Herald Of The Times

To the Editor of the Herald of the Times.

Sir :—Our wharves being filled with crippled and other vessels, that have put in here for a harbor, which could not get into their ports of destination, in consequence of the late easterly and westerly gales, and many of their crews being badly frozen, and otherwise sick and fatigued, I should think, give ocular demonstration to the public, that this is the best situation along our whole extent of sea coast, for the establishment of a Marine Hospital; our harbor being so admirably situated within three miles of the sea, that vessels from the eastward, westward and southward, find it easy of access during the winter months, and I may say at all seasons, when it is impossible to get into any other port.— Providence River is now closed with ice, and will probably remain so until spring, and the roads are so obstructed with snow, as to be impassable for several days at a time for the mail, which shows how utterly useless the establishment of a Marine Hospital would be at Providence, as it would be next to impossible to convey the sick up there. Even during the summer months vessels would be at least one day in general in getting from here to that port—and only one day's delay of medical assistance might cause the loss of many valuable lives.— It may, however, be necessary to have a Hospital established at both places, but in this State, if we are only to have an appropriation made for one, I think for the above reasons, it ought to be located here. Government has land and Islands near this town, admirably calculated for such a purpose, or the town could appropriate a piece of land near Coasters Harbor. Having experienced myself, many times, the want of a good port in a storm, I cannot but feel interested in the welfare of my sea-faring brethren, and when I see many of the hardy sons of the ocean, landed here, sick, frozen, and otherwise disabled, and stowed away in the cock-loft of an old wood-house or barn,* situated in the back-yard of the dwelling of the person who superintends them as nurse, in a small room not more than ten feet square, I certainly feel my sympathy excited for them very much, and feel it a duty to say something about it in the hope that some abler hand than mine will take the subject up and give it a thorough overhauling.— The loft above mentioned, is no doubt made warm, and as comfortable as the small dimensions of the room will admit of, but then no one is allowed to land and occupy it with any contagious disease, as in the case of the ship William Baker, of Providence, which put in here some time ago. I believe she was cotton loaded, and some of her crew were sick and confined to her small and impure forecastle, and were prohibited by the authorities of the town from being landed, in consequence of which, several of their crew died for the want of that attendance and air which could only be had on shore. Some of them begged most earnestly to be landed any where, if it was only above high water mark, and were refused. Such instances, and many others of a like nature that might be mentioned, calls loudly on the Government to make immediate appropriation for the erection of a Hospital here; and I hope all who feel interested in the welfare of that valuable, though much neglected class of society, will get up a petition, and forward it on to the present Session of Congress, so that it may be acted upon immediately, as no appropriation in my opinion, that Government can make, is more essentially necessary than this.

Respectfully your friend, &c.
OLD NEPTUNE.

I this day visited the place set apart for disabled seamen, and was informed by the nurse, that there were not less than fourteen seamen, cooped up in that small place, all frost bitten more or less in the late inclement weather on the coast.

* We understand the building now occupied by invalid seamen is not "an old Barn," but is a comfortable house erected expressly for the purposes of a Hospital, by the faithful keeper of that establishment.—[Ed. Her.