Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-08-29
Ths Feyer at Norfolk andl portaronih.


SAYS: Thousand of our people have left us. and
many more are daily going off to occupy corn
houses and stables. half frantic with alarm. I
learn to day that cases have occurred three miles
from this city, which make US poor mortals think
that we here should be better contented with our
condition. My heart sickens at the recital of our
sufferings. and hence will say no more. This
is decidedly the saddest day we have vet expert
enced in Norfolk.
A correspondent of the Christian Advocate,
writing from Norfolk, says: "On one side of
one square, in this city, saw large family of
children, some grown. leave a dwelling, and their
father and mother behind next, whole family
leaving two SONS: next, whole family next to
that. family which left The evening before next
a family; next, husband, wife, wle's sister and
his child, leaving behind mother and father
the mother, as they moved off, lifted up her eyes,
and in very anguish threw her hands together,
and soon we heard she was sick, no doubt from
grief"
The epidemic is the romito prieto or black
vomit Many persons apparently in full health
are taken suddenly while in the streets, with
vomiting. and unless Immediately relieved, almost
invariably die. The old treatment for the yellow
fever has no effect whatever. The African or
West India treatment alone can save the patient.
The Mayor of Norfolk has appealed for medical
aid TO Baltimore. We hear of two medical gen.
tlemen of Richmond who contemplate visiting the
infected cities, to alay the sufferiBgs of the fever
stricken. In Portsmouth there are but two ply
scians on duty-Drs. Trugien and Hatton-the
others heing down with the fever. Both are
young but skillful physicians.
A despatch from Petersburg, on the 22nd. says
The accounts received here from Portsmouth
truly appalling. DR.. Trugien writes that he.
yesterday, saw and prescribed for one hundred pa
tients. In many instances, whole families are
lying i'll, without the means Of getting drop Of
water to cool their parched tongues.
A letter from Norfolk on the 23rd says. ''the
mortality has not been as great as in 1921 and
'26 when the yellow fever was here; nor as 10
1882 when the cholera prevailed among U.s.
Twelve deaths day are not more than the aver
age now twenty five and thirty were the average
then. Yet the people then pursued their usual
avocations as if there was no pestlence, and pow
erty and distress were relieved by private charity
Now all business is suspended. and but for the
Howard Association, people would starve IN the
streets. Is life more precious now than formerly,
or are men more timid Z"
The orders of the Howard Association, says
the same writer. .for the last two days ave call
ed for at least 81 200 worth of provisions. $500
worth day, atfording relief to thrice as many
people There will be no falling of to-day either
if | may Judge from the numbers who crowd the
rooms of the Association waiting their turn to be
served think it will be fair to estimate, that
with one half of our white population absent, there
are at least 600 families in the city dependent on
4, na;r llll0 Dannla
The Norfolk Herald announces that, in conse-
quence Of the mplssiblily of procuring, or rather
retaining their hands, it is compelled 10 suspend
the publication Of the paper until the panic IS O.
yer.
The amount of money raised in various cities
for the relief of Norfolk aud Portsmouth is as fol-
lows: New York $4,000 to $4,000. Phadel-
phia & 900. Baltimore $4,000. Richmond ST.
600, Petersburg $1,000, Fredericksburg $780,
A letter to the Baltimore American on Thurs
day saws: During its former visits, it never trav
elled north Of Main street-no case ever occurred
beyond that line, that could not be traced directly
to the infected district. Now cases are to be
found on almost every street of persons who sell
dom left their hOuses, except on Sundays--rlch
and poor, white and black"
From letter to the Richmond Dispatch. dated
Norfolk August 23rd, we extract the following:
",Ihe negroes having nothing to do, Gall work
being suspended. ) hold religious meetings at their
churches every day and the loud wailing and
psalm singing chauntings Of the afflicted sons and
daughters of Africa reSound constantly through
the air with melancholy solemn cadence.
''As the number OF cases increase towards The
NQrthern parts of the city large number OF fun.
lies move before it like chaff before tornado and
carts and every kind of vehicle are put in reqaisi-
ton to bear thu frightened ugtives to the coun-
try"
The fear of being buried alive has added TO the
horrors of pestience. The same writer says:-
Gone of the most amsnia5le features Of the cpl
demic is the tool ish fear that persons have Of APP
their sick friends. They will stand a
loot in the sick chamber, if they have the hardi-
hood to enter. with bags Of camphor ard assafetI-
da at their nostris, afraid almost to 60 near e.
nough to the bed TO hand the sufferer cup of
cold water. You NAV tell them as often as you
choose that the disease is not contagious; they
will not believe you, and il is useless 10 talk to
them. On this account nurses are very difficult
to obtain, and numbers perish merely for the want
of attention"
A lady writing to friend in New York speaks
of Thirty more orphans waiting until 1t is safe to
bring them to the asylum"
The Norfolk papers and letter. from that place
give great praise to the physicians for their deyo-
ton and self-sacriicng labors, and also 10 the
clergy. only one Of whom has left the city. They
also speak highly of Miss Andrews, the young
lady nurse from Syracuse, n. Y.
From the Norfolk Beacon of Saturday we take
the following
CDR. Thompson and DR.. Morris, Of Baltimore,
Drs Craycroft, and Nathan Thompson OF Phla-
delphia, X. Fl. Graham, Baltimore, Mrs. {. j:
Jones, Washington, arrived here yesterday, and
took lodgings at the National Hotel"
awe learn with regret that Mayor Woods
was taken with the fever on Thursday .ght.-
He was better when we last heard from him yes
terday afternoon"
"Ofers of assistance are daily pouring in from
all quarters. In a few days there will be re-
puarly organized body of excellent nurses"
The Board of Health of Norfolk on Friday re-
ported 10 deaths for the "a hours up to 2 O'Clock
Of that day. There were at least 500 cases in
that city, and about the same number IN Ports
mouth
The total amount contributed by various cities
for the relief of Norfolk and Portsmouth is about
$50, 900.
The Norfolk Argus of Saturday says: "Sad to
say, the work of death goes on fearfuly and in
creasingly! We know of nc parallel to the ma
Lightly of the terrible scourge that is eyeng down
the powerful as well as the weak, throwing out
the iairest and the strongest of the remaining ami-
lies in our two awfully afflicted towns. 1t is
heart rending to contemplate, and why should we
ATTEMPT TO conceal the fact? In our city, yester-
dav. there were nearly twenty burias."
For The Spectator.
.N.ssrs. Edilors-The people of this Commun-
itv we know feel lively sympathy for our suf-
ferinp fellow citizens in Norfolk and Portsmouth,
but as vet they have rendered no material aid to
them in their sufferings. We owe it to ourselves,
as members of a Virginia and Christian Com
munity to aid those affecting cities TO the extent