Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1849-06-20
The Doomed. CITY.


would a general flood; but TO all ar
r pearances, the DOOM Of that city is no les
} certain from the gradual rising of the wa
ters Of the Mississippi Il will be 4 shock
ing theme to contemplate when after fey
more months we look back and find New
Orleans bolted from our list Of principa
cities, the Mississippi having changed it
j chanaeI and egerfewed it far beyesd zir
, ing depths. Such may be the fact.
The low lands about New Orleans may
be taking the ':snk'' which other coas
lands are taking. For instance the disma
swamp has sunk 50 far below its origina
level as to drown the cypress which grows
in it, and which now stand with only thei
tops above water, and dead. 1t is begin
ming to be- believed that the late crevasse
is the result OF such a sinking, and not the
sole cause of the inundalion.
Oh the present appearance and effects ot
this great food, the New Orleans Bee o
the 3Oth ult., has the following:-
Few persons who have not taken the
trouble personally to inspect the condition
of the inundated districts, can form an ade.
quate idea Of the serious evils, nconvenien-
ces and losses sustained by the residents.
Those who simply row along the submerg
ed streets and view the houses surrounded
| by water from one to five feet in Depth
are scarcely aware OF the immediate ccnse:
quences that result from this sad calamity.
Fhe first and most obvious inconvenience
arises from the extreme difficulty of inter.
communication. The inhabitants can get
along tolerably we'll in boats, but unless at
an expense insupportable to the poor, it is
impossible for servants to repair regularly
to market. People in that quarter are com
PEELED to live as ii were from hand to mouth /;
upon eggs. sailed me 1t and fish, and such
provisions as may be kept without spelling.
Inc ladies in the submerged district, unless
disposed to encounter the risk of Destroy
ing or dirtying their dresses in boats, must
content themselves with being penned at
! home.
These, however, are comparatively mi
nor troubles, and might be patiently endur-
Ell, were they unaccumpanied by more Sc
rious ones. The water for the las. week
has been steadily though slowly rising,
and its progress las invaded :he yards of
most of the residents in the back part of
the city, lying in many of them to the
depth OF a foot or eighteen inches. There
is little motion in the sluggish mass, and it
soon becomes stagnant, lis surface mantie1
with sli ne and filth, emitting a noisome
and disgusting odor. The all-penetrating
power of the element has enabled it to
force its way into the cloaces, and these re-
ceptacies have in some instances, bursted,
and scattered their infectious contents in
all directions, while in others the water
becomes thoroughly impregnated with fec.
ulent matter. and sends forth q horrible
stencil.
In the meanwhile, the yards being sub
merged, and the water gradually encroach-
ing upon the interior oil the dwellings, oil
domestic employment is either suspended
or very imperfeclly performed. Cooking
can hardly be got through with, as well in
consequence Of inundated kitchens, as on
account Of the extreme difficulty Of procur-
/ ing wool. 1t is absolutely dangerous. too,
their limbs are projected by caoutchouc o.
veralls, since noxious reptiles abound, and
venomous snakes are frequently seen. a
mong the waters. Happy those residents
who live in two story housesF They can,
at all events, confine themselves to the up
per part of their dwellings, occupy sin
gle floor, and manage to perform their do
mestc avocalions after q fashion5 unnlo.
Tested by the flood
That such condition Of things must be
eminetly pernicinus to health, needs no e.
l1borate argument to prove. The atmos-
phere is constantly ch ,rged with moisture;
the hot rays Of the sun acting upon the
decaying vegetation wlnch encrusts the
waters in the submerged yards, must
bs prolific Of pestilential malaria. The
vile odors which assail the nostrils, and
which proceed from the causes a1verted 10
above, must aid in generating an atmos-
phere altogether Incompatible with healthy
existence.
II may be asked why the people living
in these districts do net move? The q1es-
ton is shallow ore. Where are ten
!: thousand people to find unoccupied houses
on dry ground; and granting that they
could be found, how are the humber class
es to transport their effects through the
torrent, when the price of removing every
cartful Of furniture is qaintupleds We
| know Of one family who were fortunate e.
!, nough t) discover vacant tenement il
} Camp street and 10 move thither; and al
though at the time the water had no
reached halfits height, the expense of re
moval was absolutely frIghtful. III have
left the inundated districts who could pos
J siby afford ID do so, and who were enabled
to find suitable residences elsewhere. Blu
thousands yet remain to struggle fruitless
ly against the advancing element and sub
nit with whatever patience may be gath
cred from helplessness, TO calamities pri
vations and sufferings brought upon then
by no agency Of their own. 49,.
In this unfortunate state of things, mos
. Of the landlords have displayed becom
ing sense of justice in leaving to their ten
ants the option of removing at their pleas
: ure Or of occupying their dwellings ren
: free during the innundation. We sa,
: ''most Of the landlords s"-for we have hear
e of one Or two gripe-alls, with souls tha
are homeopathic in dimensions, who hav
: refused TO vacate their leases, and have al
tempted 10 seize furniture about being ia