The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-09-26
THE NORFOLK AND PORTSMOUTH
CALAMITY.

An intslIioant gentleman, in conversation
on the subject of the terrible pesuieno' "
Norfolk and Portsmouth, remarked tna' no
had never read of plague, in ancient or
modern times, which had proved ss oes'fuo,
tive as has the Norfolk pestilence, In proper
ton to the population.
Il n indeed q tremendous visitation, Spar
Jog neither sge, sex nor color, ana inciuoine
nearly the whole population. A scene Oh
such colossal woe stuns the human MIND
The vastness Of The misery benumbs ana pa
rslyzes us. We cannot conceive of sucn q
sea of troubles even though we daily reao
and hear of it. The late Rev. Mr.. Chisholm,
Of Portsmouth, q man of great evenness ana
moderation of temper and spirit, ana tne
fsrthest man in the world from h" DIT OF TX
aggeraiion, remarked in letter, written
shortly before his death: "As to the oetai's
of woe presented by our present conditiop'
I do believe that it is utterly incompetent
to any descriptive power to convey q PIC.
ture of them. Never, since the continent Oh
America has been settled, Il speak cain'y'
aud with reference to what have reao or
heard off, never has 80 terrible calamity
overspread the same amount of populatioh'
1t is impossible to realize that within so
short distance of us, our fellow beings and
our fellow. citizens are staggering under such
C. load of woe. And the huge volume of their
sorrows is not yet closed. Until frost comes,
there can be no final cessation of the disease
and it may be many days, possibly MONTH
before frost In that period, thousand
more souls may be called from earth, and
thousands of poor orphans cast upon the colo
charities of the world. There seems to be
no means OF rescue. Human science and
skill are baffled. The brave physicians fall
themselves before the destroyer. The sym
pathizine of other communities can only give
their aims and prayers, but have no more
power to save their suffering fellow men who
remain in the infected cities, than they have
to control the action ef the clements.
But though nothing can be done to arrest
the march of the pestilence in Norfolk and
Portsmouth, is it impossible to prevent it
from attacking other cities, and producing
still greater ravages? If the theory Of DR.
Mott be correct-that this deadly scourge is
travelling nOrthward, and that next summer
it will continue the terrible march, which
has left in Savannah and Norfolk such fear
full evidences of its power--is there no
means of saving the great hives of humanity
upon the Northern seabOard, from the i'm
pending doom? Certainly, every precsution
AIRY measure, which experience and skill |
have suggested, should be employed; the |
most perfect cleanliness 10 habitatiOns, lots, |
streets, and alleys, should be at an early Pc |
riod of the season, and throughout the sum
mer months, rigidly enforced; quarantine re
gulations should be strictly applied to all |
vessels coming from yellow fever Districts
yet all these means may fail. There is but
one ce, tain mode of relieving town Or city
rom yellow fever after the disease has exhi- |
bited itself in any locality whatever of the |
place, and that is removal of the entire |
community to healthful district
Doubtless this is impracticable with large
like the great cities of the
North; but there can be no doubt of its feast
bility in the case of smaller towns All such
communities menaced with visitation of
this plague next summer, should take into
serious consideration the practicabiiity of
plan, which those acquainted with the history
Of yellow fever declare, is the only sure
means Of saving population where it shows
tself-the temporary exodus of the people.
ANTI. RENTISM