The Sun.
London, England, 1857-07-20 00:00:00

DEATH OF THE HON. W. L. MARA'.

The sad intelligence that William L. Marcy is
no more will be heard with feelings of profoundest
sorrow and regret, not only in this, the State in
which he lived, but in every State in the Union.
He was found dead in his room at Ballston, Sara -
toga county, last Saturday noon. When last seen
he seemed to be in the enjoyment of his woiated
health and spirits. Born in Stourbride, Massa-
chussetts, in 1786, he was consequently 71 years of
age at the time of his death. Early in life, after
graduating at Brown University, in Rhode Island,
he removed to this state, and commenced the prac-
tice of ttie legal profession at Troy, of which city
he became Recorder in 1816, and after occupying
the highest stations of trust, responsibility, and
honour which the citizens of New York c Auld con-
fer up m him,—Adjutant-General in 1821, Comp-
troller in 1823, Judge of the Supreme Court in
1829, United States' Senator in 1831, Governor in
. .

1833, to which office he was twice re-elected—he
was selected by successive national Executives to
fill the pest in each Cabinet which for the time be-
ing was the most arduous and prominent. As Sec-
te.at y of War under President Polk, we are largely
indebted to h's energy, activity, and skill for the
suuessful prosecution of a contest which
gave fresh lustre to the laurels of the Ameri-
can army, and added California and New •
Mexico to the Republic. His sagacious use of the
means at his disposal to render the army as effi-
cient as possible, without increasing the taxation
or having recourse to any extrwirdinary expedient,
—the ability with which the war was brought to a
close,---and the magnanimity which was displayed
in the conclusion of peace, are alike honourable to
himself and the country. As Secretary of State
under. General Pierce, the career of the great states-
man was n•A less distinguished, although in a diffe-
rent sphere of action. His management of the en-
listm..nt question, and his diplomatic controversy
with the Earl of Clarendon on Central American
affairs, together with the many able State papers
which issued from his pen during his four years'
-tenure of office, are fresh in the recollection of the
-public, and entitled him to the highest rank among
the leading men of his time. His firmness, sagacity,
strong Conservative tendencies, unswerving pa. -
triotism, sterling integlity, and eminent ability as
a catesman won him the respect and confidence
of all par'ies in his own country, and caused his
name to. be universally honoured abroad, while in
priva'e I:fe few enjoyed a larger circle of devoted
and admiring friends.—New York Journal of Com-
merce.

THE YELL° ►V FAVER IN THE

IVEST INDIES.

The Royal Mail Company have sent out instruc-
tions to St. Thomas to alter the coaling arrange-
ments there, in order, as much as possible, to put a
stop to the yellow fever on board the company's
ships. The company's arrangements for coaling at
St. Thomas are defective. At the Royal Mail Cual
Wharf on that island there are nearly 20,000 tons
of coal stored. With the heat a deleterious gas
escapes from the coals, which is frightfully inju-
rious to health. Mail steamers come up to St.
Thomas with a clean bill of health. In two or
three days after coaling yellow fever almost inva-
riably breaks out during the sickly months. The
steamers which run to the windward islands and to
Honduras, and which do not come up to St. Thomas
to coal, hardly ever get the yellow fever on board.
Her Majesty's ship Orion, with 700 souls on board,
which is in the West Indies, and which has not
coaled at St. Thomas, has not had a single case of
fever. The fever does not attack blacks, rarely
visits persons who have made many voyages to the
West Indies, or passengers. That something con-
ducive to yellow fever is generated from coal is
proved from the fact that firemen and engineers
who sleep nearest to the mass of coals on board the
West India steamers are the sufferers from the
fever. The Royal Mail Company's coal wharf is
most injudiicously situated at the foot of a hill,
Which scarcely ever feels the sea breeze. The gas
generated by the coals is hardly ever blown away,
and the crews of the mail packets are therefore in-
haling it for the two or three days which each large
packets takes to coal. The La Plata coaled out-
side St. Thomas harbour, and the Arato coaled at
the wharf, and the latter suffered far more front
fever than the former. The crews of the mail
packets always say they are poisoned at St. Thomas
coal wharf. The steamers Dee and Clyde have suf-
fered badly frdm yellow fever ; but no mail packet
has•ever suffered as much as the Orinoco. After
coaling at St; Thomas, the fever broke out on
board of her on the 27th ult., and two or three
died daily until she left for England. She had up-
wards of 30 on the sick list when she left. St.
Thomas. Complaint has been made that these
were not left behind, and it has been thought
that the Orinoco ought not to have crime away
with a full hospital. It is difficult to say that
there was blame. Persons perhaps with only
slight symptoms do not like to be left behind.
The commander of the ship, who wants every hand,
thinks that many who are ill will soon recover,
and be of service to him. Captain Sawyer, the
cOmmander of the Orinoco, provided as well as he
could for emergency. He borrowed all the men be
could from the Solent, which is repairina. at St.
Thomas, and started on his voyage ; before he had
concluded it 70 out of his crew, which numbered
106, were struck down with fever and 28 died.
The number of passengers was nearly 200. All
but one of the engineers were ill, and the first and
sixth engineer died. The shifts that all on board
were put to were most inconvenient. The stew-
ardess, a very worthy and respectable woman, pe-
rished. The surgeon, Mr. Walter, worked like A
harse, and it is a marvel that he did not die front
fatigue. The Rev. Mr. Ratcliffe, a Jamaica cler-
gyman, who was a passenger on board, rendered
great service in cheering the sick, comforting the
dying, and performing the last offices for the dead,
when they were consigned to the deep. Lieutenant
Tickell, the Admiralty agent of the ship, a humane
and brave officer, also rendered assistance. Captain
Sawyer and his officers set an example of timeli-
ness. The white saloon waiters all perished, and
the officers and passengers dispensed with the black
ones, who were sent into the engine department to
succeed the dead and dying stokers and firemen ;
yet everything possible was done for the comfort of
the passengers. The resources of a ship like the
Orinoco, and the handiness of all on board, are
astonishing. Capital dinners were served up flail):
and everything consistent with the solemnities of
illness and death was done to keep up the spirits of
all on board. The Admiralty agent, Lieut. Ticka,
describes the sceneson board as most pathetic. Yon
talk one day Zvi h a man who is cheerful and in
good health; the next day he is ill, and the day
after the funeral service is read over his dead body,
and you are carrying home from him a love token to
friends who will mourn his death. The dead were
enclosed in their hammocks, and in the morning
wlien few persons were about the deck, the funeral
service was read in a subdued tone, and the corpse
was gently dropped in the ocean. The utmost care
was taken to prevent too saddening thoughts from
pervading the ship. Fear oftentimes introduces
di-ease. One or two pet sous got hipped, believed
they had the fever, and confined themselves to their
cabins nearly the whole of the voyage, although
they had not the slightest symptoms of disease. The
death-bed of a yellow fever patient is oftentimes ar
sad and terrible scene, the brain and limbs are pre-
ternaturally active, the body feels like a burning
coal. the express ion of the face is maniacal ; yet,
apparently, the final struggle with death is a pain-
less one.