The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-08-23
Ofnfral. 1lfws,
From the N. O. Delta.
A Visit to tlse Cemetery.

der to satisfy ourselves of the reality of the
spectacle which was reported to he presented
here. W learned On our way thlther, that the
authorities had ceased to send corpses to this
place, in order to give time to bury those which
already lay OH the ground This proved to be
aprude,t measure, as it was the only means
Z by which the accumulation of unburried collins
s could be disposeJ Of As we approached the
cemetery, we discovered its location by the
snumber of carriages which were passing and
repassing. For some distance before we ar
syiyed at the gate, the odnr was quite offensive,
and we were warned by persons who were re
turning that it would be insutferable within the
Enclosure. Notwithstanding the cessation of
& the cooperation coffins, there had been at least
8 FIFTY sent there by private individuals, which,
us it was public cemetery, gould not be re-
q fused. Aswe passed throughthe gate, ,inbaling
) q most pestilential odor, we noticed curious
exhibition of the careless indifference too char:
aeteristic of our people on occasions like this
& E Before the door ofthe small bouse at the gate
sS0f the cemetery, we saw several little children
3 engaged in the most joyous mcrrinent and an
old woman vending ice cream 10 passers by,
who had to hold camphor to their noses to
avoid fainting, from the odor. A strange con-
: trast with the gloomy spectacle within. There
lay quite, humber of coffin of rough, upplan-
ed plank, paipted a gloomy black, with nyri.
ads of tles hanging around them and dis
charging a. most rfpdlsive odor. The chain
gang, composed OF negroes under penal re:
-straint, were employed quite briskly in depos,
Ting these coffins in trenches, dug scarcely
s faot deep. All the white laborers who were
originally employed in this work have either
died or abandoned the ground. As high as five
dollars an hour have been offered for laborers:
! 10 supply their places, and they cannot be OBJ
3 Enaed. The trenches alluded to were about
/ six feet square, SO that six coffins could be
crowded in one of them Here they were
4. wedged as close together as possible, and
coas ng ofquick lime thrown upon them. The
hose earth was then heaped upon the coffius.
This had to be dune very carefully so as to
prevent the ,cofias from being seen, as their
s surfaces appeared to be not over six inches
s peai the level of the earth. This labor was.
/ perforned By the negroes. who could only be
kePt their work by Liberal and frequent po-
tations IF whiskey.
We remained until all the coffins were thus
disposed oE. despite the offensiyeness of the
edor aud the revolving character Of the spec,a
Gle. We had the. satisfaction of perceiving
that at sunset there was no unburried coffin
left on the ground. But: what burias theY
= were! Eothmk that an acre of ground around
us, there were not less than four hundred bodies
I lying but few inches below the surface Of the
ground, in the very FIRST stages of decomposi.
tien. deposited there within the last week. And
this within thu corporate limits of New Or.
leans, and withl:, a few minutes walk Of the
most fourislling and beautiful part of our city
Is there too much reason TO appreheud that
such disposition of SO many dead bodies will
generate malaria and originate diseases that
i will involve our whole opulation-acclnate
or unacclmacd? We do not say whose f'ult
it is. We are in no disposition at such time
sdf gloom aud distress, to indulge in strong
feelings or danunciations Of public officials;
and, ii we were so inclined, the utter want of
y sxste:n and organization, of clearly and dis
/ tinctly marked duties and functions, for those
8 entrusted with the Police of the city, in our
s system Of city government, would restrain such
manifestations on our part.
Z Bat, considering the emergency Of the oc
easiou, the great responsibility devolring upon
4 thYse whom the. people have entrusted with the
] protection of the lives the health, and pros
periiy of the citizens, we believe that there is
no functionary who will not be justified, nay,
applauded, for assuming the necessary powers
: to supply whatever deficiency there may be in
the law, in meeting the demands of this present
affecting visitation.
I'VE take pleasure in saying that his Honor,
the Mayor, was on the ground at this cemetery,
! experimenting and fastening the work of in-
termeDts.
With heavy heart, and gloomy mind, We
left this lazaretto, only to encounter scenes of
I affliction and DEATH even more narrowing with
out. For the disposition of the body, when
the vital spirit has abandoned 1.-THE mere
cayey tenement of the sou-we Confess that
( we do not feel that sentimentaIsm which is
prevalent feeling We think that the system
Of burals, as practiced in this city, is calcus-
ted to render that mode Of disposing of the
dead, which permits their bodies to rot and
melt away, food for filthy worms, and sources
/. of pestlebtal odors, far less agreeable to the
thought and feelings Of refined, intelligent
being, than the Roman custom of burning the
dead aud inunring their ashes In this CITY, the
introduction Of this system, repulsive as it is
toa prejudice. which has no reason to rest
upon, would be public benefit
But the scenes which touch our hearts more
deeply and nearly, are those which met our
view, as We passed down one of the thorough.
fares to this cemetery (which is but one of
half dozen i'll our city, llea:ses, without
solitary nouner, driven by negroes, who were
half asleep, and drawn by horses nearly four.
dered by the severity Of their toll others,
that were followed by trains of friends by
women carryinu their rhildr.n oua lao man