Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-08-29
Correspondence Of the Baltimore Sun.
Latest from Norfolk and Portsmouth.
THE EPIDEMIC ON THE INCREASE.

IHE EflDEblG The lNChEASE.
NORFOLK, Va, Aug n, IL p. NJ.
Hunter Woods is dead He breathed his last
yesterday morning at IL o'clock. Unconscious,
without struggle, without murnur, without a
pang his noble heart ceased to beat and his spirit
released from its tenement of clay, winged its rapid
fight to the presence Of the Great Judge of the
world Ii was only on Wednesday last that, hay-
ing sent his family TO Washington, where his wifes
father is sojournng during the pestilence, he told
me that he then relieved Of all fears for their
health, and he intended TO ,0ork-work with heart
and soul for the relief of his suffering fellow-cti
zens. And to work he went Twice that day he
visited the hospital to carry such necessares the
sick required, and to see to the arrangements in
| progress for their increased comfort and accommo-
dalton. Early the next day Thursday he went
down again, and | was with him when on his re.
turn, about eleven o'clock in the morning. he was
taken sick. Several persons were waiting for him
at the moment, and with his usual kindness he at
tended to them before going home. In the after
noon Drs Stone and Pension were called in to
him, and DR.. De Castro volunteered his services as
his nurse. He never left him moment that night.
| On Friday morning saw him. he was doing very
well. gave him his letters and received his in
structiops what to do with them His case pre-
sented no positively dangerous symptoms during
the day. he slept frequently, and perspired freely
1t was not until Saturday afternoon that the fever
developed ITSELF
About o'clock change for the worse took
place. and from o'clock that night until the mo-
ment of his death, he was unconscious. Drs. De
Castro and Gaycroft (of PHILADELPHIA and Capt
Nathan Thompson, of n. G., were his nurses.
When called yesterday morning | saw he was
fast dying. ] could see his skin jaundicing from
moment to moment. He spoke but few ndistinct
words while was with him. the purport Of which
was that he wished to 90 out and attend to his
| utv hnf alf hp I'D mo ful in tba fapa
he did not know his old friend and playmate. In
the hope that he might return to consciousness
before he died, ] ran off to bring the Rev. Mr.. o.
Keefe to attend him. leaving Captain Thompson at
his bedside. Mr.. O'Keefe Immediately repaired to
see him, but his prayers and spiritual admonitons
failed to elicit any sign of consciousness from my
dying friend. Meantime | hurried off to collect
together the few intimate friends that are left in
the city, but | had scarcely been absent from his
side fifteen minutes when was told he was dead
Old Captain Thompson, who saw the signs OF the
monster approach closed his eyes and held his
chin the instant the breath left his body. He says
he never saw one die so easily. When returned,
there lay the friend of my childhood stffened
corpse, his noble features looking as natural as
though he slept, and the mouth wearing that firm
and determined expression | have so often seen it
assume when, as an orator, he gave utterance to
"words that breathe and thoughts that burn" or
when, as chief magistrate of the city, he gave d.
rections to his subordinates to enforce the rcgula
tons for its good government.
Thus died, in the 34th year of his age, one Of
natures noblemen. No of his day had more
warm personal friends, or elected more general
respect wherever he went To know him was to
love him. His appearance; the open and manly
expression Of his countenancc; his full rich voice ;
his mild and gentle manner indicating the warm
heart and open hand; his brilliant intellect his
truth and honor; his bold and fearless spirit-al
combined to elicit the love and esteem OF all who
came in contact with him. His loss will be deeply
mourned by thousands To his wife and numerous
devoted friends it viii prove rreparable. His fu-
neral was attended by the largest concourse of
citizens have ever seen assembled together since
the pestilence broke out. No other man among
us, be he high or low, rich poor, could have had
such funeral, in times like these; and the death
OF no other man among us could have added so
much to the general gloom and distress
There has been no abatement of the fever but
rather increase for the last forty-eight hours.
| have heard Of great many new cases. Scarcely
a family in the city but has one or more of its
members sick. hear that DR.. Junus Briggs, one
Of our young physicians, has been taken down this
morning. w. w. Wing, formerly of the firm of
Ludlow Wing, druggists John Lappin, of Cali
forna Mr.. Parsons, book-keeper for VIM p.
Stewart d Co., and his wife, and William d. Dun
bar, attorney at law, are also sick. DR.. Higgins
is not SO well to-day. LePage, Caprew, White
head Drummond Brickhouse, Leonard (of tho
Argus Miss Lizzie Loyal and Miss Caroline All
mand, are out of danger, and most OF them sitting
up. Little Mary Z. Stark, daughter Of Captain
w. @. Stark, whose death announced few days
ago, has had black vomit, but her recovery is not
despaired Of
The Beacon was compelled TO suspend to-day,
two little boys being all that left Of the whole
force of the Office. The foreman, A. Staylor, was
lt,l.z IL 4.
compelled to follow suit unless the fever soon
abates.
Norfolk il now without city government. The
Mayor being dead, and majority of the court
and councils absent the collection of the revenue
is suspended and the city treasury locked up. The
Herald (Which is issued on half sheet) says:
The corporation is virtually dissolved, and no
thing, Il seems, can save the city from state of
downright anarchy and perdtion but a commit
tee of safety assuming the powers necessary TO
meet the extraordinary exigencies of the time
being The committee seems to be already re-
cognised in the board Of health the members Of
the council committees who remain in town, and
the Howard Associaton-whosc exercise Of the
requisite responsibility, We feel assured, viii be
fully sanctioned and commended by the legimate
authorities.n
General VIM. II. Whitehead left Weldon, n. C.,
on Sunday, for Norfolk, with some 5000 worth Of
provisions, collected by his ndefatigable zeal
along the line Of the Seaboarj and Roanoke rail-
road, principally from the farmers. Messrs. White
head Cary, Of Weldon, contributed themselves
200 bushels OF corn and IS cords of wood
Both Portsmouth and Norfolk suffer greatly from
the want Of proper sanitary measures. In Nor
folk we have not the shadow even of local govern
ment, The Mayor is dead quorum Of the Coun-
Gil Ia not to be had the Police are absent or sick ;
the Board Of Health witho It a quorum until
Saturday last in short, everything is in confusion
Were lime scattered over the streets, and tar
burned in large quantities TO counteract the in
huence Of the poisonous gases in the atmosphere
as suggested by DR.. Higgins, we are convinced
much good would result but in the present con-
dition Of affairs, Of this character cannot
be carried out
Dr. Caycroft, of Philadelphia, now at Norfolk,
| writes
The disease is Of most malignant type, and
has not yet reached its eliminating point II Is,
no doubt, on its Northern tour, and next year you
may expect visit from this terrible destroyer in
Baltimore and Phladephin-thc year following it
will decimate New York, and win continue 20
travel North, and only stop when the warm tenn
i h,lo, ia FL.