Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1855-09-15
yellow Fever at Norfolk and Portsmouth
We take the following letter from the
Petersburg Express Of saturday:

We take the following letter from the
Petersburg Express ofSa.urday:
NORFOLK, Sept. 9th, 5 p. NJ.
Since the fatal epidemic has prevailed
in our city, most singular looking fly has
made its appearance With, h is quite a
stranger in this latitude, and has never
been known here before by the "oldest in-
habi,ant." Its body is about the size OF
our common A,. of yelowish color, with
long delicate porous wings of a texture as
tihe as the soltest silk. They fly together
in swarfns, and may be seenin large num-
beers on the fig trees, but their great point
of attraction seems TO be the coffins, in
which repose the Inflated victims Of .sYel-
low Jack" We took stroll out 10 thai:
Golgoha Of burial grounds, Potters Field
yesterday. and was intensely Mortified at
seeing many Of the eoffins that lay on the
ground scattered around: awaiting intel
mcnt, literally black with these loatllsome
little insects, that squirmed themselves up.
on one anolhei 30 th,k as 10 exclude the
coffin entirely from sight /, was IL E most
disgusting spectacle we ever beheld, hav.
lug an oily, wofmy significance oil The last
of poor mortality about it, that was abso-
lutely sickenin9! What could haze
brought these .uny scavehgers here! Do
they folio" like camp plunderers in the
..raln Of the pitless drsiroyer-or are they
enseniered by the deadly disease Itself,
acting upon peculiar atmosphere? These
are questions that we leave TO Saraas, bet
Ter skilled in such phehomenas Of nature
than we are, 10 answer-satIsfaeloril
if they can. We only know tina; dead
bodies will create 4 peculiar wofm-and
why not deadly plague create peculiar
fyi
The trout before O'Brien g. Quicks
establishment, was this morning literally
blocked up with collins of every shape
and every size. Whatever we may lack
in other things at present., there Is no scar
city now Of this last indispensable habita-
ton Of prrishing mortality, for which VT
are indebted to the wise iorethought Of
sympa,hzing friends in Hampton, Balli-
more. and Richmond.
This opporune supply has put many Of
our citizens in quite cheerful mo. d, as it
has dissipated the great dread they were
under recently, OF being buried uncofiined
aud even unlocked, should they be SO UNI
fortunate as to fall before the uner,ing
dart Of the insatdle scoursr.
Idle rong-limbed, lazy blacks. have
also been forced into service, TO dig graves
and many poor fellow will now sleep
quietly inurnrd, sole occupant VI his own
narrow grave, who would otherwise have
been shovelled away promstuously in a
deep grave pit, with a score OF more Of
aliens and strangers, 10 minsle their bones
with each other aud crumbe into dust to.
gelhel!
All day yesterday tar barrels were burnt
in the rear Of the City Hotel Hospital, with
the view Of purifying in some degree, the
poisonous atmosphere Of that infectious
locality.
Whether this will prove Of any service
or not in attaining The end designed, we
eannot say-at present we would dislike
very much to send dog that we valued
Chat was not niection-proof) to that gem
eral depot OF disease art death, where SO
man, enter sick aud Frustrated, and SO few
leave without the assistance Of the rEder-
taker!
1t gives us pain to announce the sick.
ness of Mrs. DR.. N. c. Whitehead, the
amiable lady of our acting Mayor. She
was attacked last night; also, Thomas Har.
dy, Esq, OF Ferry Point Joseph Muir
den, Esq, clerk OF the Exchange Bank
vas also seized last night
Geo. Randolph. John Adams, Mrs. w
P. Burnham, and the eldes: daughter o
Capt. Young, ATE very Low.
q. ". Camp, Esq, was So effected by
the death OF his wife, that his recovery is
considered very doubtful.
J. ID. Marks, arrested for robbing the late
Miss Lewis Of $1,000 worth of jewelry
was liberated this morning, we learn, Oil
condition that he would poin' out the place
where the stolen articles were deposited.
He did so, and Immediately made tracks
for "parts unknown"
We note below the latest deaths: Nancy
Sorey, Betsy Bradley, Lucy Grilien. Miss
Mary Mallory. Thomas Carson, Mrs.
Woodfin, Mr.. J. p. Howell, Mrs. Fanny
Smith, Jas. Ryan, VIM. Martin, Mrs. Lille
Holden MIR. I.utin. Thomas Heating, Miss
Rosalia Griffin, Mrs. John Allmand, Miss
Alice Chandler, Miss Richie Chandler Mr..
McNalIy (ailor,) daughter of MIR. Lock-
wood Chas. Bottimore, Mary Bradford
(iree) Jao. Small. Cus,cmhouse officer,
daughter OF VIM. Davis. Mrs. L. Balance
Mrs. Thomas Ovens, Mrs, Henry How.
ard. colored man, Hawk ST: VIM. p. Blen-
ham, Mrs. Gowai1 Mrs. Whitehead. wife