USA > Georgia > Chatham County > Savannah > A history of Savannah and South Georgia, Volume I > Part 50
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ANOTHER YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC (1854)
In that same year, 1854, a most serious blow was given to the appar ently prosperous era that seemed to be in sight.
Another epidemie of that fearful scourge, yellow fever, set in not quite four months after the rejoicing occasioned by the visit of Mr. Fill- more. It was the most disastrous Savannah has ever had, and for a long time its effect was apparent in the check given to the natural growth and prosperity of the city. After the fever had done its work of destruction, the mayor, Hon. John E. Ward, in summing up the events of his term of service, said in his report for that year, "After an exemption from epidemies unknown in any other city, and the en- joyinent of unexampled health for almost half a century, in the month of August our citizens were startled with the announcement that the yellow fever had made its appearance as an epidemic. The first case occurred on August 5th, in a house situated at the southwest corner of Lincoln and Broughton streets. Regarded merely as a sporadic case. it was not reported as yellow fever. Between that date and the middle of the month a few more cases occurred, but nothing to excite any alarm or create any apprehension of an epidemie among us. About that date it manifested itself in an epidemie form, and swept with a fearful deso- lation over our city." It was five days after the fact that a case had occurred that council had the matter brought to the attention of the board. On the 10th, Capt, William P. Bowen, chairman of the board of health, considered it his duty officially to make a statement to the city authorities, and he appeared in council and told of the conditions of
* This beautiful cemetery, about 4 miles from Savannah, has recently been pur- chased by the city and is now a publie burial-place.
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inhabitants of Washington ward and Gilmersville, when an appropria- tion of $500 for the relief of those people was promptly made. Com- plaint was made that patients were removed from the places where they were first attacked by the disease to parts of the city where no cases had previously been reported. and the complainants argued that by.stop- ping the transfers the fever could be confined to one locality, or, at most. that the spread would not be extensive. Council therefore ordered that such removals should cease. or that fever patients should be sent to the Marine Hospital. The fever, however, rapidly spread to all sections of the city and did its full work. Two-thirds of the people left the city, and, the material on which to work being so greatly diminished, the disease was limited in the number of its victims. The death-rate was frightful, and on the 12th of September there were fifty-one interments. Among those who fell were the Rt. Rev. F. X. Gartland, bishop of the Roman Catholic church. ten physicians, and three medieal students. It was estimated that the population amounted to about six thousand per- sons, a majority of whom were attacked, and the number of deaths were as follows :
August
Whites
235
Negroes
22
total
257
September
Whites
591
Negroes
55
total
646
October
Whites
108
Negroes
29
total
137
934
106
1,040
As in all the other cases of epidemies of yellow fever various eauses were suggested for its appearanee in Savannah at the time. One was that it was brought from Havana by the Danish brig "Charlotte Hague," bound to Copenhagen and stopping at Cockspur on the 29th of June. It was shown that only two cases of sickness had cceurred on the vessel, and that neither was caused by yellow fever, It was then attributed to the removal of mud from the river in dredging; but, as the mud had, by actual proof, never been exposed to the air, that theory was aban- doned. It was supposed that the condition of the rice lands adjacent to the city was the cause of the trouble: but it was shown that those lands were in the very best condition during the whole of the season; and that theory fell to the ground. No one at that time dreamed that the pestiferous little mosquito had anything to do with it.
STORM ADDS TERRORS TO EPIDEMIC
In the very midst of the excitement eaused by the fever, on the 8th of September, a storm of great intensity, accomplishing vast destrue- tion of life and property, added to the terrors of the situation. Aid was extended from all sides to the suffering people. After the trouble was all over, council adopted the following resolution of thanks, pro- posed by Alderman James P. Sereven :
"Whereas, by the dispensation of Providence this City has been afflicted with an epidemic of the most fatal character, and its inhabitants during its prevalence have been the recipients of the munificence and
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. benevolence of various public bodies, charitable associations, and in- dividuals ; be it therefore
"Resolved, that the thanks of this body are due, and are hereby tendered to the corporate authorities of our sister cities for the sym- the epidemic; to transient physicians for their professional gallantry pathy they have manifested in the afflictions of this city, and for their generous contributions in aid of its suffering and destitute inhabitants.
"Resolved, that the thanks of this body are due, and are hereby ten- dered, to all benevolent and other associations, and to individuals, who have, in any manner, contributed to the relief of the afflicted in this city. Thanks to the resident physicians for their noble conduet during the epidemic; to transient physicians for their professional gallantry when our physicians were falling in our midst. victims to the faithful discharge of duty. Thanks to the devoted elergy who. without excep- tion, pursued their holy ealling. Thanks to the Young Men's Benevolent Association."
The mayor of the eity thus addressed the governor of the state of Georgia :
"To his Excellency Herschel V. Johnston. Governor of the State of Georgia .- My dear Sir :- I have been directed to transmit to you the enclosed resolutions. They but feebly express the gratitude and affec- tion which the people of Savannah feel for you. The generosity of our people, which saved us from the necessity of calling upon you for the aid which you had tendered to us. affords the highest evidence that you understood the character of the people of Georgia when you were will- ing to assume the responsibility of relieving distress, relying upon them for support. Your noble conduct has commanded the approval of all classes in every section of the State.
"And I beg of you, my dear Sir, to accept from me my warmest thanks.
"Very respectfully and truly "Your Obedient Servant, "JOHN E. WARD, "Mayor of Savannah."
As evidence of the manner in which the sympathy of the people everywhere was aroused in behalf of Savannah, let it here be recorded that the Young Men's Benevolent Association alone raised in eash the sum of $24.396.63, besides accepting for the use of the afflicted inhab- itants a large amount of clothing, food, and other useful and valuable supplies. It has been said of that noble organization "So important a factor was this Association in the operation of the public benevolence that it received more than forty per cent of the whole money fund con- tributed by the public at home and abroad for the relief of the com- munity."
RESULTANT SANITARY MEASURES
At the end of the year 1854. the committee of council on health reported that "whatever conflicting opinion there may be relative to the canse of the late epidemie. there appears to be no doubt in the mind
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of many that its virulenee was greatly increased by local eauses. The unaccountable amount of filth about the domiciles in the eastern part of the city is believed to have been a fruitful source of disease. At all events it is well known that the intense rays of the sun never do pro -.. duce putrefaction and infectious malaria when acting upon a purely clear surface." In its report the committee therefore urged the ward committees of the board of health to be particular in the matter of having the different wards of the city kept in the best condition. Further than that council instructed the city surveyor to make an estimate of the cost of a proper sewerage system.
Charleston took the matter up, and having adopted a stringent quar- antine ordinance, communicated with the mayor of Savannah. urg- ing him to see to it that this city "take a similar step" adding that "we have eeased all dispute and discussion in the matter. We have neglected the exclusion of disease for fifty years and have had the disease oftener than was beneficial to us. We have now decided, no matter what the result may be, to keep it in the lazaretto, to try the ex- periment of preventing its entrance from abroad. and. if it arises then among us, we will be satisfied that quarantine is useless."
. For Savannah Mayor Edward C. Anderson made a suitable reply, assuring the Charlestonians that there would probably be no changes made in our quarantine law, believing that it was proper to permit vessels from any part of the world to come up to the city without de- tention at quarantine, in ease there was no siekness aboard.
SAVANNAH BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION
The organization named above as the Young Men's Benevolent Asso- ciation had its origin during the prevalence of the yellow fever in 1854 when, on the 12th of September. a number of gentlemen met for the pur- pose of giving "aid and comfort amid scenes of pestilence, destitution, sorrow, and death." Standing ready to carry out in every particular the objects for which they had associated themselves, the men compos- ing the body readily consented to the very first request made of them by the acting mayor who expressed his desire in the following note :
"SAVANNAH, September 28, 1854 .- Wm. Hone, Esq., President Young Men's Benevolent Association-Dear Sir :- The community is already so much indebted to your Association for acts of benevolenee that place it under obligations which can never be repaid. except by the more heartfelt acknowledgment of the benefit it has conferred, that it may, perhaps, be tasking the kindness of its members too much to ask a favor which is rather foreign to the objects of their organization. But inasmuch as the ascertainment of the population of the city will be of advantage for future reference, and will probably correct erroneous statements now so prevalent abroad on this important subject, and it . being the duty of the committee of the Association to call at each honse in the city daily. thus rendering the information we seek of more easy acquisition than by the ordinary process, may I ask the favor of
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your association to take the necessary steps to procure a census of the city?
"I would respectfully suggest Saturday next as an appropriate time for the performance of this duty. Should any aid be required, a num- ber of volunteers who have had experience will render assistance.
"I have the honor to be, very respectfully,
"Your obedient servant, "JAMES P. SCREVEN, "Mayor pro tem."
Without delay, the work was taken up. and the population. as already stated, was found to be six thousand. That number did not include negrocs "because the black and colored population was eared for * in the main by their owners. Being immune also. very few * perished from the fever." ` In this connection it is interesting to learn that of the whole number of deaths among the colored people during the prevalence of the yellow fever only fifteen of them were caused by that disease.
On the 20th of October a committee was appointed to "draw up a constitution and by-laws for the permanent organization of the Asso- ciation" and a report was made one week later, when it was proposed to change the name to The Savannah Benevolent Association and that name it has ever since borne. The organization is kept up, and when- ever a vacancy occurs by death or resignation the vacancy is immedi- ately filled. There is no way of estimating the amount of good it has accomplished, and its influence was great during the epidemies of 1858 and 1876. It was duly incorporated on the 13th of July, 1893.
SAVANNAH'S PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM
The gift to the eity of a sum of money to be used for educational purposes was the first step in the establishment of Savannah's public school system. On the 8th of April, 1841, the last will and testament of Peter Massie, of Glynn county was read to council by Hon. R. M. Charlton, mayor. One item of it reads: "I give and bequeath for the education of the poor children of the city of Savannah the sum of $5,000, to be applied for that purpose in such a manner as the eor- porate authorities of said city shall direct ;" but when demand was made on the executors for payment it met with a refusal, and a resolu- tion, offered by Alderman Jacob Waldburg. was adopted on the 9th of January, 1845, that formal demand be made in the name of the city for payment of the bequest. That action was followed on the 17th of April by the appointment of Messrs. John E. Ward and Geo. W. Owens as counsel for the city to prosecute the elaim which resulted in a decree at that term of the superior court of Glynn county against the executors in favor of the city of Savannah for the full sum of $5,000 with interest from the 4th of March, 1841. In accordance with that deeree the exeentors paid to the city of Savannah, as reported by Mayor Richard Wayne, on the 29th of March, 1849. $2.115.33 in cash and an accepted draft for $5,400, payable twelve months after date.
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Of the money thus received $2,000 was invested, in May, in the guar- anteed eight per cent stock of the Central Railroad and Banking Com- pany of Georgia, and at the maturity of the draft the sum of $5,500 was invested in the stock of the Savannah Gas Light Company. The interest on the investment was kept in the city treasury until 1852 when the fund was found to amount to the sum of $8,750.46. In the follow- ing year the gas company declared a dividend of thirty-four shares of stock on the investment of the city and ninety-nine additional shares were subscribed for.
THE MASSIE POOR SCHOOL FUND
In the meantime, in 1849, council appointed a committee to "pre- pare a plan to invest the legacy as a foundation for an asylum or work house for indigent children," but it reported that the fund could not be diverted from the purpose stated in the will which was for the education of poor children. In December, 1852, a committee of council recommended that $3,750.46 be spent for a school house and that the original $5,000 be kept as an investment, with the interest available for the salaries of teachers. and an ordinance was passed providing that the mayor and two aldermen be annually appointed to constitute the Massie Poor School Fund Committee "to control and manage the fund so far as the present and future interest was concerned." They were empowered to associate with them such poor school commissioners as the justices of the inferior court might appoint as well as any com- mittce that might be appointed by the Savannah Poor School, and power was given the committee to select a site and erect the Massie Free School House from the Massie fund and other school houses for which funds might be provided from any source. Evidently as a plan of co-operation, a meeting of citizens was held and on the 27th of Jan- uary, 1853, Messrs. Anthony Porter, Francis S. Bartow, Solomon Cohen and J. P. Tustin who had previously been appointed a committee to establish a publie school system, reported a plan to the meeting as well as to the justices of the inuperior court. suggesting that two schools be established to meet the requirements of the then population and the increase. They further recommended that a lot at South Broad and Habersham streets, 70 by 120 feet. be granted for the building of the Massie School, to be paid for by the Massie fund. and that another lot be proenred near Liberty and West Broad streets for a school to be known as the Chatham County Free School, the latter to be paid for by one year's interest on the education fund held by the inferior court as well as Chatham county's proportion for one year of the State School fund to which should be added such subscriptions as might be made to insure the completion of the second building. Further details were given in the report. but the committee of couneil to whom it was re- ferred reported on the 10th of March that it was inadvisable to join the Massie fund with any other, and, in advising against the putting np of a building by the expenditure of a fund deemed too small for that purpose and the payment of salaries of teachers. added: "By careful investment, in a few years it can be so increased as to found and main-
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tain a school which will be an honor and advantage to the city." It was proposed that the fund be reserved until it reached the sum of $20,000, and that the lot at South Broad and Habersham streets be granted for the building when it should be needed. The inferior court appointed Messrs. A. Porter, John Stoddard and Josiah P. Tustin. school commissioners, and, on the 21st of April, reported to council that they controlled an amount sufficient to build one large school, and asked that council appropriate $2,000 with which to purchase a lot. On the 4th of May council appropriated the sum asked for on condition that the inferior court give the same amount. Then lot 14. Chatham ward, theretofore a ground rent lot, was exempted from that class for school purposes.
THE MASSIE COMMON SCHOOL
Council repealed the ordinance setting apart the site for the Massie School in 1854, and the lot was selected for the building of police quar- ters, and, on the 2d of June, by ordinance "Lots numbered thirty-four (34) and thirty-five (35) Calhoun Ward were set aside for educa- tional purposes, and for the purpose of having erected thereon, at some future period, a school house to be designated the Massie Common School."
The school commissioners Porter, Stoddard and Cohen on the 22d of March, 1885, recommended that the Massie school be built, and that for the purpose $4.000 be expended in 1855 and $5.000 in 1856, when the erection was commenced on the lot at the corner of Gordon and Abercorn streets. In the last mentioned year the Massie school fund accounts were closed when 188 shares of the stock of the Savannah Gas Company and a bond for $1,000 of the South Western Railroad Company were trans- ferred to the commissioners. The next year, 1857, on the 26th of Novem- ber, the commissioners reported that the fund was exhausted, and it was shown that it took $4,500 annually to support the school. Of that sum the tuition of pay scholars would provide $1,000, and the city was asked to appropriate $3,500; but conneil refused to do so, and offered the school to the justices of the inferior court with the request that they maintain it with the county's share of the state school fund.
An ordinance was passed by council December 24, 1857, to the effect that "The Mayor, four Aldermen and four citizens at large, to be appointed by the Mayor, shall constitute a Board of Commissioners for the care, support and management of the Massie Common School. The four citizens shall hold their office for three years from the passing of this ordinance. The four Aldermen shall be appointed by the Mayor of each succeeding Board of Aldermen, and the Mayor of each succeeding Board shall always be one of said Commissioners.
"The persons so appointed shall meet and organize themselves into a Board by the choice of a Chairman, from their own number, and may make such rules and regulations for their own government, and such rules and regulations for the government of said school as they may deem expedient : such rules and regulations to be reported to the City Council at its first ensuing regular meeting for the approval of Council, and when approved by Council shall be of full force.
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"In the event of vacancies in said Board by death, resignations, removal, expiration of term, or otherwise, the Mayor shall have power to fill said vacancies.
"The chairman of said Board of Commissioners shall, on or before the first day of January next. and quarterly thereafter, make a report in writing to the City Council of the condition of said Massie Common School, and of the property connected therewith, also an aceount of all receipts and expenditures. together with any information or suggestions which the said Board of Commissioners may deem important. and shall at the same time submit in writing a report from the principal teacher as to the number, ages and sex of the scholars, and their proficiency, and whether paying scholars or not.
"For the support of said sehool there shall be appropriated annually out of the City Treasury a sum not exceeding three thousand dollars, payable quarterly by the City Treasurer to the Chairman of said Board of Commissioners, upon the same being countersigned by the Mayor."
At the same time "the following resolution, reported at the last meet- ing by the committee on Education, was again read and adopted, viz :
"Resolved, That when the Board of Commissioners to be appointed in pursuanee of said ordinance, shall have been organized, it shall be the duty of the Chairman thereof to render to the Mayor a full state- ment of all bills outstanding against the Massie Common Sehool, and upon the same being countersigned by the Mayor, the City Treasurer shall pay same.
"His Honor the Mayor reported that, by virtue of the ordinance passed this night, he had appointed the following named gentlemen 'to constitute a Board of Commissioners for the care, support and manage- ment of the Massie Common School,' to hold their offices for the term prescribed by ordinanee. viz :
"Richard Wayne, Mayor; Thomas M. Turner, James E. Godfrey, William R. Symons. John G. Falligant, Aldermen; Thomas Holcombe, Montgomery Cumming, Edward C. Anderson, Richard D. Arnold, Citizens."
The city had leased to the trustees of Chatham Academy the lots in Brown ward known as numbers 17, 18 and 19, for the building of the academy, and on the expiration of the lease in December, 1859, it was renewed for a term lasting as long as the lots should be used for educational purposes, on condition "that the trustces of the Academy educate free at least five seholars to be known as City Scholars and to be taken from the Massie School."
BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION ORGANIZED (1866)
On the organization of the board of public education for the city of Savannah and the county of Chatham in 1866 the Massie School became a part of the public school system of Savannah by the passing of an ordinance in which it was declared that "At the first regular meeting in January of each succeeding year the Mayor shall appoint three Com- missioners of the Massie School, one of whom shall be the Mayor, when he is not a regular member of the 'Board of Public Education for the
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City of Savannah,' and the said Commissioners may be selected from the Aldermen, or Citizens, or both as the Mayor may elect ;" and "That said Commissioners shall hold their offices until their successors are appointed. and shall unite with and become part and parcel of the 'Board of Public Education for the City of Savannah,' as created by an act of the General Assembly of the State of Georgia, approved March 21st, 1866, and be governed by said act and such by-laws, rules and regulations as said Board of Public Education for the City of Savannah may from time to time ordain for its government."
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CHAPTER XXXIV
SAVANNAH RIVER AND HARBOR
IMPROVEMENT OF SAVANNAH RIVER AND HARBOR-REMOVAL OF OBSTRUC- TIONS THEREIN-PROPOSAL THAT CITY ISSUE BONDS-AID OF U. S. GOVERNMENT-APPROPRIATION BY CONGRESS-LIGHT HOUSE ERECTED ON BAY STREET, AND LAND GRANTED BY CITY FOR IT-VISIT OF EX- PRESIDENT FILLMORE-PRESIDENT PIERCE INVITED, BUT SAVANNAH NOT INCLUDED IN ITINERARY-THACKERAY'S VISIT AND HIS ACCOUNT OF THE CITY-RESPECT PAID BY THE PUBLIC TO MEMORY OF HENRY CLAY AND GOVERNOR TROUP-ACTION OF COUNCIL IN HONORING PROMINENT CITIZENS.
The matter of deepening the channel of the Savannah river had to some extent been considered before the year 1851, but it was during that year that definite steps were taken when, on the 3d of June, a committee of council with Mayor Richard Wayne as chairman was appointed "to examine into and report on the propriety of appropriating the sum of $100,000 from the city treasury for the improvement of the river and harbor to be expended under the direction of such officers of the United States as might be charged with such duty and 'in the just and reason- able expectation that congress will pass a law to return the same with interest from the national treasury' and that a memorial be sent to congress asking for such an appropriation." It was doubtless the opin- ion of the members of council that, in order to the accomplishing of anything along that line, the city must show a willingness to incur some expense. A committee to inquire into the cost of doing sneh work and to recommend a method of procedure was appointed in October, 1825, which recommended the sending of a memorial to congress for the removal of the wrecks sunk by the city, and it was shown that abso- lutely nothing in the way of accomplishing any good could be accom- plished without an outlay of at least $50,000. Furthermore the com- mittee recommended that congress be asked to establish a naval depot at Savannah for the building of vessels "which would keep the govern- ment's eyes on the river. This preference of the government would serve to disclose new sources of wealth, open a demand for many of our productions, and with spirited exertions in internal improvements by the state show what the emphatic language of General Barnard has de- clared, ' that Savannah is destined to become the New York of the South.' "'' The memorial of the mayor and aldermen to congress was read on the
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