The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-08-29
Special Correspondence

case EtseUhere-JfedtmeR for the
HOterd.
[From the Tribuucs Special Correspondence
CONsrANrIyoPLF, August 3 1861
when ] wrote two weeks ago il had
just become apparent that we were to be
scourged with Asiatic cholera. The of
fetal returns then reported fifteen eases
| day. The epidemic is now fairly upon
| us with all its horrors. The official re-
| ports give the number Of deaths now at
| two hundred and fifty day; but it is
| plain enough from the number of dead
| ana dying seen in the streets, that this
is far below the real mortality in the
| city, and it does not include at all the
military garrison of some sixty thous-
and men, among whom il is understood
to be raging. Twenty-six dead bodies
were carried by my office yesterday.
What would be the mortality in New
| York (the population of which is less
| than that of ConstantinOple) if twenty
| six dead bodies We're carried in day
| through Lafayette place alone, for eX-
| ample. ] do not think the deaths can
now fall short of five hundred to six
hundred a day. They probably exceed
| this number.
CHARACTER or THE DISEASE
| The disease as it now eXhibitsitself here
has all the very worst pecuiarities Of
| ASiatic Cholera in its most malignant
| form. 1t is raging with daily increas-
| ing force, in spite of the most healthful
| weather possible. For a week we have
| had q strong, cool wind from the Black
| Sea, sweeping through the Bosphorus,
and the heat has been very moderate.
| / mentioned in my last letter a new
fact which had been observed in refer
| ence to the cholera, viz: that it required
eight days for incubation. Another proof
OF this has come under my knowledge.
The cholera appeared in the village OF
Bebecli, at the Jesuit College, ten days
ago, from special causes. There were
three deaths. No other case occurred
i'll the village for eight days; but at the
end of this time, two days ago, severa
cases appeared simultaneously i'm the
French College and in different parts
of the village.
SANITARY MEASURES TAKEN BY COVER INTENT.
The government has displayed more
energy and spirit ut this crisis than it
ever did before in anything. No money
has been spared; no time has been lost
in taking every conceivable precaution.
The city has been thoroughly cleansed,
and cleanliness, both in streets and
houses, is carefully enforced. Physicians
have been appointed in all quarters tC
furnish medicine gratis and attend upon
every one who wishes advice. Choler;
. | hospitals have been opened, to whicl
the poor are removed at once when tax
en-. Public funerals are forbidden, anC
, | bodies buried at once. The sale of Gu
cumbers, bad meat, and other things
which tend to produce cholera is pro
|, hibited, although, strangely enough
watermelons are freely sold, under the
impression that they are peculiarly light
and healthy food.
The large Turkish fleet has been sent
off to cruise in the Black Sea.
| We undoubtedly owe it to these pre-.
cautions that the cholera is not now de.
cimating the city.
PANIC AMONG THE PEOPLE.
The panic among the people is posi-
lively awful. / do not doubt that scores
die every day of simple fright. Indeed
the Turks themselves relate story to
illustrate this. \ man, they say, was
once journeying in the interior of Tur-
key, when he met the Pestilence
"Where are you from ?n he asked
From killing two thousand men in
Smyrna" replied the Pestilence. "That
is lie," said the man know that
YOU have killed 5000 there" No."
said the Peatilence, 81 killed only 1000
and Fear killed 1000"
| One of the most horrible tragedies
have known occurred day before yester-
day. Stephen IGilendi, the civil head of
the Protestant community in Turkey,
was living with his only son in STAN
bool. On Monday he was suddenly
seized with cholera, and died in a few
hours. The same night the son, evil
IDENTIFY in panic or fear, set fire to the
house. in which his fathers body still
remains, and then hung himself. The
bodies were found and carried into the
street by the iiremen, when they were
found by friends who took them in
charge.
The excitement seems to be increas-
ing. and what it will end in it is hard to
see Some are drowning their fears in
drink, and making even night hideous
with their saturnalias.
Half the physicians appointed by
Government on fabulous salaries nave
fed from their posts in dismay or de-
serted them on plea of sickness. Busl-
ness is at a standstiIl. The Government
Offices are almost all closed, The Pasha
of Eoypt. who fed to this city to escape
the cholera there, has now fled from us
and gone back to Alexandria, where the
crisis of the epidemic has passed.
| APPEARANCE OF THE CHOLERA ELSEWHERE.
The telegraph informs us that the pill
prims from Mecca have reached Bagdad,
and that the cholera has broken out
there in its worst form. In Smyrna it
is still raging with undated force. 1t
has also appeared on the Danube at Ga
latz, and in Southern Russia at Voessa.
In short, there is every reason to believe
that il is following the same great route
which it took on its first appearance i'll
Europe. and the terrible scenes which
were then witnessed can hardly fail to
be repeated. The deaths in Constanti-
noble thus far have been chiefly among
the Jews and the poorer classes of Turks
and Christians. Very few Europeans
have died.
THE MOTHER oF HARRoLD.- There is
a singular fact with relation to the great
conspiracy which has heretofore escaped
publicity. The mother of Harold, the
conspirator who was to assassinate Gen.
Grant, is strong Unionist, and had
/ many times protested against her sons
secession tendencies. After his part in
! the assassination plot became known
she stified ali the natural feelings of 8
! mother, and resolutely said that she hao
tried in vain to teach him better coun
r sells, and now he must take the results o
s his wicked conduct, without expecting