Eerie Exodus: Yellow Fever Epidemic Strikes Portsmouth and Norfolk in 1855
On a chilling summer morning in 1855, the towns of Portsmouth and Norfolk were engulfed in chaos as citizens fled in panic. Families, horses, and porters hurriedly made their way to the wharf, burdened with luggage, driven by an overwhelming sense of dread. The scene, marked by rattling cart wheels and barking dogs, foreshadowed one of the darkest chapters in American history.
The turmoil stemmed from the steamship Benjamin Franklin, which had departed St. Thomas carrying fruit and unsuspecting passengers. Previously, a crew member had almost succumbed to the deadly yellow fever, a virus that was beginning to infiltrate the ship. As the Franklin made its way up the East Coast, a leak forced it to divert to Portsmouth for repairs, unleashing a catastrophic chain of events.
Over the subsequent months, the yellow fever outbreak claimed a grievous toll on both cities. With a staggering one in three infected, the fatality rate eclipsed that of the infamous Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. The epidemic became a cause for national alarm as newspapers from major cities chronicled the harrowing daily struggles faced by local residents.
By the end of September, nearly two-thirds of the 26,000 residents had abandoned their homes. Of the 9,000 who remained, over 3,200 lost their lives. Local officials, like acting mayor N.C. Whitehead, expressed profound gratitude to the brave medical volunteers who responded to the crisis, even as many fell victim to the disease themselves.
In a poignant reflection, Whitehead noted, “The annals of our civilization furnish no authentic record of a visitation of disease as awfully severe as what we have just encountered.” This harrowing episode remains a powerful reminder of the fragility of life amidst a public health crisis.
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