Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1853-11-20
Iasbinaton gentinel

The Cry OF NoRFoLK.-The editor of the
| Winchester Vrgiaida, who was at the State
/ fair at Norfolk, lately wrote on the James river
steamboat to his paper, and gave pleasing
sketch of things in Norfolk and Portsmouth.
He says:
Having spent but a day in Norfolk, ! had no
chance to learn so much as l could wish of the
prospect of the place. But what did learn,
| taken together with what | knew before, was
| satisfactory, or at least decidedly hopeful The
population Of the two towns, after remaining
stationary for near half a century, has within
| few years received marked impulse. 1t has
advanced since lS40 from $4,000 to $4,000.
The marks of improvement are visible every
where. Many new buildings have been erected;
waste and wet places, formerly the sources of
malaria, have been filed up; gas, in Norfolk,
has been introduced; and the streets are
| thronged and busting to degree that speaks
| of anything but decay. New branches of man
| ufacture are being rapidly introduced. AT
Portsmouth, two enterprising Maine men, see
ing the advantage Of saving the cost of trans
porting timber to the yards of that State brought
their ship-carpenters to the skirt of the forest.
They have already launched fine ship, the
Neptune Car, of 1000 tons; and have now on
the stocks clipper of l 300 tons, employing
about 100 workmen. Two others, Of equal or
greater size, are about being commenced. This
business ought to increase. A large tobacco
factory and an establishment for the manufac-
ture of oil from rosin are under way. This oil,
it is said, costs, under q new patent, but eleven
cents per gallon for material and fabrication,
and is applicable to all the purposes where
sperm oil is now used at 81 35 per gallon.
The capital of the company is $4,000, and
another is already spoken of. Building is
onita aot;ya in both toups and 7 ohsaryad IN
Portsmouth the rising walls of a new hotel, $50
by so feet. This edifce is called into requisi-
ton by the great improvement in the condition
and trade of the Seaboard and Roanoke rail
road, which now stretches far into North Caro-
lima, and will soon tap the rich valley of the Dan,
in Virginia. 1t is one of the most level, straight,
and efficient roads in the Union, and is becom-
ing favorite route for travel between the
north and south. But the railway promising
most advantage to the port is that from Nor
folk to Petersburg 1t will be placed under
contract for most Of the way in about month,
and will give Norfolk for the first time a con-
nection with the Virginia system of railroads
now completed or under way, and extending
to the valley, the Ohio, and Tennessee, with
every prospect of indefinite extension west
ward.
BY means of this work and the tide-water
COnnecuOn OF the james river canal, now Tdplu-
ly approaching completion, Norfolk will have
the control of an incalculable amount of trade,
if she show energy worthy of the occasion.
We are confident, however, that the occasion
will soon force energy to show itself The in
salubrity of this low and warm country has
been unusually made their main point by those
who deny the possibility of infusing into it en-
terprise and prosperity. That insalubrity, so
far at least as relates to the towns, is now al
most wholly imaginary.
Inever saw more healthy looking popula-
ton anywhere than that of Norfolk. The for
mer liability OF the place to fever has been
proved the mere result of negligence, by the
fact that such tendency has disappeared with
the removal of stagnant water. There is still
something to be done in this way; but great
deal has been done already, and the weekly re-
port of deaths show smaller ratio to the
population than that of most Of the northern
ports-much less than that in New York.
Residents from the North Valley assure me
that they have not had any mentionable sick
ness during three or four years of their stay,
and that their health is much better than be-
fore they came. The sea breeze tempers the
summer heats, and renders them often much
more supportable than in the upper country.