Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1852-03-11

The New York Evening Pos, publishes
letter from respectable physician in Stockton,
Cal, dated JAN IA, 1852, whose statements
are perfectly appalling. The following ex-
| tracts we commend not only to the notice of
the public, but to the members of Congress -
In performing this voyage, few die or suf-
fer much on the Atlantic. The hurry and
excitement of crossing the Isihmus allow
few to reaIize that anything seriously wrong
is going on i'll their systems. Aud almost
withsuI an enquiry with regard TO accon,mo-
dations on the steamers, they buy tickets
and embark. m t. q. .-,.. ...-..I
Often from four to six hundred persons
are crammed together within the narrew
limits of a steamboat. On calling for the
berth allotted on the ticket, i: cannot be
found, or has been sold TO half dozen diff
| fercnt men, or, at BEST is hut miserable
shelf situated in that part of the slip where
il impossible to yenlilale or purify the air.
Then ensue jangles and quarrels for bertlls,
and fool with occasional apportions of stink
ing best, vormy bread, scanty water, &c.-
There il, however, no repreve, Und passen-
gers, particularly in the steerage, are under
The necessity OF taking such accommodu.
The effect of ali this is, that of those leav
ing Panama, fearful per centage die and
are buried ia the sea. Of hose sufficiently
fortunate to arrive in San Francisco, nearly
one.half are in an exhausted cachectIc state,
which, with the occurrence of the ordinary
exciting causes of disease, rarely fails TO
PROSTATE the most robust frames. Many 80
into the hospitals at San Francisco, only 10
In ioH nh
OF the passengers who left Panama in the
steamer Northerner in her last "trip. sirteen
,uere hroUn orerboard Of the remainder,
some t,centy hare since died, in San Francisco,
Sacramento and Stockton. And there are
plenty more 10 be seen crawling about the
streets, having more the appearance of dead
than hiring men.
The following extract Of letter from the
son Of Mr.. Zebulon Norton of Phillips, in this
State, we copy from the Argus:
AUBURN, Placer Co., Cal, Jan. II, 1852.
DEAR FATHER Il arrived safe in San
Francisco, Jan /, 1852. We sailed from
Panama the 10th of Dec. last, in the steam
ship "Northener' and after passage of l6
days arrived at San Francisco She was
ship of only 1900 ions. They crowded on
on board about % died before we landed
and about so more were carried ashore sick
oflhe Panama, Chagres or ship fever. We
almost starved TO death before we could get
ashore. We had nothing to eat but tainted
meat, and ship-bread full of worms-and
part of the time on an allowance of water
| had rather be in the State Prison three
months than suffer what had to in coming
here.
The last arrival announces that the Steamer
Golden Gate was about leaving Panama with
nine hundred passengers! Now no steamer
on the route can accommodate half that nnm-
Der comfortably.
Maine has large interest in this matter
Our young men-lhe flower of the State-are
leaving us by hundreds for California. We
suppose about all of them take steerage pas
sages on these steamers. 1t becomes, there
fore, the duty not only of the people, but of the
peoples representatives in Congress, to secure
some remedy for the great evil of which there
is so much complaint.