Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-22

ter Marcia, "heiress of Washington"
and patroness of local charities, and
Gen. John Peter Van Ness, her hus-
band, member of Congress, four times
mayor of the city of Washington,
president of the branch bank of the
United States at Washington, one Of
the three commissioners to super
wise the reconstruction of the public
buildings damaged or destroyed by
the British in 1914. and the first presi-
dent of the Bank of the Metropolis,
now the National Metropolitan Bank.
In the first of the series the Rambler
expressed the belief that Marcia
BuInes Van Ness died of Asiatic
cholera. He said3 "She lived a life
of gentleness and usefulness and saw
Washington grow into somewhat of n
city. She died in this city September
Q, 1882. The Rambler inclines to the
belief that the immediate cause Of her
death was cholera, though she had
Eighteen thirty-two was one of the
cholera years in Washington"
Further along in that narrative he
said that the newspapers of the city
did not generally refer to the disease
as cholera. They wrote of it as 1.-The
~ CNhbtub SlChHeSS, OF pIeNdlllHE
malady." When an humble man died
of 1T they sometimes related that "he
died of the plague" but when a citi-
zen of not, died the obituary notice
related that "he died of the prevailing
sickness" But not even that indirect
reference to cholera Is to be found in
the published accounts Of the death Of
Marcia Van Ness.
X
X x
The accounts printed at the time
show that she died on September 9
and that her funeral was held on
September 10. That is evidence Of
plague. One chronicler wrote: 1.-THE
mahogany coffin, inclosing leaden
one, in which she lay in death was
neatly made, but not ostentatious."
The leaden casket is significant. In
the notice Of the funeral published in
the Washington Globe of September
II, 1882, it is said that 1.-THE large
concourse of citizens that attended
the funeral of Mrs. Van Ness during
the season of alarm and distress
which tends to confine the sympa-
thies of each Individual under his
own roof evidenced the great worth
of the object Of these last marks of
regard" Here is reference to the
SLhlc Oh nina Ol lHo people OIL lIle Guy
at that time. SO far as the Rambler
has found, no mention of cholera was
made by Rev. William Hawley, rector
OF st. Johns Episcopal Church, in the
discourse which he delivered at the
funeral of Mrs. Van Ness. The only
cholera which the Rambler has seen
is contained in the address which
John c. Hardness, long Il trustee Of
the Washington Orphan Asylum,
made on May 26, 1885, on the occa-
sion Of the dedication Of the Hall
presided at that meeting, and the
speakers. beside Mr.. Hardness, were
r. Ross Perry. Judge William M.
Merrick and J. G. yelling, then pres
ident of Columbian University. Dur
ing his discourse Mr.. Hardness. re-
viewing the history of the orphan
asylum, said:
ginia home, the resignation of Mrs. Madison
as first drectress. to the great regret Of her
numerous friends became necessary. Mrs.
James Monroe was elected to this position,
but she declined the preferred honor: Mrs
Monroe having declined to serve. Mrs. John r.
Van Ness was elected to to I'll the , and
taining to the Office of first directress with
highly appreciated ability and unnagging zeal
Asiatic cholera visited Washington with great
fatality. Mrs. Van Ness, with "a courage and
self-denial worthy Of the proudest chaplet ever
bestowed upon human merit, remained at her
post of duty and sought to the utmost Of her
ability to alleviate the suferings Of the poor
and needy and to stanch the wounds Of help
less orphanage. The task was too much for
her delicate frame. Exhausted mind and
heart. in September, 1882, she, too fell a vic
time to the plague.
For some time during the cholera
epidemic the National Intelligencer
carried column under the headline
Cholera Intelligence,'\an and as a mat
ter of melancholy interest the Ram
bier takes from that newspaper the
following, contained in the same issue
in which appeared the notice of the
death of Mrs. Van Ness:
Cholera Intelligence: Report of the board
of health for the "a hours ending Monday,
September TO- at noon:
Central IIospital-New cases, four white
Z, dead 3. remaining In the hospital from the
last report, %.
Western Hosptal-Ncw cases, two white
women, one black woman; total 3, deaths 4,
remaining in hospital from last report 5,
cured 3.
Private practice-New cases. 90 whites, O
colored, deaths 7. whole number Of new cases
d.. whole number of deaths 49,
the prevailing disease since our last report
Samuel Marcy OF Fairfax county, Va; Timothy
Crowley boot and shoe maker; Hugh Tierney,
merchant tailor, and the daughter Of John Sar-
gent, bookbinder.
): i:
In connection with the cholera
epidemic of 1882 the Rambler has
preserved letter which Edward s.
Taft wrote to The Star December 6,
1919 an evtract IF which follows.