New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-09-18
FROM CONSTANTINOPLE

From Our Special Correspondent
CONsrASTfNoPLE, August o. 1866.
The Chsiern-Its Fearful Ravages-5O. 600
Destroyed by It-Scenes and Incidents
American Missionaries-The Weather.
Constantnople has thrice before been visited
by the Asatic cholera but the former ysitations have
been Of small importance in comparison with the
present.
Fifty days have passed since its first authenticated
appearance in the city, and not less than fly thousand
psons have been swept into eternity by its ravages
1t reached its hight about August whent supposed
that the deaths not less than three thousand day
for several days.
The published report Of deaths in the city has never
reached this point but it is known to all that to pre-
vent general and uncomfortable panic these reports
have been deliberately falsifed. have made careful
investigations upon this point, and am able to speak
without fear of contradiction. Take single
day for example since the decline has commenced
OnAugust IA the official reports as PUBLISHED repre-
scented the deaths for that day at 49, The official re-
turns "a actually made TO the Grand Vizier and as
registered in his Office show the deaths that day to
have been ESQ six times the number reported in the
published bulletins.
These published statements make the whole number
Of deaths only ABOUT loUU AT the rate oi August IA
this would give $4,000 as the real number of deaths but
this estimate is too large Since the number of deaths
has fallen below thousand day. the ratio has been
very much less.
Fifty thousand is fair estimate including all quar-
ters Of the cy-the military garrison and the naval
contingent. More than hundred thousand persons
besides have fed from the city, This number Of deaths
in addition to those who have fed in population Of
million has changed the city from busy mart of trade
toa city Of the dead and dying. Whole families have
been swept of In q day. and hundreds Of houses left
tenantless. / know several English families
where the father and all the children have died within
week. know of family which consisted Of grand
father his son. his sons wife and four children No
cholera had appeared in their quarter Of the city, but
suddenly it came and in two days left the old grand
father the sole living representative of the family Ger
tain quarters have suffered severely that the survv
ing Inhabitants have left their houses their unburied
dead-eyerything not easily moved--and have fed in
dismay to open fields beyond the city.
AT certain points dead bodies, in some cases IN.
cofined and naked have been literally piled up by
waiting transportation TO the burial places. One
ofthe cholera hospitals the old city wall next the
sea had slide arranged down which the dead bodies
were shot into boats to be buried in the sea-
Two weeks ago could not go into the streets
without meeting dead bodies hurried off to burial,
and htters with those struck down in
the streets a. every turn. Even the Golden Horn
was covered with boats. carrying each from one
TO 20 dead bodies. Those dreadful days
enough 10 almost overwhelm the calmest and most fear
less The very sight of all the mourning and ter
ror--of all the dead and dying for whom you could do
lttle-was enough to crush the heart. Things are
better now The deaths do not probably exceed 200
"A hao;r Nj brna ~.
iy-to look about them and who is gone and who is
left.
Only one death has occurred in the little American
colony here. The youngest son Of the Rev. Mr. Wash
burne died two weeks ago after few hours illness.
The American missionaries have devoted themselves
10 the care Of the sick and dying among the poorer
classes and under their treatment hundreds Of lives
have been saved While the average mortality in the
city has been abeut 65 per Of those attacked under
the treatment of the American missionaries the
mortality has not exceeded fire per cent.
or setting aside all those lighter cases which might be
eassed cholerine TIE mortality under their treat.
ment in these fully developed has been only fifteen
per cent II is beeved that this is greater success
than has before been attained in epidemic cholera
presume that they will publish their method Of treat.
ment for the benefit Of others If they do So will for.
ward you copy at think indicated, in pre-.
yous letter in general way. what this method is
The ehoe-a has not followed any known laws ia its
progress here. has been supposed that it avoided
high and airy localities. but here it has ragged with the
greatest severity in Of the highest best ventilated
and most cleany quarters of the city, while in previous
epdemics not single case had occurred.
Another singlar fact thai the mortality among the
Europeans has been much greater since the decline of
fhe disease than 1t when IT was at its hight
Another fact s that those who have hed from infect
ed districts in perfect health have generally been al
tseked with disease they reached their new
and before that healthy place Of refuge. II
II Ia said that the swallows and several other kinds
of birds deserted the city at the Of the
epidemic. and only now beginning to return-and
believe this TO be fact.
1t also said that the gliding the csrques in the
olden Horn and Bospborus has furnished, especially Z