Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-09-12


Posr OFFICE DEPARTMENT. ppoirtaent Of a
Postmaster. Terrence Wakefield has been
appointed by the President postmaster at Natchi-
toches Louisiana in the place of Farman +. Faber,
removed.
From Norfolk and Portsmouth.
correspondent of the Petersburg Democrat
says:
"a gentleman tells me that he was in Norfolk a
few days since and saw 600 cases, and in one Ward
of the city hospital he saw So lying ILL., 40 of whom
were dying, and three died while he was there,
He saw twelve bodies in one corner of the room.
awaiting burial, and among them was the late
young Walter Scott, son of Robert G. Scott. of
Richmond
"Not many, from either Portsmouth or Norfolk,
none from the former, have accepted the use Of
the tents sent down from Baltimore. In fact, al
though they have been generously offered, hear
of none being accepted at all as yot.
~ learn that the funds of the Odd Fellows
Lodge in Portsmouth, and they had considera
Die sum on hand have been exhausted for several
weeks and still there are suffering widows and or
phans there. A sad state Of things truly"
| The following we gather from Norfolk letter.
popularity of the fever has been especially re-
marked. Soon after the attack, the skin Of the
aphite patients takes on yelowish tinge, similar
to that Of lemon or orange. Black patients un-
| dergo similar morphosis--their hue chang
! ing to bronze.
| Of fourteen physicians who went from Philade
phia to assist the sick, seven have been attacked
| by the fever, and three have died.
The atmosphere Of Norfolk is close humid and
suffocatng, with an average temperature OF 80 de-
| grees. No peculiar stenches are observable; nor
do the streets possess that filthy character which
is almost necessary consequence OF the utter me-
elect that follows the outbrt ak of an epidemic.
| The proximity Of stretch of marshy ground is
| believed to be an melting cause OF the malady.
In some instances, the master, mistress and SER
wants, all sick at time, and on attempting to
separate the latter they if possible seek their mis-
tress sick room, often hiding under the bed in or
der that they shall not be discovered by the ply
stefan or nurses many Of the slaves are heard beg
gng, as last request, to be Inferred with their
master or mistress, as the case may be-ali being
alike subject to attack and death
A common spectacle in the streets is a cart laden
with collins, which are deposited at some conve-
nient street corner, and removed thence by the
undertakers as occasion demands. Three or four
of these coffips often stand together. The dead
are Immediately taken out of the houses and placed
upon the sidewalks strip ofparchment, inscribed
with the name, age, and date Of decease of the
victim being nailed upon the lid of each coffin. A
duplicate of this parchment record is preserved.
The bodies Of the dead are conveyed away by carts
.
There are three places Of burial.
The houses of the citizens who have fed are, it
is believed, pretty generally respected. Few cases
! of theft are reported and bnrgaries are not COM
mon. A considerable amount of valuable prop
erty is frequently left in the hands of the physi-
clans. This is always confdcd to the care of the
Sanitary Committee.
The Petersburg Express has despatch dated
| Weldon, ON Monday, which says
| NJ Thoua. RiddicE snn IF Richard Rid1ick
keeper of the hotel at Suffolk, Virginia, died at
that town early this morning Of yellow fever. He
had not been into either of the infected cities since
sometime anterior to the appearance of the fever.
Suffolk is l8 miles from Portsmouth. The town
has been overlooking with refugees ever since the
appearance Of the fever in Norfolk and Portsmouth,
and the death of Mr.. Riddck has produced the
most terrible confusion and alarm. The citizens
and visitors are flying in every direction
There are ID nurses now here from Augusta
and Savannah en- route for Norfolk.
! Portsmouth correspondent Of the Richmond
| Dispatch says:
"The approach to Portsmouth cannot be mis-
| taken and is terribly marked by the newly-turned
earth under which the victims Of the fever have
| been laid. 1t extends for hundreds OF yards, and
in many spots is studded with stakes, upon which
are marked the names of those who rest beneath.
This has been done by some friend or relative, who
coutemplates, If LIE be spared to him, TO remove
and again inter the bodies This sight is perhaps
the saddest in Portsmouth. Here lie father and
mother, sister and brother, the rich and the poor,
the prepared and the unprepared.
"The passer-by is met at every corner nearly
| by coflins-cofins made in every shape-hat-top
collins raised collins, red collins, and white collins.
In Suffolk they are making collins at the rate of
ten or twelve per day, and sending them down.
The fever is raging more terribly In Norfolk
than it is here and the sight in the hospital is tru-
ly distressing Long rows of beds contain patients
who are perfectly delirious, and the air resounds
with their cries and imprecations while they are
trapped down with linen to their beds. In this
situation they have the black vomit and the sight
presented is truly awful Let physicians elsewhere
be what they may, those in Norfolk and Ports
mouth are heroes, and nothing less.
1.-The plague fly disappeared on Thursday, and
leaves US in doubt as to whether its disappearance
| is good or bad omen"
AccrpEsr At THE SHor-TowER.--on Monday
evening, near six o'clock, quite an accident took
place nt the Phoenix Shot-Tower, which consdera-
bly frightened the people who reside in the imme-
date vicinity II appears that during the day,
about eight tons Of lead had been hoisted TO the
sixth noor and deposited thereon, for the purpose
of melting and conversion into shot. The floor is
lust $50 feet above the sidewalk-and moment
previous 10 the occurrence, five of the workmen
had left the base of the tower, right under the
hoistng apparatus, and went into adjoining apart
ments. All OF a sudden the hands heard heavy
rumblinr sound not unlike the rafting, cracking
and continuous sounds of musketry. Mr.. Erasmus
| IIhlar aud Maator VIM II Clare son of the aren't