Burlington tri-weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1852-1855, 1854-10-05
From the Cieavelsni Plain3calcr.
CHOLERA At PIITsBUaGE.

Terrible Times a WaNc Through the City
Scenes IL the Streets Fast Day-Ciy
Cieaasea TIE Mortality Figures Pres
emf State Of 1taifs.
PHrsEuRG, Sept. %.
FRIEND GRAY:-I write in the mist of a
panic, such rs Pittsburg never before expert
enced. These are times inaee thar try mems
souls, and such rs having once been passsd
through a man prays never again to see. The
cholera has been raging here now for over 4
week. This is the ninth day, and between
four and five hundred of our citizens have
been swept away rs If they had been sha lows.
Just imagine to yourself al army OF five hun
dred men, women, and children, drawn up
hefore you. and then realize the fact THAT they
are the high and the low, the giffed and the
ignorant, the good and the had. have been
| swept into eternity in the saort space of nine
or ten days. and MI with but Il few hours
warning. Ii is awfuli God grant your For
est City may never be thus terribly visited.
Never before have ! fully realized the hor-
rors of city visited by the pestence. We
read Of such things, you know. but seldom do
| they occur II our temperate regions. To give
YOU idea. took walk--a short one
around several squares on Thursday evening.
1t had been observed as a fast day and day
| If prayer, and never was. occasion Of the
| kind more universally and soemniy observed.
! The places of business and pleasure were all
closed. even the liquor establishments barred
| heir doors, and not even Il German lager beer
| saloon was open. Public services were held
all the churches, morning. afternoon ana even
| ing; and may safely say never before did so
many people attend the worship OF God in
these cit e.. The exercises were Of that SOL
emu nature callei for y til, oc;:sio !, and he
| people seemed TO feel ,n4t God III iced had u
controversy with them aud that il hehovei them
70 call on HIM FOR mercy and pardon. And
| hpngh some have scoIel at the idea, he
| ileye that the exercises Of Thursday vii re-
| salt in much morai good 10 the comrun w.
! But To my walk. The streets We're completely
| deserted, except thai here ana there an omni
Gus relied slowly along, or doctors carriage
lew rapidly over the pavemrnts; AMI u few
| pedsstr ans. ike myself, pacei the silent side
walks. Occasionally | wonli pass drugstore.
ana here alone t.r gas lights burned and bus
ues. continued.
Day ana night, without cessation. these
places are fnii Of persons. awaiting tho com
pounding of their prescriptions. | met a
hearse; the horses were going at full speed,
ini the sight was horril. Soon after, saw
/ number # persons collected in front of !
iw Hing, AMI Is preached, | saw a bod,
wrapped N bed clothing, placrd in \ bagga-r
wagon, AM eanveyod-waete. know NOT. !
met m acqlintance, an leaned The death of
several WHO, that yaiv DAY. bus a lew hours
before, hid been apparently in the full pos
session Of health. Others whom well knaw,
we're upon the bells Of sickness, and, perhaps
rapdlv approaching the grave. Fires Of tar
aud coal were casting their uiid light on thu
streets, At every corner, and filing the atmps-
phere with smoke. Gloom was dep cted upon
every countenlnce. Ptusburg was indeed a
deserted CITY. But words can scarcely convey
ana idea # the impression made on my,,aind
~ the awful scene. May never experience
II, or anything like it.
Bv The vigllnce Of Ward Committees IN
fortunately too long delayed. but still NOT too
iatc--thc streets and alleys have been pretty
thoroughly clsansed, and the vrnlence of tc
disease, IN this account, It j. hoped, somewhat
modified. The mortality howeve,, has been
frighful Pittsburg proper may be said to
contain in round numbers 10000 inhabitants
anu the deaths may he thus stated: