Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-09-05
EVENING STAR.


county, Va, on the Sd instant, composed Of
citizens Of town and county, and of Norfolk
and Portsmouth, temporarily soiourning in
Hampton, the following named gentlemen
were appointed q committee to proceed to
Washington and make known to the President
the objects and desires of the meeting:
Rev. j. @. McCabe, of Hampton; Hon G.
W. Newton, of Norfolk; F. f. Ferguson, Esq,
of Norfolk; DR.. r. G.. Banks, of Hampton;
Capt. R. B. Wright, of Norfolk; W. H Peters,
ESQ, Of Portsmouth; Capt. JAS Hicks, of Nor
folk; R. A. Worrell, Esq, of do; Dr. p. P.
Clements, of do; DR.. ]. j. Simpkins, of do:
A. W. Jones, Esq Of Hampton; Hon. T. NAL
lory, of Norfolk; VIM. G. Benthall, Esq, of
do; Col: Chas; Z; Mallory, Of Hampton; Hon.
of Norfolk; G.. W. Grandy, Esq, do.
This committee reached Washington yester-
day morning, and Immediately sought an in
yterview with the President, which was granted
without delay and were introduced by DR..
imkins. The Rev. John G. McCabe, of
Hampton, chairman of the Committee, ad.
dressed the President as follows
sgWe appear before you sir, as the representa-
tives of sorrowing, suffering, disease stricken,
and death smitten people, committee ap.
pointed at a meeting held in the town of
Hampton on yesterday, composed of number
of the citizens of Norfolk, Portsmouth, and
Hampton to wait upon the President of the
United States, and the appropriate Heads of
Departments, to ask that relief which the aw.
full exigencies Of the case require, and which
the resolutions we now submit, most respect
fully ask. As chairman of that committee, /
am somewhat anticipated in my remarks by the
appalling facts which must each day reach the
ears of your Excellency, as borne upon the
wings Of the telegraph or through the medium
of the public prints; and yet, sir, startling
and terrible as are each days official reports
n ID IL e IL
the yellow fever in tho5e cities, they fall far
and fearfully short Of the awful reality. Nor
folk and Portsmouth ore now, sir, but little
more than vast charnel houses, and their un-
buried dead are, perch snce, at this moment,
attracting the keen SC, ut Of the ravening vul-
lures Thousands of { he people of those de-
voted cities, have fed, panic stricken; and,
would to God, the rest had flown. Had it
been so, sir, we would have been spared the
recital Of this tale Of woe, and yorr Excellency
the pain Of listening to a story whose burthen
is desolatiOn and death. Mr.. President, ply
sicians are falling at their posts; nurses are
dying at bedsides; and the ministers of the
cross Of Christ, as they stand at the couehcs
Of the sick and dying, ere struck down
"'Dumb and shivering'
Cuisines is almost entirely suspended in
both cities. The city Of Norfolk has but a
nominal government, and nearly every private
= dwelling is converted into mort house, and
from almost every chamber comes out n wall
for death is there. The remaining population
of these seemingly doomed cities are too feeble
and too few to give efficient help to the sick
and the suffering; and ere long unless God
stay the destroyer and the strong arm of man
in power, be sire ,hed forth in their behalf
the total depOpulation of those places, by
death, must be the result, and the Genius OF
Desolation will sit in CHASTITY and gloomy tri-
cCln Sfor Of rhalr rl.rte and rfS
The resolutions which we herewith present,
will to some extent explain, what it j. we de-
sire. and we submit them, in just and abb
ding confidence, that as a man, and as the
Chief Magistrate Of the country, IN the welfare
OF every section whereof We believe you feel
Al interest, you viii suggest and afford that
relief which must be immei iate to be avail
able"
To which the President responded IN a brief
but feeling manner. He expressed the mo :
heartfelt sympathy for the unfol tunate suf-
feTers in Norfolk and Portsmouth, stated that
the subject hal caused him mach anxious cor
sideration, and induced him 10 shorten his
visit to Virginia, and hasten his return to
Washington, indulging the hope that some
mode Of relief might be afforded by the inter
Fention Of the Federal Government; and con.
clUded by assuring the committee that he
would cooperate with them in any legitimate
action that might BE determined upon.
The President then entered in-o an unr;
served conversation with the members Of the
committee, in which the pra ctieahility G
various plans was discussed.
The committee retired with an invitation
from the President to call at o'clock in the
evening. The committee met the President at
the time appointed and were to have final
audience this morning at 10 o'clock, when he
would be able 10 decide upon something
definite
II
morning; Tor an account of which see our
Washington News columns They then took
their leave. impressed with the fact that the
failure Of their mission so far as the obt aiming
OF Old Point was concerned, was not owing 70
an ihdispOsitiOn on the part Of the President
20 do all that could be done by him to relieve
the distresses Of the citizens of Portsmouth.
Previous to the committee leaving the Pres
idential Mansion, the President pla e in their
hands the sum of 1915 being second contri-
button from himself and the members of his
cabinet for the relief Of the sick and suffering;
and stated that bis private purse was open at
all times for the relief of the distres ed
The President also assured the committee
that the Washington Navy Yard would be
thrown open to all the wOrkmen who are now
here from Norfolk and Portsmouth who are
DESTROYS of employment-that il, in those de-
Psrtments of the yard where work can be
found for them. There are about thirty here,
who will be benefited by this order.
HE FUNERAL OF JUDGE CRANcH took place
yesterday afternoon, from bis late residence on
Capitol Hill A large number of citisons was
IN attendance on the exercises, including the
bench and the bar Of the several courts, the
President Of the United States, Hon. Caleb
Gushing. the Attorney General, and the Hon.
Erastus Brooks, a sOn-in-lew Of the deceased.
The address of the Rev. William Furnace, Of
the Unitarian church, Philadelphia, was ap-
Propriate, eloquent, and impressive.
The following named gentleman acted as
pall-bearers MeSSrs. James Adams, Il. G.
Meightman, Z. S. Coke, James N Carlisle,
William Redin, and John Marbury.
On the conclusion Of the funeral services,
many of the persons present approached to take
parting look at the remains Of the pure and
upright judge; and We were thus privileged
among the number. As in life the eounte-
nance of the deceased was serene, irradiated
with intelligence and benevolerce, so in death
he lay as if in peaceful slumber-no distortion
Of the nerves; no responsiveness such as fire.