Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-06-09

as is produced by poison and the Hotel Disuis be-
| sieged BY the mob, who swear vengeance ssainst
the government, for all the mortality they witness
| Ibaye lust returned from visit to the Hotel
| Dieu-the hospital for the cholera. Impelled by
a powertu motive, which il is rot necessary to
explain, Ihad previously ,s,tSe several attempts
to gain admission in vain; sat yesterday Tell
in fortunately with an English physician, who
told me could pass with doctors diploma.
| which he offered to borrow foe NE ut some medi
cal friend. He called by appointment at seven
| this morning. to accompany me on my visit
1t was like one of our loveiest mornings in
juneau inspiriting, sunny, bAlniy day. a., soft
ness and beauty-and We crossed the Iuiiieries
By one Of its superb avenues. and Kept down the
bank of the river to the island. With the erand
ON which we were bound in our minds, it was i'm.
possible not to be struck very fore'biy with our
own exquisite enjoyments of .ite. lam SIRE l ne
yer felt my veins fuller of the pleasure Of health
and motion; audi never saw a day when every
thing about me seemed better worth living fur
The splendid palace OF the louvre, with its long
facade Of nearly half mile, lag in the mellOwest
sunshine on our left; the lively river. covered
with boats, and spauned with its magnificent and
crowded bridges our right ythe view OF the ISL
and, with its massive old structures below, and
the fine giav towers 1T the chutch OF Notre Dame,
rising, dark and gloomy, in tFs distance, render.
ed 1t difficult to realize any thing but life and
pleasure. That under those very towers, which
added 80 much 10 the beauty the scene, there
Law thousand and more of poor wretches dying
Of plague, was thought my mind would not
retain moment
Half AN hours walk brough; us to the Place
Notre Fame, on one side of Which, next this ce
LIBERATED church, stands the hu}pial My friend
entered, leaving me to wait III he had found an
Acquaintance OF whom he cou't borrow diplo-
ma. A hearse was standing At the door OF the
church, and went III Tor H,"ment. lew
mournefs, with the appearance Of extreme pover-
ly,' were kneeling round a co: "a, at one oi the
side altars; aid a s"iitary priest with an attend
ami boy, was mumbling the pay irs fertile dead
soush coiiin, scauty covered with pail, and
followed By poor Old man. Taey hurried in,
and stroiled around the square.
Fifteen or twenty water-carriers were filling
their buckets at the fountain opposite, singing
aud laughing; aud at the same moment four dit
ferent litters crossed towards the hospital each
with its two or three followers, women and chill
dren, friends or relatives Of the sick, accOmpa.
nying them to the door, where they parted from
them, most probably forever The litters were
set down for moment before ascending the
steps; tho crowd pressed around and lifted the
coarse curtains, fareweils were exchanged, and
the sick alone passed in. | did not see any
great demonstration of feeling IN the particular
cases that were before me; but can conceive,
in the almoS, deadly certainty of this disease,
that these hasty partings at The door oil the hos
pital might often be scenes OF unsurpassed sui
fering and distress.N
l waited perhaps ten minutes more. In the
whole time that had been there. twelve litters,
bearing the sick, had entered the Hotel Ueu.-
As exhibited the borrowed diploma the thr-
teenth arrived, and with it a young man, whose
violent and uncontrolled grief worked 50 far on
the soldier at the door. that he allowed him to
pass. followed the bearers to the ward, inte-
rested exceedingly to observe the first tseatment
and ,nanner of reception. They wound slowly
up the stone staircase to the upper story, anu en-
tered the female department-a long low rOhm
containing nearly a hundred beds, placed IN all
leys scarce two feet from each other. Nearly
all were occupied, and those which were empty
my friend told me were vacated by deaths yes
terday They set duwu the lite, 5s the sidr OF
narrow cot, with COARSE bit c,af. sheets, and
a Nqur de Char,te, with Nhi,, (; Is, and cross
at her sirdle, came aid took of NJ, canopy. 4
Young woman, of apparently tnou,l i've, was
eyes were started from the sockets, her mouth
foame,l, and her face of frisnttui li,d pur
ple never saw so horrible sight Sine had
been taken in perfect health only three hours
before, but her features looked TO me mark.
ed with a year OF pain. The first attempt to
lift her produced violent vomiting, and thought
she must die instantly. They covered her up in
bed. and leaving the man who came with her
hanging over her with the moan OF Que deprived
of his senses, they went to receive others, who
we're entering in the same manner. inquired
of 10y companion how soon she would be attend
ed to. He said 'possibiy in an hour, as the
physician was just commencing his rounds. -
An hour after this passed the bed of this poor
woman, and she lid not yet been visited. Her
husband answered my question with choking
voice and food Of tears.
passed down the ward, and found nineteen
or twenty in the last agonies Of death. They lay
perfectly still, and seemed benumbed. lfeltthe
limbs of several, and found them quite cold. -
The stomach only had little warmth. Now and
then half grawn escaped those who seemed the
strongest; but with the exception Of the uniyer-
sally open mouth and upturned CHASTITY eye. there