Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-09-14
The Fever at Norfolk.

/
A letter from Norfolk, received at Petersburg
gives the following chapter Of horrors
saw at the Potter's Field, ESQ great Is the diff
Guilty in obtaining grave dggers, pit about Is to
20 feet square, in which was buried the bodies of
"a Victims piled one upon another, and covered
| over with dirt and lime, forming one huge and
mOnstr0us mound.
Many have been inferred without boxes or COT.
fins, or anything else, the blanket upon which
they died. Several of our wealthest citizens have
been buried in rough square boxes, and the graves
dug by their friends.
In one instance, heard of a father digging the
graves Of his two only daughters and as many as
nineteen to twenty bodies have been lying on the
ground at the Cemetery, waiting their turn for in
terment as soon W the holes were dug, for in many
instances they were not more than two and a. half
feet deep.
Business is entirely suspended, and stores all
closed. You cannot obtain pound of sugar or a
piece of SOAP The rich as well as the poor are
dependent upon the Howard Association, who
have established provision STORE and who dis
pense food and provisions to the needy with a
bountful hand.
Avery w. Williams, the nineteenth member Of
the Williams family that has fallen in the prevail
ing epidemic, died on Monday at Portsmouth.
The Richmond Dispatch Of yesterday moring,
in announcing that the proposition of Baltimore to
receive the Norfolk and Portsmouth orphans had
been verbally delivered, says:
cit Is probable that this refusal was caused by
the determination to accept the pronosition sent
down on Friday last from Richmond. At all events,
we are gsatihed that the orphans of Virginia
city are not to be carried out of the State for shell
ter and support Every septiment--eyery power
in the State ahould forbid it. On this point we
were ready to fight Baltimore. We were ready to
give her all honor and glory for her noble humans
ity, her active sympathy-indeed, almost anything
but the children. We would not surrender them
without struggle.
The intimation that the dear little children were
TO come up to Richmond has excited the liveliest
sensation among our citizens, and touched some Of
the tenderest cords Of sympathy. The ladies'
God bless them put their hands at once to
work to aid the committee In preparing for the
little guests. Conspicuous among them was that
venerable lady, Mrs. Barnes who, octogenarian as
she is, seems to be reuvenized by thinking Of the
bereavnd little creatures that arc expected from
our city sistera, and with the energy and ardor of
YOUTH she has gone to work for them. Indeed, it
is shrewedy suspected that she Ia anxious to take
the whole of them under her protection With
such auxiliaries in the field, it is certain that by
the the time the children arrive, there will be
everything done for their comfort that can be
thought of.
The Portsmouth orphans viii certainly be up to-
morrow evening, in the Curtis Peck and we trust
that those from Norfolk win also come. Our peo-
pie generally win be heartily gratiied If the whole
of the bereayed little ones of both cities are
brought here under the invitations so earnestly
and repeatedly .sent by our committee
CAMP FALLS.
We learn that the steamer Louisiana left her
anchorage on Wednesday afternoon, one hour
earlier, for the purpose Of giving Moore n. Falls
ESQ, President of the Bay Line, an opportunity
to examine Camp Falls" Atfye o'clock small
boat was ordered out and the following took
passage Moore n. Falls, Hon. Mr.. Mallory, Dr.
Maud, and VIM Il. Bartlett Esq. AT half past
five o'clock they we're on the camp ground, and
had the qualification Of finding two families COM
fortably quartered. They were informed that on
Thursday three families would be there and there
was no doubt by Saturday there would be 800
persons on the ground. They were truly grateful
and expressed themselves with thanks to our
Mayor and Councils. Chickens, dogs, and cats
running about, our informant says, and gave the
camp an appearance of comfort and content.