The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-28
WORK OF FoRTY-TWo YEARS.
COL. JOHN sCREvEN ON THE BE-
NEVOLENT ASSOCIATION.


en- Out to Subscribers TO-MOrrOw.
An Interesting Narrative of How
1t Grew Out of the Epidemic of
1854, and the Work 1t Has Done to
Relieve Suffering and Distress.
Money spent in the WOrk-Statis"
tics of the Epidemics-The Officers
1t Has Had.
A complete and interesting sketch of
the history of the Savannah Benevolent
Association, from the time the Young
Mems Benevolent Association began it's
work in 1854 down to the last annual meet
ing, will be given tomorrow to those who
have subscribed to the work.
Screven, who has written it
With view to interesting
those into whose hands it will go, and
for that reason he has not recited routine
business matters, and, as he states, lit
was considered best to have the narrative
told, as it were, by the association itself,
and to resort to minutiae from it's books,
interesting at least to it's members. There
| fore the proceedings, relating to deceased
! officers and members, have been faith
fully set out as subjects of peculiar inter
est, not only to surviving members of
their families to their friends, and to
the members Of the association, but to the
community, which these dead citizens had
bravely served in the face of great peril.
Fortunately, it is true of these memorials,
that they bear no faint of exaggeration.
rTs.,
men, who considered the poor and
needy. and who remained to give aid
and comfort amid scenes of pestilence,
restitution, sorrow, and death. Their
records are essential in the history Of the
association, to faithful exempifcation of
the principles of it's organization, and are
worthy to be known to and emulated by
their successors and by posterity."
The account begins with the first APP
pearance of the yellow fever epidemic of
1854. '"Thirtyfour years had elapsed
since the city of Savannah had been as
sailed by an epidemic of yellow fever.
When, therefore, this happy, but delusive
immunity had expired, and the first death
from this dreaded scourge was publicly
announced, as having occurred on the 18th
of August 1854, and a second death on the
following day, the community was not pre-
pared to accept these as other than mere
sporadic cases. The annual report of the
Hon. John E. Ward, then mayor of Sa-
vannah, states that the first case of yell
low fever occurred In a house at the cor
ner of Lincoln and Broughton streets; but
recorded merely as a sporadic case, it was
not reported as yellow fever. Between
that date and the middle of the month
few more cases occurred, but nothing to
excite an alarm or cause any apprehen-
4 lnaa
that date it manifested itself in an epi-
demic form, and swept with a fearful
desolation over our city"
The hurricane had swept by on Saturday
the 9th. The following Sabbath, Sept. 10, a
| convivial party, entertained by Mr.
| Charles S. Arnold, was assembled at the
| residence of Mr.. Edward Padelford, at the
southwest corner of Liberty and Bull
streets, now the armory of the Georgia
| Hussars. The conversation turned to the
| rumors of the intense suffering prevailing
among the people, and it was agreed be-
| tween host and guests to ascertain the
| truth for themselves. The investigation
was prompt effective and convincing for
| by the 18th, only two days later, these
| loyal and courageous young citizens had
| formed the Young Mems Benevolent AS
| sociation, and by the 14th had raised by
subscription fund of SO 1853. All of the con-
| tributions to this fund, save $780, We're eX-
]
1.-The Young Mems Benevolent Assoeia-
ton was temporarily organized on the
| 18th of September, 1854, by electing Will
! lam Hone president, John n. Lewis sec
| rotary, and George l.. Cope treasurer An
| executive committee constituted part OF
| the organization, and consisted of the fol-
| lowing members: Reverend Thomas Ram
beau, chairman; Rev. James e. Godfrey,
Rev. w. I. c. Dalzell, Messrs. c. S. Ar
| mold, p w. Alexander, +. G.. Dana, A. c.,
! Davenport, John N. Lewis, f. NJ. Stone,
and j. T. Webb. Mr.. C. IS. Arnold was
elected secretary of the committee"
other names are also found on the list
of ward committees.
'"The effectiveness of the work of the
association was promptly recognized and
before it had ended its intrepid labors,
the money contributions with which 1t
had started on the 14th of September had
reached $24, 49, to which were added a
large amount of food, clothing, and other
valuable supplies. Indeed, so important
a factor was the association in the oper-
alton of the public benevolence, that it
| received more than 40 per cent. Of the
whole money fund, contributed by the
| public at home and abroad, for the relief
of the community.
Its work was carried on with sys-
tenn intended to be humane, but the more
so, because business-like and judicious,
carrying with 1t a scheme of strict re-
sponsibility, constraining all its members
to vigilance and prudence, as agents of
the public benevolence. The penalty for
uneXcused failure in the performance of
duty was prompt expulsion from the as
| sociaton.
THE city was divided into ten wards,
and a committee of two or more members
of volunteers was assigned TO each ward,
whose duty II was TO ascertain the sick
and needy. and to supply their wants To
tl.g 4 &c NJ ypr &c a h
lished OF convenient points, from which
the committee could draw. These COM
4 mittees reported daily TO the executive
commtte, which met every afternoon, so
that the condition of the people was con-
stantly known"
Then follows an interesting account of
the work done among the sick, distressed
and suffering during that epidemic, with
a tabulated statement showing the num-
Der of deaths and interments during that
period to have been 1907.
1.-The business affairs Of the association
| ra1a ffnoy IN the endemic Of 1874 were final