Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-01-22
How the Dead by Yellow Fever are Buried.

a New Orleans correspondent of the Mem
phis Inquirer gives the following mOurnful
picture of the burial Of the yellow fever VIC
tins:
The yellow fever has been especially viru-
lent and fatal, and some who were thought to
bc long since acclimated have been attacked
and some Of them have fallen victims. We
hope it has reached it climax and will now
steadily dcclinc-though we no not know the
end. Some four hundred died last week. This
sounds alarming, but is small as compared
with 1853, when 900 died in a single day.
Your readers, will inquire what do we do
with all these dead? where do we bury thelnr
There are in the city and its cnvirons fourteen
cemeteries. Some five Of these are in the
midst ofthc City,-surroundcd by closely built
and densey populated streets. Owing to the
peculiarly Of our soil, these burial places are
peculiar. We cannot dig more than two or
three feet below the surface without coming
to watcr-So that most Of the dead are buried
above ground These grounds arc regularly
laid fin squares, the walks raised and cover
cd with shells. The squared are built up with
vaults and monumcnts-nany Of them very
splendid and very expensive, costing thous
ands OF dollars. There are grcnt variety Of
models and deviscs, many Of them Of rare and
exquisite beauty. Around these tombs are
beautiful cvcrgrccns, intcrmixed with fair and
fragrant flowers, which grow with SO much
luXuriancc in our rich soil and sunny Cline
The cemeteries below canal and above Es-
plande street called the French burying grounds
are regarded as the most interesting as eXhi-
bitions Of sculpture, where grief records its
woe or pride in impcrisha6lc marble.
Around these cemeteries arc walls ten feet
high and eight or ten feet thick. These are
pierced with three or four rows oftombs about
two and half feet square, rising in tiers one
above the other and has the appearance Of the
pigeon holes for letters in the post Office though
on much larger scale. They are perfectly
closed with slabs and air tight cement, except
at one end. This is open for the insertion Of
the coffin. The burial service at the grave is
performed thus:-The procession moves from
the hcarsc to the wall, where certain one Of
the vaults has been previously sclected-say
No. 250 Qhcy are all numberod.) The coffin
is about two thirds inserted, and the service
whatever may bc its character is then attcncd
to; this over, the coffin is pushed in-thcn
the mason, with his brick and mortar, trow-
els and hammers, begin his work. The family
and friends stand uncovered until the mason
is done, when the date and name are written
in the smooth soft plaster spread over the
brick, and the company depart and leave the
sleeper on his last and lonely bcdi
One gets used to scenes like this, but Mt first
it seems so buSiness.like and mechanical, so
like any ether labor, or other piece Of mason
ry, and contrasts strongly with the burial OH
the hill side, where the turf Is green and the
old trees spread their broad green bough, and
the little birds in summer time sing rcquiems,
and the lone winds in winter time murmur
solemn dirgcs DER the dead The city author
tiles arc discouraging intcrmcnts in the celne-
tcrics in the crowded portions of tho city,
Some three miles from the city, about midway
from tho river to the lake, there is a low ridge
Of land known as the Metarie Ridge. Here
the city authorities are laying out among the
live oaks public park-and here there is a
famous race course-and here most of our ci-
tvs dead are to slecpl What strange uses |
There arc quite number Of ceinctrics laid
out here, and here already thousand "Are at
rest" In these ccmetrics are many rich and
beautiful tombs and monuments, some Of them
private, and some the property of benevolent
associations. On this ridge many are buried
in graves dug in shallow ground, but they Of
ten fill with water SO rapidly, that the coffin
has to be held down until mud enough can be
thrown on it to hold it at the bottom of the
grave Thus thousands Of the poor gro CON-
mitted-" earth to earth" Our feelings at
first may revolt from this; but whyr What
docs it matter how the dust returns to dust
Whether it sinks beneath the gurgling wave
withcrs on burning sands, sleeps in sCulptercd
vauts-or like our lowly dead, in the marshes
of the great river? The grand question is,
whittier has the mortal spirit fled to /" faircr
worlds on high," or to "outcr darkness where
there is weeping, wailing and gnashing Of
tecth:"