Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-09-12
H,EyW9 Of e NA.Y.
Yellow Fever at Norfolk and Ports
mouth, Va.


mouth, Va.
Our CoNDITIoN.-We have now about 1000
people left in the city. and among these the
mortality is positively awful-worse than
any thing yet written of the visitations of the
plague. On Sunday there were upwards of
fifty burials, and what is the most painful
part of the matter, is that all the bodies acere
not buried that ought to have been-such is
the demand of dead mortality for its final
home.
Two doors from where we are writing
there lies a fostering corpse, which has been
decomposing for nearly forty-eight hours.
The house is empty, with the exception of
its dead occupant-the fourth corpse in the
house within a week. But one or two chill
dren of the afflicted family left, and they in
the Hospital sick.
Until a late hour of the night the dismal
car of death was heard rafting Ger the pave
ment, bearing its unfortunate occupants to
Potter's Field.-The burials yesterday, from
sunrise to IL o'clock at night, at least As
and it was found impossible, with the limited
conveyances at hand, to dispose of them be-
fore the hour above mentioned. As it was,
many poor victims had to go under the
ground bored but unco6fned, owing to the
scarcity of collins, while, in many instances,
two and three were laid side by side in a
coarse box hastily constructed for the pur-
pose, and SO inferred, like a common case of
merchandise ! These sad scenes, and the
large mortality, have struck a new panic in
the few people remaining, and this morning
over one hundred persons left the city. Its
supposed that numbers of others will follow,
and that by the close of the week our pres
emit small population will be diminished by
at least five or six hundred. And, in fact,
we cannot blame the people-those who are
not bound here by ties of duty and honor
from flying from this horrible depot of disease
and death
The Plague Fy-On Sunday morning, the
fly know as the "plague fly" appeared in
Norfolk. 1t is a fat insect, it'll black back
and red belly, and has very large wings. In
Portsmouth they were so thick in the streets
as to annoy persons walking, and induced
them to place a covering over their faces.
The appearance of this fly is generally con-
sidered a good omen, as it is supposed to de-
YOUR the malaria.
Burying the dead.-The city council of
Norfolk, have appointed a committee to SUI
perlntend the digging of trenches at "Potters
Field" in which to bury the dead, as the
mortality is becoming too great to admit of
burying them in the usual manner.
MELANCHOLY DEATH.-Among those who
have fallen victims to the raging epidemic
in Portsmouth, in a few days past, is Mr..
s. W. 2. ALLEN, Conductor on the Seaboard
& Roanoke Railroad. Mr.. Allen was a ma
tive of Greensville county, Va. He was gem
orally beloved for his goodness of heart.
But few have fallen whose death has been
so generally lamented. He was in the prime
of life full of hope, and a prosperous future
was seemingly before him.
He was engaged to be married to a beau
tiful young lady of Portsmouth. The time
for the nuptial ceremony to be performed
had been set. But alas how uncertain are
all things earthly. A few days before the
time appointed, the young lady's father was
taken with the fever and on the very night
set apart for the marriage, his spirit passed
away from earth. The young lady, in CON-
pany with her betrothed, went to Magnolia
Springs, and another day was appointed for
the marriage. Four days before the second
!: appointed day arrived, Mr.. Allen was taken
down with the fever, and carried to the
a Hospital at Portsmouth. She begged to &C.
company him, and soothe his suferings with
e her kind attention, but her friends did not con-
Q slider it prudent for her to do SO, and she was
e compelled to be parted from him. The 4th
day after he had been carried to the Hospital
o U"N NPIOAio VI hAS NlScdS0 SG6ul0u w DIS
sumo a favorable appearance, and she was
g assured he was out of danger. Yielding to
d the persuasion of friends, she left for the
North. Two days after her departure, the
angel of death summoned the spirit of he1
n loved one away from the scenes of earth
The sad tidings has ere this been borne tc
Y her. Poor girl how much we sympathize
a with her. How deep is her anguish.
a Christian Sun.
g BALTIMORE, Sept. Z, 1855.-The details
by the steamer this morning from Norfolk
a are truly awful. The people are said to b
suffering from famine as well as pestilence
q which is indeed heart-rending, if true.
er The deaths for the twenty-four hours en-
t ding at 2. P. M. on Thursday, is said to b
: not less than seventy.
Many of the physicians and nurses, ar
y down with the prevailing epidemic.
10 Thirty-seven were buried in one pit in pot
ters Field.
: Mayor D. D. Fiske, Of Portsmouth, wa
N improving on Wednesday.
n, Six physicians are at the Naval Hospita
ID in Portsmouth, i'll with the Fever. TIL
whole of them non-residents.
II