayley, Health Officer of the port, I take the following:
"Seventy yellow fever cases were admitted to the Marine Hospital (Staten Island) out of which 37 died, 18 had black vomit. The first case was admitted 13th and died 15th August, and from that time until the final cessation of the disease, yellow fever patients were almost daily admitted, and in no instance did physicians, nurses, or those engaged in transporting the sick from the city to the hospital contract the disease.
In a dwelling house provided for them at Kip's Bay, 3 miles from the city, 10 fever cases were admitted, and in the same building lived several families, in all 18 persons; here physicians, nurses and inmates failed to contract it. Again at the village of Greenwich, about a mile from the city, six cases occurred; 5 of the 6 died. They were all from the infected district. This little village was crowded with refugees from New York, yet none of them were attacked. In addition to the cases already recorded a large number of persons who having contracted the seeds of the disease, had the disease developed after leaving the city–there occurred about 36 cases of this character, and at 22 different localities, and in no instance was it communicated to any one having access to the sick."
We may now look at the disease as it appeared here. We have, I believe, had some 10 or 12 cases in this city, all fugitives from down the river. They have been attended by the Hospital physician and nurses, and visited by many of the Faculty here, and I am yet to learn that any one has been contaminated. Now, with such positive and undeniable facts, I cannot see why those unfortunate citizens are treated as if they were lepers. It is unjust, unnecessary, and preposterous. A PHYSICIAN.
INCREASED SUBSCRIPTION.–The subscription of Petersburg, for the fever sufferers, already liberal, has been increased by the addition of $227. Appomattox Lodge Odd Fellows also sent $100 down.
DR. LEON GELBARDT.–The rumor of this gentleman's death, published in the National American of yesterday, was incorrect. He was rapidly regaining his strength, according to the Petersburg Express, and on Tuesday became the guest of Chas. Campbell, Esq., of that city.
ODD FELLOWS' SICK.–The Petersburg Express learns that a large number of Odd Fellows are ill of the fever in Norfolk. One lodge alone has thirty members down with it.
MARTIAL LAW.–"Spectator," of the Express, writing from Norfolk, Sunday evening, says:–Martial law is about to be established, and the carriages and horses in the city levied on, for the use of the physicians and sick, wherever found–by order of the acting Mayor. It is also proposed to force the blacks who are able, but unwilling, to act as nurses for the sick. Something of this kind must be done or numbers of neglected and forsaken fever struck patients must perish solely from want of common attention.
THE FEVER.–It is ascertained by experience that a person once having the yellow fever cannot take it again in the place where he first had it; but may, on going to another place where it is prevailing.
THE FEVER IN NORFOLK AND PORTSMOUTH.–We find the following list of deaths in Portsmouth, furnished by the active correspondent of the Petersburg Express:
Mrs. George Davidson; Mr. Laurent; Jesse G. Oakley; Mrs. Samuel Bain; Wm. Fay; Mrs. Corcoran; Mr. N. F. Cocke; Patrick O'Donnell; Wm. Condry; Mrs. Kelly; Mrs. Macklin and her sister; Miss Livesay; James Mullin; Wm. Murphy; Miss Rosalia Tatem; a child of Alexander Etheridge; Wm. Ford and nine others; George Hope; Miss Sophia Bingley, child of M. B. Langhorne, deceased; Miss Fanny Williams; negro Esther, at Capt. Benthall's and Mrs. Peterson; Luther R. Barrett; John Mesley; Mrs. Samuel Davis, (widow of Capt. Davis, pilot;) Michael Nee; Mrs. Foster Newton; Joseph Williams, (son of Wilson Williams, deceased;) Wm. Bowen; Samuel Brewer; John D. Cowper; Wm. T. Owings; Thomas Rudd, sr.; John Woodley and Miss Land, daughter of Mrs. J. E. Wilson.
Among those sick are Richard Williams (master Mason navy yard) and daughter; Miss M. C. Manning; Mrs. John A. Foreman; Mr. Robert Tatem, Miss Ann H. Williams; James L. Williams. Two children of A. W. Williams; Henry Lindsay; Chas. Burgess; George Hope; Thomas Green; Miss Sophia Bingley; Mrs. J. D. Cowper; Philip Fauth, Apothecary at Buff's Drug store; (who has labored day and night in compounding prescriptions) and his assistant Mr. Pauli, the eight last named are all ill. There are many others whose names I cannot now furnish.
The name of Mr. Daughtery, through an unavoidable mistake was yesterday mixed up with the names of the dead. He is not dead but is still the same obliging conductor on the Weldon Railroad he ever was.
Miss Caroline Williams, Mrs. J. D. Cooper, and Mr. Jack's daughter, are still dangerously ill.
Mrs. Wilson's family are peculiarly afflicted; her husband has died of the fever, and she has lost her cook.
This afternoon the physicians in visiting her house, found Mrs. Wilson ill in one room; two daughters sick in another, and one about fourteen years old dying in another room, and her servants, two in number, sick in the kitchen, with no one on the lot to hand them a glass of water. A more heart-rending scene has never been witnessed. A young man was immediately procured to remain with them temporarily, until a suitable nurse could be had. In a short time one was found who for $12 per week consented to attend upon the deeply afflicted family. This is a specimen of scenes transpiring in our unfortunate city every day.
I really think that there have been near four hundred deaths in Portsmouth up to this time. Consider the number of widows and orphans to be cared for. There are now three or four hundred sick in town, to say nothing of the convalescent cases. And besides, (with the exception of a few noble spirits, who have remained to look after the interests of the community) all the rich and well to do have fled, and the population we now have are all poor and necessitous. In many cases we have to pay as high as three dollars a day for nurses, and the regular price is $10 per week. When you look at this picture you may form some idea of our expenditures. My own opinion is that the ordinary expenses each day amounts to the large sum of $800. I do not include in this the burying of the dead; this will have to be paid hereafter.
The papers state that some $60,000 have been raised for the relief of the Fever District. Of this amount Portsmouth has received only about $15,000!
The Petersburg Intelligencer of yesterday learns that in Norfolk many bodies were buried without coffins, only two feet below the surface of the earth. It also says that Dr. Collins, President of the Seaboard Road, was taken down with the fever on Sunday night. Mr. Allen, conductor on the same road was still alive, but not expected to live half an hour when the cars left Portsmouth Monday morning.
THE PLAGUE SMITTEN CITIES.
The news from the infected cities continues of the most appalling nature. Our correspondent in Norfolk is unable to give us full details, three members of his own family being down with the fever and he their only nurse! He presents a general picture which is one of the most terrible we have ever read of. Among the dead are MAYOR FISKE, of Portsmouth; WM. E. CUNNINGHAM, of the Beacon; Mr. GATEWOOD, the Junior Editor of the Beacon, is attacked. DALTON WHEELER, of the Howard Association, is down. This heroic body of men is almost used up. One of their body wrote on Sunday that he and three others were all that were left of ten.
The people of Hampton, and the refugees of Norfolk and Portsmouth, met in Hampton Monday, and determined to petition the State and General Governments for aid, in translating the entire people of the infected cities to Old Point. Committees were appointed to visit Washington and this city, to carry out the objects of the meeting. The committee for this city arrived here last night; but the Governor being absent, the object of their visit is, in a measure, obstructed. We commend this committee and their humane purposes to our citizens and city authorities. If anything can be suggested to forward their mission, we trust it will be brought out. It is a time to act. Our brethren of Norfolk and Portsmouth are perishing, as stubble before the fire, and if anything can be done to snatch them from their impending fate–it would almost seem ANNIHILATION–it should be done at once.
We are pained to learn that Dr. GOOCH, of this city, was considered to be in a dying condition when the steamer left yesterday morning!
Dr. WILLIAM SELDEN came up to the city yesterday, having recovered from the fever. He is so much reduced as to be unable to resume his profession for the present, but will return to Norfolk after he recruits a little.
The panic in Norfolk is very much increased. Though the mortality is much greater than it has been, it cannot be ascertained with accuracy. The officials, the surgeons, those who attend the sick, and those who dispose of the dead, are all over tasked, and system and order are interrupted.
DAY OF THANKSGIVING AND PRAYER.
The Mayor having recommended that tomorrow be observed as a day of Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the season of unexampled health with which this city has been blessed, and of invocation in behalf of the afflicted cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth, we doubt not the citizens will unanimously adopt the suggestion and observe the day accordingly. The different churches will be thrown open and sermons appropriate to the occasion will be preached by their ministers.
REV. ANTHONY DIBRELL.–The South Side Democrat pays a warm tribute to the memory of the Rev. Anthony Dibrell, late pastor of Granby street Methodist Church, Norfolk, who fell a martyr to his sense of duty to Religion and Humanity. The Democrat says: "Ever since the fever commenced its ravages, Mr. Dibrell has been untiring in his ministrations at the bed of affliction, breathing consolation to the distressed and soothing the passage of his people to the grave.–Like a faithful and affectionate shepherd, he deserted not his flock, but with a Christian fortitude and a Christian charity he exerted every energy of his nature, in season and out of season, until the fell destroyer, with remorseless grasp, seized its pious prey, and consigned him to the gloom of the grave.–We knew Anthony Dibrell–knew him long and well. He was the loveliest specimen of Christian character we ever saw. Every one who was acquainted with this man of God, loved him with a tenderness and a devotion, as deep as it was disinterested."
CONTRIBUTIONS FOR NORFOLK AND PORTSMOUTH.–A letter from Mr. JOSIAH DABBS, of Halifax, to Messrs. JOHNSON & PUGH, remits to those gentlemen, to be forwarded to the proper authorities of Norfolk and Portsmouth, $70, contributed by seven individuals of Halifax for the relief of the afflicted of those cities. Messrs. J. & P. have given the desired destination to this fund.
NOT DEAD.–By a singular circumstance, the name of Mr. Daughtery, the efficient conductor of the Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad, was enrolled among the dead at Portsmouth on Sunday. It appears that Mr. D. had obligingly written out a list of the dead for the information of the press, to which he signed his name. In taking copies of this list, the name of Mr. D. was placed so completely in line with the roll of the dead that it was regarded by the compositor as one of them, and thus he was sent out of the world before his time, of a fever he never had. He is not only not dead, but is actively engaged in his office, which he discharges to the satisfaction of everyone.
PROGRESS OF THE FEVER IN NORFOLK AND PORTSMOUTH.
Norfolk, Sept. 3, 5 P.M.Until a late hour of the night the dismal car of death was heard rattling o'er the pavement, bearing its unfortunate occupants to Potter's Field. The burials yesterday, from sunrise to 12 o'clock at night, at least 45–and it was found impossible, with the limited conveyances at hand, to dispose of them before the hour above mentioned. As it was, many poor victims had to go under the ground boxed but uncoffined, owing to the scarcity of coffins, which, in many instances, two and three were laid side by side together in a coarse box hastily constructed for the purpose, and so interred, like a common case of merchandise! These sad scenes, and the large mortality, have struck a new panic in the few people remaining, and this morning over one hundred persons left the city. It is supposed that numbers of others will follow, and that by the close of the week our present small population will be diminished by at least five or six hundred. And, in fact, we cannot blame the people–those who are not bound here by ties of duty and honor–from flying from this horrible depot of disease and death!
It requires a greater amount of moral courage to remain from day to day, and face the inevitable destroyer who attacks in so many insidious and protean forms, than to bear the shock of twenty pitched battles. If anyone wished to see the picture of "destruction and death" in its most sorrowful form, let him take a walk to our Potter's field any morning before seven o'clock. He will then see numbers of coffins scattered promiscuously on the ground, emitting a most horrible effluvium, left there the previous night for interment the next morning. Sometimes these shells of mortality, for the want of a sufficient number of grave diggers, are left rotting and stinking in the sun during the greater part of the day!
Among the dead today we regret to announce that of Wm. E. Cunningham, Esq., editor of the Beacon, and W. K. Stores, City Jailor. Dalton Wheeler, a prominent officer of the Howard Association, is very low; Rev. Mr. Jones, of the colored African Church, was taken down last night; W. P. Burnham and son are very sick. E. Summers has seven sick in his family, he is the only one up; three died at the jail yesterday.
We note below a few (not all by any means) of the latest deaths:–Lydia Morse; Miss Sarah Freeman, daughter of Capt. Freeman; Mr. Whitehurst, Princess Anne road; W. K. Stores; two sons of Mr. Boothby; wife of Wm. Johnson; wife of Richard Dove, dec'd; Mr. Hallett, of the firm of Dixon & Hallett; Mr. Bagnall's slave, Eliza; a number of negroes, &c., altogether about forty, will be buried today. It is found almost impossible to get all their names. Richard Gatewood, junior editor of the Beacon, was attacked with the fever this morning. The weather is hot and oppressive. VERDAD.
AMONG THE NAMES of the dead in Norfolk, furnished through other sources than our correspondent's letter, are: George W. Jones, of the firm of Jones & Brother; Dr. Sylvester, Jr.–this is the third member of that family who has fallen, first Dr. Sylvester, Sr., then Dr. Sylvester, Jr., and lastly, Wm. Sylvester; Joseph Rorson, a member of the City Council; John Delany, a brother of ex-Mayor Delany; Mrs. Dr. Chandler; Paxton Pollard, a prominent citizen and well-known school teacher.
Among those ill are the following: Geo. W. Camp, Cashier Exchange Bank, very low. Miss Fanny Camp, his daughter ill, and his wife sick. Mr. Pannill, of the Farmer's Bank, in a hopeless condition, Wm. H. Smith, firm of Smith & Brother.–Wm. P. Burnham and wife; Wm. Winslow and Gustavus Winslow; Wm. Knight, Town Bridge; R. S. Bernard, Druggist, very ill; Dr. Frank A. Walk, at the United States Hospital, very ill. George S. Ferguson, Custom House Officer, of Norfolk, is ill at Hampton.
The Plague Fly.–On Sunday morning, the fly known as the "plague fly," appeared in Norfolk. It is a flat insect, with black back and red belly, and has very large wings. In Portsmouth they were so thick in the streets as to annoy persons walking, and induced them to place a covering over their faces. The appearance of this fly is generally considered a good omen, as it is supposed to devour the malaria.
Burying the Dead.–The city council of Norfolk have appointed a committee to superintend the digging of trenches at "Potter's Field," in which to bury the dead, as the mortality is becoming too great to admit of burying them in the usual manner.
Vehicles for Physicians.–Dr. N. C. Whitehead, the Mayor of Norfolk, has issued an order for the impressing of all vehicles for the use of physicians.–Several stables have been made use of in accordance with the proclamation.
Lack of Coffins.–We learn from a private letter written by Ex-Mayor Stubbs, that on Monday there were fifty corpses without coffins to bury them with.
Mortality.–We learn from the best authority that Monday there were seventy deaths in Norfolk. The telegraphic account from Baltimore says there were 64 deaths.
Animals Attacked.–We learn that the epidemic has extended to animals, and dogs and cats are found lying about dead, with unmistakable evidences of the "plague"–such as bleeding from the nose and mouth, &c.
THE Southside Democrat of yesterday, reports the death of Mr. Allen, the conductor on the Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad. It learns from the same source that on Saturday there were a dozen or more shocking burials in Norfolk and Portsmouth–the dead being interred only six inches in the ground without coffins.
In Alexandria the subscription amounts to $700. In Washington, Rev. Mr. Pyne announced on Sunday to the congregation of St. John's (Episcopal) Church, that the collections taken up during the five Sabbaths in this month (September) would be forwarded to Norfolk and Portsmouth, for the benefit of the sufferers by the yellow fever.
Rev. R. D. Woodley, who recently went through Richmond to Norfolk, was formerly pastor of St. Aloysius congregation in Leonardtown, Md. Dr. Alex McWilliamson, of the same town, has left for Norfolk, and Drs. R. E. and L. J. Sutton were preparing to start.
Miss Amelia J. Ott, of Norfolk, died in New York, on Friday last.
LATEST FROM NORFOLK.
The following melancholy information we have received by way of telegraph from Petersburg:
Walter Scott, of Richmond, son of Robt. G. Scott, Esq., our Consul to Rio Janeiro, died in Norfolk, Monday. He went there in the capacity of nurse.
Rev. D. P. Wells, Pastor of the Cumberland Street Methodist Church, died on Monday.
J. W. Harwood, Confectioner, formerly of Richmond, also died Monday.
G. W. Camp, Cashier of the Exchange Bank, was dying.
The accounts received of the ravages of the fever are awful. Two families, Mr. Lewis and six children, and Mr. Reston and seven children, had been swept off.
There were 40 burials Monday, the number being limited to the supply of coffins.
J. H. Finch, foreman of the Argus, we learn from the best authority, had not been sick up to Monday evening, though he was reported to be down with the vomito. The nonappearance of the Argus yesterday, however, is a source of apprehension to his friends.
FROM PORTSMOUTH.
Death of Mayor Fiske.The accounts from Portsmouth are as heartrending as those from Norfolk. There were thirty deaths on Monday, reported, and doubtless many more not reported.
DAVID D. FISKE, Mayor of Portsmouth, and Editor of the Transcript, died yesterday morning at 7-1/2 o'clock. He had been sick about eight days.
The death of Capt. Allen, of the Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad, is confirmed. He died Monday at 1 o'clock.
Dr. P. C. GOOCH, of Richmond, was removed to the Naval Hospital at an early hour Sunday morning, and yesterday morning, when the train left, he was considered very ill.
There were four physicians taken to the Naval Hospital on Monday, down with the fever.
R. McDonald, printer at the Transcript office, was down with the fever.
MEETING IN HAMPTON.
At a meeting held in Hampton, September 3d, 1855, composed of the citizens of the town, and citizens of Norfolk and Portsmouth, temporarily sojourning in Hampton, Col. Charles K. Mallory, was called to the chair, and Joseph Segar, appointed Secretary.
The chair having explained the object of the meeting in a brief address, on motion of Dr. R. G. Banks, a committee was appointed to report resolutions suitable to the occasion, consisting of the following gentlemen, viz: Dr. R. G. Banks, Rev. J. C. McCabe, Rev. David Shaver, C. L. Collier, Jas. B. Hope, Jos. Segar, C. W. Grandy, C. W. Newton, R. A. Worrell, R. B. Wright, Wm. H. Peters, M. D. Webster and R. H. Vaughan who, after consultation, submitted the following resolutions, which were unanimously adopted:
1. Resolved, That from the accounts that reach us, in an authentic form, we are forced to believe that, unless the population of the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth, be removed, one universal fatality must be the result.
2. Resolved, That inasmuch as immediate action is indispensably necessary in the premises, and as individual effort in the exigency of the case, can scarcely be adequate to any general relief, this meeting doth earnestly appeal to the Governor of Virginia, and to the President of the United States, to render what aid they respectively and properly can, in the awful emergency that has befallen our afflicted fellow-citizens of Norfolk and Portsmouth.
3. Resolved, That a committee be appointed to proceed to Washington, and another to Richmond, to lay before the President of the United States, and the Governor of Virginia, respectively, the proceedings of this meeting, and to urge upon them the prompt and earnest consideration thereof.
4. Resolved, That a Committee be appointed to raise a fund by private subscription, for the making of coffins, and that the said committee superintend the making of them, and have the same, when completed, forwarded to the Howard Association of Norfolk, and the authorities of Portsmouth.
The following were appointed a committee to proceed to Washington, viz: Rev'd J. C. McCabe, Hon. F. Mallory. C. W. Newton, Dr. R. G. Banks, R. B. Wright, Wm. H. Peters, C. W. Grandy, R. A. Worrell, Capt. Ferguson, Dr. Clemens, and A. M. Jones.
Committee to proceed to Richmond, viz: James Barron Hope, Geo. Booker, Jno. B. Cary, Robert H. Vaughan, Wm. A. Graves, Wm. R. Willis, T. C. Peck, E. T. Blamire, F. W. Seabury, S. S. Howard, W. S. Pepper and Co. W. W. Jones.
Committee to raise coffin fund, viz: John Jones, of Pembroke, J. J. Tompkins, Wm. R. Laws, Thos. W. Roche, C. L. Collier, A. M. Jones and Lewis Henry.
5. Resolved, That the Chairman and Secretary be specially requested to accompany the Washington committee.
6. Resolved, That these proceedings be communicated to the Howard Association of Norfolk and to the municipal authorities of Portsmouth, and also be published in the public journals.
On motion, the meeting then adjourned.
CHAS. K. MALLORY, Ch'n.
JOS. SEGAR, Sec'y.The committee arrived in this city last night.–We regret to say that the Governor being absent, the object of their visit to Richmond is in a measure obstructed. The committee hand us the following card for publication:
The committee avail themselves of this opportunity to return to Capt. Smith, of the steamer Augusta, their acknowledgments for his courtesy and kindness in tendering the hospitalities of his boat for the occasion, thereby manifesting his cordial sympathy with the objects of their mission; also to Mr. Barbour, President of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, for a similar offer.
TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.
From Norfolk.Washington, Sept. 5.–The Norfolk boat, which arrived at Baltimore this morning, brings a delegation of citizens of that place, to ask the President for the use of Fort Monroe, as a place of refuge, in which the inhabitants of the infected cities can be removed. There were sixty deaths in Norfolk yesterday.
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Continued.
Table of Contents.
Index: A - R
Index: S - Z & specialized indexes.
