Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-02-22
LOUISVILLE LETTER.
Destructive Effects of the Flood-Bank-
ruptey Staring Many in the Face
Langtry and Gebhardt-A Season of
Religious RevivaIs-Ladies' Charities.


sight that is presented along the entire rive
mont Of the nOOd-swepG Falls City has neye,
had lis counterpart within the memory OF
living man, or been accorded place in tn,
record Of famous hoods preceding. wear
ago when the Ohio ragged past US and carried
destruction on its bosom. there seemed sum
cient cause for CONSERVATION. but this 50 far
exceeds it that We esn only stand helpless and
1 wondering before the might of the torrent,
/ with but one present thought and duty-ts
succor the stricken and starving hundreds
thus thrown upon the city's charity. All the
/ east end Of Louisville, which means the
manufacturing district, is under water:
| factories are submerged. and hourly the
| soaked walls totter and sink in the food; luua.
| Der yards have 1iOated of entire and vanished
1 down stream. There has been no time vet te
| foot up the pecuniary losses and look that side
| OF the calamity Squarely in the face. but many
| man viii cast up his accounts only to find
| himself bankrupt. Since the breaking OF
/ the eastern dam at the "Cut-Off-' two nights
/ ago ali hands have been on the stretch TO save
/ a. many as possible from death IN the waters
anQ % keep Them alive afteFWard. The
Point was Inhabited as thicklv as an ant
/ hill, ana the light tenements were whirled
| over when the waters burst upon them at mid
| The men al the life saving station
| have labOred with the might Of Hercules
| through the thrilling scenes of peril. and il Is
due largely to them that % few lives have bt.au
/ lost. The river has invaded the basement OF
/ the Calf House. and il is within aa inch or two
! of the furnace in the gas works, so that in q
/ lew hours-unless there shall be an unlocked
IOf uecnne-tne city VIII be IN darkness. School
.0uses, churches, all public buildings happen
! ing 10 be vacant are crowded with refugees
| ana the city Is supporting from 5000 To 10000
| people. In addition to the large public and
private subscriptions the Board OF Trade sends
| out large wagons through the streets, stopping
I from door 10 door to receive any contributions
IN the way Of food or clothing. for nothing
could be saved from the wreck but bare
| ne To add 10 the horror of the
| situation sickness has broken out
IN the submerged districts and the poor
are sunering pltlfqlly; visitation of mala-
| rial affections following the overflow is re-
| garded as inevitable. Business is practically
| suspended, everyone being absorbed in the
work OF relief and in efforts 10 save as much
| property from the ruin as can be. Several
| entertainments given for the benefit of flood
| sufferers in Germany have turned over their
funds 10 the local sufferers, and more than
one liberal donation of money has come from
the East in this hour Of need. 1t is not often
| Louisville has occasion to receive help from
abroad. She has been peculiarly blessed here
tOfOre IN being spared those great calamities
| that aflilct other cities. We cannot tell when
10 expect change for the better, since it
rains almost constantly, and the air i soft and
warm. From end to end of the city what Is
wont TO sit beside fair and placid river there
Is to-day wreck and ruin and desOlatiOn un-
speakable.
Mrs. Langtry came among us and departed
without producing anV very great upheaval
Of feeling. Louisville received her politely
and kindly, even with warmth, but without
enthusiasm and, better than all, without any
vulgar display Of curiosity.
Here and there perhaps was one who wait
Ell her coming In soulfully soulful hush. and
was prepared to bow down and worship
These were men, of course; the women made
up their minds that she wore number elghts
that she was made up of pearl powder and
Laird's Bloom of Youth. and passed of toler-
ably well by gaslight and strengthened with
that belief they calmly settled down and pre-
pared to meet the foe. On her first night her
audience counted in MANY strict de-
yOtees. who, although il was the be-
ginning Of the Lenten- season, set aside
the penitential garb and appeared in great
splendOr, drawn out by the beauty's irresisti-
bic charms. After everybody everywhere has
had their say about her. do zee think her as
faultlessly lovely as fame prOclaims her:
Perhaps She 1oGs u trihe disappointing at first
but we are all pretty well convinced by this
time that Mrs. Langtry Is a beauty. simple
and unadorned. That Is If we are to accept
without dissent the pure artistic model and
be content to take our ideas from the "frieZe
Of the ParthenOn' or rave over some dilapi-
dated Venus or Diana or Minerva that an
antiquary may dig up in some Attic ruin with
her nose chipped on and her skull badly frac-
tured- What Is beauty if il isn't that subtle
and indetinable something that touches
the hearts of men and moves the
eye, the varying light of a smile< Nature
carves with a finer hand than a Phidas or a
PraXlteles, and manages her cOl0rs more deft-
ly than AppeleS, anu Nature Is forever in her
workshop turning out her new creations Is
il not too much to expect there can ever be
one woman so supremely beautiful that she
must set aside all others. however powerful
their charms may be: If this cold and impas-
slve perfection be the true beauty and the
other mere prettiness then there Will be many
whose crude taste VIII accept the lesser gift
and ars- rnrltf r. I
never 50 lively as when she is least statuesaue
and nearest the type Of a fair flesh and blood
woman, ana certainly there was more than
one face in the crowd before her that
might make her tremble for her fame
even if they didn't all have pure Greeian noses
Mrs. Langtry's face resembles in contour and
expression the familiar engravings of Joan OF
Are bound TO the stake; her hair l. long and
abundant and Of rich brown shade. no
bangs nor superfiuOus adOrnment, Her
eyes and complexion are just as fine they
have been represented, but the mouth is the
feature that makes the great blemish in the
face. 1t Is very large and sloping, and the
upper lip II "a. much too short she appears to
be unable to keep ii closed. No one expected
great things OF her as an artistic, and il is safe
to say that no one was disappointed in that
respect. She gives the impression of a woman
who has reached her limit. and whom no
amount of palnstaking study cOulu improve,
because the true artlste's inspiration can never
come to her. Her voice, alas lis sadly lacking in
the quality Of being sweet and low. an excel
lent LulnG IN woman. IL Is IOuO and full. but
II has never nute note in 1t; no tender pass
age bOrrOws an added pathos from those tones:
il Is hard and inheXible all through If she i
judged by the rules Of her art, she must fall so
FAR below as 10 be unworthy TO stand beside
her professional cOmpeers, but when we re-
member that il Is barely two years since she
stepped from the drawing room 70 the boards
having never been suspected of any dramatic
aptitude, il must be admitted she has accom-
plished enough to rank her with the eleverest
of clever amateurs.
As was to be expected, Gebhardt was on the
scene. He arrived little ahead of his eharmer
and established himself at the Gait House
where he was the cynOsure OF all ewes. every
one feeling privileged to come and gaze upon
him as though he belonged to the cage Of a
menagerie. He behaved himself beautifully
throughout, attending the performances in
the most unObtrusive manner and having
nothing TO say TO anyone. OF course he had
heard how we abounded m COlonels and after
his little flasco with the warlike st. Louis re-
porter he doubtless concluded 1t was best not
To tamper with the yal0r of the Louisville press
representative.
A season of religious revivals is progressing
with us, and almost every church is open. We
are expecting the evangelist Whittle who has
not visited this field OF labor since he was here
several years since with Bliss, the sweet singer
The Rev. Samuel =. Jones. of Georgia has been
assisting the pastor of one of the Methodist
churches in revival. Thinking the attend
Rnee would be largeriI the day meetings were
held in public hail, Masonic Temple was Sc
cured. But there was not an OutpOuring,- as
anticipated, and finding the people would not
come TO them, the pastor, assisted by q group
of piOus sisters, resolved 10 go 10 the people
Such an experiment was q new and untried
step In Louisville, and it was with many
shrinking doubts and fears the ladies, most of
whom were middle aged, followed their pastor
on his rounds. They brought up first at. tie
City Hall, where they began singing the Cos
pei songs with trembling voices that gained
courage, however, as they were received with
a silent and respectful attention by the
crowd. They halted at several nuhlic
places, the minister Offering a short
prayer and leading the singing. Finally
about noon they came to stand
before the st, Cloud Hotel By this time they
had collected a considerable crowd not quite
respectful as it might have been. But, to
their great astOnishment. as the reverend
gentleman exhorted the people,, surrounded
by the group OF timId women. the proprietor
OF the hotel rushed out in a fury. threatened
to call the police, and scattered them right
and left like crowd Of mountebanlzs after
The vanguard OF the Salvation Army has
languished in its work since that eventfuI eS
pertinent and don't care to repeat il The
Rev. Mr.. Jones closed his successful meeting
two evenings since and returned to Cartets.
vile, Ga.
There is abaut to be organized amongst Us a
new charitable association by the ladies-the I
Loan Relief Association. 1t is to be modelled I
London by the famous Mrs. BayleY saT.e fortv
years ago. Those Of the pauper class who are /!
willing to help themselves viii be encouraged I
by small loans. payment for which is exacfed 1
at given time. The Flower Mission, which /
is our best organized charity, finds il too much
to attend to more thaEthe wants OF the sick /
and helpless; and the Jail prisoners. 4 work /
of this new kind will step IN and iii DIace !
which has long waited for it, ApF0pos OF the /
pauper who Is willing TO helm himself and the 4
pauper who isn't, when the cutoff dam broke /
the other night, and the life-savers were guild /
ing their boats with provisions 10 the sufferers
one great fellow was observed out in the river /