Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-09-05
The Condition Of Norfolk.

family honor is untarnished."
The Condition of Norfolk.
From conversation with several members of the
Norfolk and Portsmouth Committee now in this
city, we have collected the following heart-rendng
details:
In consequence Of the absence of the country
people from the market, the richest as well as the
poorest citizens arc wholly dependent on the How
ard Association for their daily food. The whole
population must therefore be sustained at the pub
lie expense.
The whole city is infected to such degree that
the noxous efiuvia thrown off by II may easily be
scented at considerable distance beyond the city
limits
All the resident physicians, with two or three
exceptions, are dead.
The scenes daily witnessed bergar description,
aud have had no parallel since the Plague of
Athens as described by Thucydides, or the Plague
Of Florence as described by Boccaeio
A gentleman relates that he had been unable to
visit the house of his neighbor, Mrs Whttle, for
two or three days. When he called at the expira-
ton of that time, he found Mrs. Whittle had been
dead three days, and her remains still lying I'M
eofined in the house. In another room were
lying, on the bare floor, three young persons,
male and female, i'll with the fever, and no one to
care for them. He procured wagon and mat
tresses to remove them to the Hospital Before
he could place them in the wagon the mattresses
were stolen and the young lady and her CON-
panions in suffering we're compelled to lie on the
bottom of the wagon, and when they reached the
Hospital to be placed on the floor again.
Many of the dead have been buried IN the al
leys of the Gty--of course increasing tenfold the
danger of infection.
Nearly all the banks have lost portion of their
most valuable officers.
The wives and children of several Of our most
distinguished naval officers have, in their last mo
iments, been utterly unattended
The conduct of Colonel Wright of the army,
commanding at Fortress Monroe, is severely CEN
sured. A few days ago Lieutenant Sinclair, Uni
ted States Navy, procured row-boat and EN-
barked with three ladies', the family Of friend,
for the fort. The distance is sixteen miles. When
the boat reached the government wharf it was
prohibited from landing, by the soldier on guard,
by order of Colonel Wright. Lieutenant Sinclair
then requested message to be delivered to Col
onel Wright, with his card, TO the following pur-
port that he regarded his conduct as coacdrdly and
inhuman to the last degree, and that he used the
word "cowardly" in its usual significance. Sin
clair, then, with his precious charge rowed back
again TO Norfolk.
The following gentlemen constitute the commit
tee now in this city from Norfolk, Portsmouth,
and Hampton:
Rev. DIR. John @. McCabe, Of Hampton, Chair
man ,Cincinatus w. Newton, Esq, of Norfolk ;
Hon. y. Mallory, do; c. X. Grandy, Esq, do. f.
+. Ferguson, ESQ, do. DR.. r. q. Banks, Hamp-
ton; r. b. Wright, Esq, Norfolk; r. A Worrcll,
ESQ.,, do Dr. J. j. Clements, do. DR.. Jesse j.
simpkins, do. Captain James Hicks, do; A. M.
Jones, Esq, Hampton; Joseph Segar, Esq, Eliza
beth City County and subsequently the names Of
Dr. w. n. McKcnny, Senator from the Norfolk
district IN the Legislature of Virginia, and Mr.. w.
T. Benthall, residing temporarily in Washington,
were added.
From the Baltimore Sun.
One Of our Baltimore physicians, Dr. G. II. Jones,
came up yesterday morning in the steamer Bouisi.
ana from Norfolk and Portsmouth, and reports
the distress TO be beyond all description. On Sun
day, In Norfolk, there were forty dead bodies with
out collins or any one TO bury them. The number
Of deaths IN Norfolk on Saturday, he states, was
ffty-fye; on Sunday sixty, and on Monday City
four Col Ferguson, President Of the Howard As
ISOLATION, informed the Doctor that in Norfolk on
Sunday there were 900 cases OF the fever; and
in Portsmouth about 400. The Doctor thinks the
disease viii continue long there Is individ
ual In the place for il TO attack. A committee Of
fourteen from Hampton came up 10 this city yes
terday morning, en- route for Washington, to as
certain whether or not Old Point can be procured
for the purpose Of removing the entire poulation
Of Norfolk and Portsmouth.
Mayor Fisk, Of Portsmouth, Is III, and will, II Is
feared die. Nurses are needed badly in Ports
mouth not one from the South has stopped there.
10 the Norfolk Hospital on Sunday night there
we're 10 deaths.
A letter dated Norfolk, Monday morning, an
nounces the death Of William X. Storrs, keeper at
the city prison, Sunday night, after three days
illness He had the black vomit The same let
ter states that the sister and brother Of Mrs Storrs
are both down that Mr.. Hendren is recovering
that a prisoner in the jail named Button, died on
Sunday that the rest Of the prisoners had re-
VOTED, but had been secured by Captain Hicks and
others and that the family OF Captain H. are
sick, and he himself very feeble. Mr.. Diggs, who
had just recovered from a spell Of sickness, was
engaged in assisting in the management of the
prisoners in the jail.
The news from Portsmouth is very sad this
morning. Colonel Caswell, the master sailmaker
at the navy yard, is dead his wife and sons arc
very III Mrs. Lash and MRS Charles Bilisoly are
dead; DR.. Hodges and Mr.. Maupin, brother Of DIR
Maupin, were removed to the hospital yesterday |;
Dr. Rizer a noble volunteer from Philadelphia, il
very ill--he made his will, believing his condition
dangerous The sanitary Office was closed here
this morning, not a single member Of the Board Of
Health being in attendance. also learn that Dr.
Grow, of Richmond, another volunteer, is down.
Truly, the medical profession has suffered in this