Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1853-08-30
From the correspondence ofihc New York Tribnue
The Pestilence at New Orleans.
New ORLEANS Aug, 8, 1853

The Pestilence at New Orleans.
New ORLEANS Aug, ., 1868.
have been busy the las, few days Wis
iling the Hospital and Cemeteries. The
scenes ] Witnessed there canuot be de.
scrbed so as TO give you any idea of the
reality. AT the Hospital the suffering is
very great, and it is a wonder that any
recover. In one room that ! visited
there were about forty females. They
are placed in cots on either side Of the
room with usi room enough between the
cots for the attendants to give the poor
sufferers their medicines. On one cot
was mother who had just died Of the
black vomil; in the next cot the daugh.
ter was not only suffering with the fever,
bat what must she have suffered in her
mlad on seeing the ifeless boly Of her
mother! On another cot was young
woman from Tennessee (llic only Amer,
icun in the Hospial.) She had just
been received, ana was in the first stage
OF the disease. On one side of her was a
woman raving mad, with the black vom
it, and lashed dorm TO her COT. On the
other side WAS the mother who had just
died. | concluded the poor Tennessee
woman would soon die, after Witnessing
such scenes. In another part Of the room
W re two sisters. One was doing very
well, the other hal the black vomit.-
On another cot were three children,
whose parents had already died, and |
could not but think that it would be bet
ter if the poor children should follow
their parents 10 the spiri, world. In
the room below were about forty II en- in
the various stages of the disease. There
were some three or four tier Of COTS in
this room. Many Of the sufferers had the
black vomit, others were raving mad
lashed down TO their cots. Some were
groamng, others cursing, and a few were
quiet. How any of the patients can ev.
cr get well surrounded as they are with
the dead, and dying, and obliged to see
every dead body a, it is removed is truly
surprising. No doubt many die through
liiSh,, and others, no mn,irr how caitn
they may be, mus! loose all hope and
give up in despair. As soon as life is
out of the body, they are put into rough
box made by the prisoners of the work
house. This box is painted black with
lamp Jlack. The Cdpora,ion car,
backs up 10 The Hospital, the boxes OF
collins ar, taken into ,hem-say from 8
TO 4 at load, and they ore thus taken
through our streets, without even GOV.
er to the cart, OF any thing covered over
the collins. Exposed to the hot sun,
they are taken long distance through
oul principal streets 10 The cemeteries.
There are large number of persons
calling at the Hospital TOO see their
friends, but of course cannot be admit.
ted, as the patients must be kept as qui.
ct as possible. One poor old man
came to the window of the In6rmary 10
ask after his daughter, young German
girl seventeen years age. He was told
he coull not see her, but that she was
getting well, and if he would come the
next day he could sec her. The poor
old man cried with JOY on hearing of his
daus sh,cr's ebeing convalescent, and left
with light heart, no doubt thinking Of
the pleasures Of "lo.morrow," when he
should embrace one who was so dear TO
him, and his sole prop in old age. He
said he had only her. You can judge
Of my surprise, after The old man left,
when the keeper of the Hospital remark.
cd, He will never see his daughter again
She vii be dead before night, and when
he comes to morrow, he will find the cor.
pora,ioG have taken her off 10 potter's
Field in one of those black boxes" ]
asked the keeper why he deceived the
old man. His reply was, that"il he told
him the truth. he would have the old tel.
1ow crying about the Hospital all night.
Poor old man! what must be his feelings
when he call again, TO find his daughter
dead and buried! And when he inquiries
the place Of her burial, the rcpl y will be
81 do not know" There IS no way Of
asccrlaining where the grave is, Of any
one who dies in these Hospitals, as the
bodies are placed in The black boxes
without any mark to designate the ten
ant within; ana they are buried wi,hou,
any stake or mark being placed to des'
ignate the grave.
The cillzens rthe Fourth District OF
our city were in a great state Of exc lite
mcnt yesterday, (Sunday morning.) On
account Of the great number of bodies
sent to the Fourth district Cemetry. they
could not, or, should say, did NOT, bu.
~ them as fast as they should do. On
yesterday morning there were about 6f.
ty bodies not buried. Many had been
there lo,ty eigh, hours. The decompo.
sltion oil the bodies in the hot sun caused
the collins, or boxes, 10 burst OPEN
Many of the bodies also burs, open,and
the stencil was such as 10 drive people
from their houses. The Mayor was cal.
led upon early in the morning; he said
he had no authority; the Street Commits.
soner had no authority, and resident
citizens o(,he Fourth District could not
find any one who haa authority. Tie
Mayor, however, took the responsibility
10 send the chan.gang-say about ten
slaves-who are chained by the leg, and