The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1855-09-12
The Yellow Fever---Awful Ravages in Virginia.
Horrible Incidents.

hOITlDle InclQenCS.
The letters from Norfolk and Portsmouth
which we find in the Baltimore papers, give us
details of the plague down to the 9TH inst.
We quote the following items
BURYING THE DEAD.-The City Council of
Norfolk have appointed committee to super
intend the digging of trenches at "Potters
Field" in which to bury the dead, as the NOR
tality is becoming too great to admit of bury
ing them in the usual manner.
LACK OF CoFFINs-We learn from private
letter, written by ex-Mayor Stubs, that on
Monday there were fifty corpSes lying without
collins to bury them with.
ANIMALS ATTACKEn.-We learn that the
epidemic has extended to animals, and dogs
and cats are found lying about dead, with un-
mistakable evidence of the 'fplague"-such as
bleeding from the nose and mouth, &C.
The following we take from Norfolk letters
in the Petersburg Express:
Mr.. Cranberry, we'll known merchant of
Norfolk, who has had the fever for several
days, was reported as worse on Monday night.
son of Mr.. Cts, about Is years of age, was
taken down with the fever on Monday.
The hearses not being sufficient to carry out
the collins for interment, recourse is had to
carts and wagons, and in several instances we
trudmg far out from the front of cart, with
the driver sitting beside it with perfect non
cEalqnce, cracking his whip.
The negroes hold divine service III their
different churches every day, and incessant
praying and singing may be heard from morn
ing till night.
A remarkable circumstance connected with
the epidemic is, that not a bird is to be seen
within the limits of the city, and has not since
the fever became general. Whether this is
owing to the poisonous density of the atmos-
phere that keeps them away, or from what
other cause, we are not able to say.
The cows, in despite of the city ordinance,
wander about the city seemingly in search of
lost mates making the welkin echo with their
melancholy lowing; whole gangs of half fam
ished dogs take possession of the streets after
nightfall and render night hideous'' by their
incessant yelping and howling Truly, the
very acme of distress and desolation has fallen
upon poor Norfolk.
1t being found Impossible to dig single
graves a large pit has been dug, and the collins
placed in layers above each other and so fill
ed up with lime and dirt
The Richmond Dispatch has the following:
The Plague FIy.-On Sunday morning the
| fly known as the plague fly appeared in
Norfolk. 1t is a fat insect, with black and
red belly, and has very large wings. In Ports
mouth they were so thick in the streets as to
annoy persons walking, and induced them to
place covering over their faces. The appear
anee of this fly is generally considered as a
good omen, as it is supposed to devour the ma-
laria
tFrom Norfolk Correspondence Of Sept. 5th.l
We. last evening noticed common box, like
a case of merchandise, borne swiftly along in a
hearse. On inquiry, we learned that three
remnants of mortality lay in it, placed side by
side, and were then on their way to Potter's
/ field! The scarcity of collins forced on tie
undertaken this alternative. they were, how
ever, all of one family, struck down at zone
fell swoop.''
One of the horrible instances that some
times characterize yisitations such as that
which has fallen upon this city was revealed
this morning. A corpse that had lain unbu-
ried for eight days was discovered surrounded
by the sick and dying. 1t may seem strange
that such an event could happen, but it is no
unfequent occurrence to see whole families