Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1849-06-14
The Overflow at New Orleans.
THE SCENES.

The New Orleans papers give some rOuoi
ing, and al the same time amusing sketcbe, .,
the condition of affairs in that city, caused +.
The overflow. The distress has been greal ,oi
wide spread In the suburb streets The hOu,s'
are surrounded by water from one TO FIVE fo
in depth, and the difficulty of intercommunc
iion is of course very serious. The Inhab,am,
can get along IoIerably well in boats, but uDIe,,
al an expense insupportable 10 the poor i
is impossible for servants 10 repair regnlarIyn
market. People in that quarter are compel.I
to live as il were from hand TO mouth uDoo
eggs, sailed meats aud fish, aud such provision,
as may be KEEP, without spelling. The adis,
in the submerged district, unless dioposrd IA
encounter the risk of destroying or soiIlng ,heI,
dresses in boats, must content themselves With
being penned a, home.
But these, says the Bee, are comparairsy
minor evils. aud the editor proceeds to uol,,
those of more serious character:
The waller for the last week has been
steadily though slowly rising, and in lis pro-
eress has invaded The yards of most of The re,
ldenrs in the back par. Of The city, lying
many of them to The depth of foot or eIghIeen
inches. There is liltle motion in the sIugg,I
mass and il soon becomes stagnani, its surface
mantled with slime and filth, emitting nosOn.
and disgusting oder. The all-penetraliug pow
er of the element has enabled it 10 force ITS war
into the cloace, and these IecepracIes have, IA
some instances, bursted and scattered their H. /
fectous contents in all directions while IN |
others the water becomes thoroughly mpr4g
.,...I
horrible stencil.
In the meanwhile the yards being submerssl
and the water gradually encroachng upon lis /
interior Of the dwellings, and domestic employ
ment is either suspended or very Impereely
performed Cooking can hardly be gol through I
with, as well In consequence of inundated kcb /
ems, as on account OF the extreme difficulty I'll
procuring wood. Il is absolutely dangerous
too. for servants 20 move about the yards, unless |
their limbs are protected by caoulchouc over
alls, since noxious reptiles abound and yeHo
nous snakes are frequently seen glancing among
the waters. Happy those residents who Is
in two story houses They can, at all e'spt
confne themselves to the upper part OF then /
dwellings, occupy single floor and manage
perform their domestic avocations after li,h
ion, unmolested by the food.
That such condition of things musl be co.
nently pernicious 10 health needs no elabona
argument TO prove. The atmosphere is COO
sanlly charged with moisture the hot rays0
the sun acting upon Inc decaying yegeaa
which encrusls the waters in The submeIgei
yards, must be prolific of pestlIen,ial malara
The vile odors which assalI the nosIrIs sli
which proceed from the causes advened to
bose, must aid IN generating an atmosphersa.
together incompatible with healthy existence
Il may be asked why the people living
these districts do not move? Where are Is
thousand people TO find unoccupied houses o.
dry ground and granting that they could
found, how are the humber clssses TO traDspr
their effects through the torrent. when hspld
Of removing every cart full of furniture is qat
tupled We know of one family who SeH
fortunate enough TO discover vacant lenen's
in Camp street, and to move ,hither and
though at the time the water had moi reacha
half its height, the expense of removal was D
solutely frlghlful. All have left the inund'i"
districts who could possibly afford TO dOa
and who were enabled 10 find suitable re'ld'
ces elsewhere. But thousands yet remaa'
struggle frultlessly againis the advancing s'
ment and submit with whatever patience ns
be gathered from heiplessness. to calanIls
privatons, and sufferings brought upon then
no agency of their own.