The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1849-02-15
TIE CHOLERA.

THE CHOLERA.
Arfal Reports-Panic-An individual
,reu Drarn-Arriral at n. Orlcans--
Condition of the Lcrec-Choiera Nor
bGs-Dreatlfll Condition Of Emigraats
"A Victim to the Gripcs.
We have been kindly permitted to make
the following extracts from the letter Of the
Clerk Of one Of the finest steamers plying
in tho N. Orleans trade. Il is dated on
board Jan. 18th. 1t shows something of
the manner in which cholera reports arc
manufactured and the way in which pan
ics are produccd:--
I'VE are again on our return, unscn,hcd
by the terror Of the day, cholera. sup
pose you have dreadful reports of its rave
ges in the south, judging from those which
met us on our way down, which suppose
enlarged greatly before they reached you,
% they were growing rapidly when we
met them.
"The first startling news we had Of the
cholera was at Memphis, where we found
the N. O. Packets laid up for want of crews
20 take them down. Saw several persons
who had come up from below, all so badly
scared thnt they sworc they had had the
cholera aud their escape was miraculous,
&c. Heard N. Orleans WINS depopula,ed-
we could not unload for want Of hands 10
do il, and want o. room on the lavec for our
freight, in case any Of us should happen to
live until we reached there, &C. &c. Still
we proceeded and reports grew worse and
worse. Every boat we me, wns crowded
with passengers, who as We passed them,
would make signs for Us to 20 back, while
others would net rs il the cholera cramps
were on them, and CRY out TINT there were
500 deaths per day in n. Orleans, &c.
"Now, were not these reports sufficient to
shake the stoutest nerves, when YOU con-
sider that they we're more than corrobora-
ted At each place We stopped aud by every
one we met?
1--WE all agreed to stick to the boat and
ifrcpor,s did not become more favorable to
lay up above the city on tho coast. 1t
Napoleon one Of our engineers could stand
il no longer and left after blisteripg himself
with mustard. which he applied all over
him, not excepting the top Of his hat md
bottom Of his boots, aud il he was not
pretty picture, il was not because he wa.
not we'll dramn!' At Memphis wo had
about forty passengers for n. Orleans
They dropt oil as their courage failed them
at different stopping places until nj Match
ez We had one solitary passenger. Here
a. our last lady passenger left, cur cham
bcrmaid left with her.
ave continued on our course and rs we
kept meeting boats full! Of people. concluded
that all were not dead and tina, if,hcy could
unload, NC could, and entered the CITY
new years day.
81 saw but one sign Of suspension Of bu-
sincss and with this exception, had not
seen the papers, would not have known
there wss any sickness in town. This sign
was, that the Ievee was so completely COW
cred and piled full Of freight, from end to
end that We at first could scarcely find room
TO discharge barrel. Cotton piled up 8
Of . bales high, wet and sour. Piles Of
rotten corn and rotten apples, &c. We
lay there . week. The weather had clear
cd of the day before we got in and rcmnin-
ed fair. While We were there, the cholera
abated, mud dried up, and the lcvee be-
came partially released Of its burden
While there saw no sign Of sickness
Ninety.niae deaths out Of one hundred, as
appears from the ccmstry reports, are the
iov class Of emigrsnss (mossIy lrish) which
Number in the papers and serve 10 create