Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1847-04-22
Whole No. S7S.

carried To the workhouse but the father
was sIll Tying there upon the dung hemp Of
the fallen root, slightly covered wlib . piece
Of canvass. On lifting this, Illuminating
spectacle presented itself What rags the
poor man had OpOn him when buried beuesih
the ialhng roof, were mostly torn from his
body IN The list faint struggle for life bls
neck and shoulders aud right arm were burnt
To a cnder. There he lay ~ the RUN, like
the carcass Oft brute beast thrown upon the
dung hill. As we continued our walk along
this filthy lane, half naked women aud cbEt.
drcn would Come out Of their cabins, 6ppa-
rently IN The last stnge of the fever, 10 beg
for food ''for the honor of God" A. they
stood upon the wet ground, we could almost
see It smoke beneath their bare feet, burning
with lever. We entered The grave yard. ~
the midst OF which was a small watch house
This miserable shed had served as n grave
where the dying could bury themselves.-lt
was seven feet long aud SIX IN breadth. u
was already walled round with an embnnk-
mcnt OF graves half way to the caves. The
aperture Of this horrible den Of death would
scarcely permit the entrance OF common
sized person Aud into this noisome sepul.
chre living men, women and children went
down To die to pillow upon the rotten straw,
the grave clothes vacated by the preceding
victims, and fostering with their fever. Hero
lay Rs closely to each other as If crowded siic
by side on the bottom of one grave Six
persons had been found in this fetid sepul-
chre at one time, and with one only able to
crawl 10 the door to ask for water. Reipov.
ing a board from the entrance of this black
hole Of pesiience. we found IL crammed with
wan victims OF famine, ready and willing to
perish. A quiet, llsiless despair broods over
the populatI"n,and cradles men for the grave.
] returned from thus painful walk, nearly
went thro' aud sad al the thought that could
not administer any relief to my peri,hing tel
low beings Spent this evening in writing
letters to England.
.Skibbereen Feb. 81 Dr,
Donovan Gated OF 2 =. NJ, and we proceeded
together 10 visit lane of novels on the op-
poslle side Of The village. The wretchcdness
OF this little mud city Of the deud aud dying
was OF o deeper stamp than the one | saw yes
tcrday. Here human beings end their ella.
ey Indications seemed to be melting towu
together INTO the earth. can find no lar
guage or illustration sufficiently impressive
10 portray the spectacle to on A Ameriean ses-
der. cold drIzzlmg rain wos deepening
the pools OF black filth, INTO which u fell like
ink drops from the clouds. Few Of the young
or old have not read Of the scene exhibited
on the field Of battle ailer the action, when
visited by the surgeon. The cries Of the
wounded and dying for help have been de-
scrbed by many graphic pens. The agonlz-
ing entreaty for "WaleI water! heipt
help!!" has been conveyed to our minds with
painful distinctness. | can lken the scene
we beheld IN this low lane of famine and pes
thence to nothing Of greater resemblance
than that of the battle field, when the hostile
armies have retired, leaving one third u
their number bleeding upon the ground.
As soon ms DR.. Donovan appeared at the
head OF the lane. II was filed with miserable
beings. haggard famine stricken men, women
and children, some far gone in the consump-
'lon OF the famine fever. and oil iipploring
him "for the honor Of God" to 90 in and see
"my father" my wife," "my boy" "who Is
very bad your honor" Aud then intcrspcr-
sed with these earnest entreaties, others lou.
der still would be raised for bread In evrry
h0vel we entered we found the dying or Wv,
dead. In one Of these straw rooted bur
rows eight persons had died in the last fort
night, and five more were lying upon the fr-
nd, pestlerons straw upon which thcH pte-
lecessors to the grave had been consumed
by the wasting fever of famine. In scarcely
single one Of these most iuhuman hnbiis.
ions was there the slightest indication of
food OF any kind 10 be found or fuel TO cock
'Ood, or anything resembling bed, unless 1t
were thn layer Of filthy straw in one cor-
ner, upon which the sick persons lay, partly
covered with some ragged garment.
There beng no window, nor aperture TO
admit the light in these wrelched cabins,
except the door, we found ourselves often ~
o,bl darkness for the first moment Of oup
entrance. But faint gliminering of hand
ul of burning straw IN one end would SION
evea TO us the indlstinct images of wan
aced children grouped together, with they
arge, plaintive, still eyes, looking out ut us,
ike the sick young Of wild beasts m ihrr
lens. Then the groans, and the choked ~.
coherent entrcaties Tor help, ~ some man nr
woman wasting away with the sickness, ~
me corner of the cabin, would apprIse US oI
he number and condition of the family. The
wife, mother or child would frequently light
wIsp Of straw, and hold over the face Of the
ick person, discovering 10 ms The sUoty fea-
ures Of some emacinied creature IN the last
iage ofthe fever. In one of these plnccs
We found an old woman stretched upon u
,sllet of straw, with her head within a foot
II handful Of FIRE, upon which something
vas sleaming in q small iron vessel. The
Doctor removed the cover, and we found II
vas filed with KIND Of shiny seawced, which
believe is used Tor manure on the sesboard.
THIS was all tho nourishment the daughter
,opld serve TO her SICK mother. But the last
,sbln we visited in this painful walk present.
I'd to our eyes a lower deep ~ misery. IL
vas he residence OF two families. both ~
which had been tbnned down to half their
original number 5y the sickness. The irst
light that me, my eyes on entering wss the
,ody oi a dead woman. extended on one sido
# the FIRE place. On the other an old inau
vas laying on some straw, so far gone ss 10
&c unable 10 anicuIn,e distinctly. lie might
'e ninety or fifty years ofage. u was diff.
ul, to determine for this wasting consump.
ion of wan, brings out the EXTREMIST indces
II old age IN The features Of even the young.
Bot there was another sppari,ion whnh
'ickenrd oil the flesh and bood of my nature.
Il has haunted me during the pas, nigh, like
Banquo's ghost. have lam awake ", hours
.ruegIng for some gtsyhic and truthful
smiles OF new elements Of description BY
shlch nigh, convey 10 the distant r-sdrr
ZONE tangible image of This object. Adup.