New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-11-16
yELLow FEgER-IrS PREVENTION


10 Sonthern city has suffered more from
verou fever in former years than New-Orleans' In
1874 400 prrsonsten per cent of the whole popua-
4on the etv and p per cent oil thc unacclmateu'
-, - ore liable to the disease-died of this cpl
do,c while other thousands were its victims in the
suburban tswgis and county parishes. During the
season that has just passed, more than 5000 persons
have died of this disease in the Crescent City alone
Never were the conditions for the introduction and
snreal Of the yellow fever more favorable than dur
ing tho yeariSG. when New-Orleans was captured
wrote Gen. Butler on tho LIST Of October, lit was
found in the ntmost possible filthy condition, because
of the tronlous times The contractors upon all the
streets and canals had utterly failed to comply Win
their contracts for cleaning and purifying the streets
and the filth was indescribable.' More than -o'uOV
unacliInated Northerners were in Louisiana, ana the
metropol;s itself was crowded not only by Fedelal
troops but by the blacks who locked IN from AL
directions The fever also ragged Mt Nassau naS am,
H. sl,eosi rnnstont communication and yet not only
did $40 resident of the city e9nraet llo ioto D onGi
health returns demonstrated taat ' t tat of any
ton of New-OTleanS was De1Iei IMAM ' - -
Other city IN the Union. -. ~. o,;doc,ic Ia IN,
Gen Buffers theory was that TINS epluehlc 70 III
dgsuOus 10 40 locality where there Is y liOso ~!
YOU. ,vben Therefore, the fever RACES IN New
orleans IN niSt have been brought theFo rom hoo
warmer country, and he relied emery uPTn ~ na.t
;,eso,s npirfiaty to protect the city from the
pestilence. Ny ORDERS said he. are imperative
and distinct 30 my health officers, to SUBJECT az YES
eels coming from infected ports 20 such quarantine
as shall insure safety from disease whether one
day or hundred Is necessary for inc PURPOSE ~ VII
be done Ii will be done If it is necessary 10 take the
vessel to pieces to do it," Aud again. IN q report
made Oct l. he says that he ordered quarantine 10 be
snrGrSed %n 10 ii vessel os loaded with
hides and wool. the ahsorbents OF the malaria Win
"a fiIthy hold revking WITH dead AMI Puiiiu mattel
inf. ted
thick with tile seeds of disease only watlg LOT TIME
and the warm sun to develop them into plague, vas
not put on an equality as TO time with steamer lOi
passengers. kept clean and sweet as mercantile ne
cessity to procure business. laden win houI' usm'
casks of slitcd provisions and round shot ana SHELL
which would not be likely to absorb or generate con
tasion. Again. the length OF time IN which snip
and cargo had been exposed 10 tils oaseI "a I;n
belonging 10 Effected port, loaded theIe WIN le
proluct If the Manufacture OF that port, her crew
accliated and therefore indifferent 70 sanitary regu-
latiuns ami appliances, required 20 be Kept unuer
quarantine longer, 10 watch Tor the ITODapie ue-
yelonent OF disease and to await the operation W
purihcaiion than vessel loaded at Northern port,
where the frost insured health IN TINS regard anu
which bad merely touched at port afflicted WIN
yellow fever and held communication with the shore
under the restriction imposed 10y the feafs OF ulac-
climated officers and crew. SlupmaSteis anu OWL
ers Rruubled, foreign Consus appeaieH 10 the
authorities at Washington, but Gel DutleT never
once relaxed his vigilance, and no vessel was allowed
TO go up 10 the city until she was pronounced per-
fectly free from all infectious disease
But although the yellow fever could not he geneT.
atcd in New-Orleans, other mahgnant ana Niuieht
feyeTs might from the malaria arising non aecunu-
lated fth or the nOXOus gases sent OF from the
vegetable matter in state Of decomposition upon
the marshes and low lands that border on the CUT
Against the latter and less dangerous cause lhSle
Was. perhaps, 10 protection; but the former me
General had 10 in his power To eradicate, ana he tlu
It. On the 4th OF May he made compact with the
city authorities that they should assume the care OF
tire streets of the city, and keep them I'D q good
sanitary condition. On May Ten. Butief re,
minded the Mayor and Council of the compact, and
<l,cfp ofo hu1h egn
remove tho accumulated filth with which the city /
was reeking; he told them that the trust winch they
had assumed must be faithfully administered; 'hat
resolutions and nactOn would not do, but that the
exigencies of the occasion demanded prompt, ener-
getc measures 1t viii not do" said he, " TO shut
the responsibility from yourselves TO the street Com
missOneTs from thence TO the contractor ana thence
to sub-contIaclOIs. and through al the grades OF
civic ideness and neglect of duty. Three days since
called the attention of Mr. Mayor to this subject,
and nothing has been done" > uno 4-fto TOOK the
matter into his own hands and, in letter TO Gen.
Shepey aud the City Council, he sketched ms plan
which was the employment upon the streets squares
and unoccuped lands of the city force 0t 2OOO men
for at least working days IN putting those places
In such condition should insure the heaitn as wen
of the citizens - Of the troops lie provided that
pIoyed 50 cents for each days work, and that the
United States shOuld issue 10 each full ration tor
soldier The Council Immediately acted upon this
suggestOn-the Mayor having been previously i0dged
"a I'm Fort JacksOn-and appointed COL d. lhOrpe
City Surveyor, than whom no man could pave eeeh
better fitted Tor the work. lie opened war Oh tx,
termnatiOnupOn all nplsances; shantles were cleared
away hoows filed up. canals were cleaned out. the
streets swept. and the leyoe repaired. 1t was re-
Hecting sight" writes o correspondent, ito behold
these men on the highways and by-ways win thelr
Shoyels and bro0ms; and it was still gratifying
60 notice and To feel the happy effects of their work
The moment Col. 1hOrpe's name appeared IN the pa
pers he flooded with letters calling his attention
TO nusances the people acting voluntarily as street
inspectors. BY judcious distribution OF labor III
few days the change became a subject OF comment,
some OF the most furious SecessonistS admitting
that 'the Federals could clean the streets II they
couldn't do anything else"
New-Orlcans had before escaped the yellow fever
several years ia succession. but never under snch
circumstances as existed in 1862 and the uneXampled
health of the city was by the blessing of Cod due to
Gen Buffers exertiOns Let the authorities OF South
ern cities ponder these facts and, remembering that
the livesof their fellow citizens are IN their Keeping
take similar measures in future TO exclude this most
destructive epidemic.