North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1867-10-09
WHOLE No. 573.

The Yellow Fever.
i New Orleans (Sept H. Correspondence Cincinnati
Enquirer.
Forlorn and deserted streets Dusty
dry pavements, and cutters reeking with
stagnancy! At every turn funeral
This one composed of two carriages, in the
foremost one of which little white coffin
resting between the parents, on the seat
tells of loved child taken remorselessly
away by the destroyer. That one preced
ed by hearse, the horses dressed with
nodding plumes of black, and scores ol
carriages following, slowly, mournfully, a.
another and another goes to the grave
This is the story of every day, of esery
hour, in this afflicted, crushed, heart -brok.
en- city. You at distance, simply hear
each day that so many "deaths were re-
ported yesterday This is but the bare
outline of the terrible recital, and nothing
but actual presence here could give true
idea of the distress that prevails, and o
the complete disorganization, financial
commercial and social, existing in conse
quence of the epidemic.
The number of deaths now exceed fifty
per day. This is comparatively small wher
compared with the population of the city
or with the number of persons attacked
But it is the rapid spread of the disease
which now excites alarm. In one day
last week there was an increase of sixteen
in the number of deaths from the fever
On Monday the 9Th inst, the total mortal
ity reported was seyenty-eight, greater
number than is usually reported in an en-
tire week in the early summer season. OF
this number fifty-one were from yellow fe.
yer.
AS l write, cab rattles by in the street
below, and looking out see seated in it a
poor young fellow, just seized with the
disease. He has not probably been sick
an hour, and yet he is perfectly, entirely
helpless. He is wrapped in coarse blan-
ket, and is, to all apparences, unconscious.
"A saffron face, half-closed eyes, his tongue
hanging out, his head rolling from side to
| side, these are the symptoms that mark
him yellow fever patient. By his side
sits some faithful friend, who is taking
him to the Charity hospital, that great re.
ceptacle for the poor and needy, where
now nearly thousand victims lie parch.
ed, delirious, and many of them dying.
And, alas there is even sadder side
to this already sad enough picture. sDied.
an unknown person." There are manv OF
| these. Men who have homes, wives and
| children, are taken sick upon the street
and soon deprived of reason, are found by
the police and taken to the hospital. Ev.
cry day the police reports show number
of persons picked up sick and destitute
Some are able to give their names, others
are not: Only yesterday, as was riding
down Magazine street in a car, l saw, w.
ing upon the sidewalk before an underta-
ker's establishment, a poor fellow, mid
dle-ased man, evidently laborer. He
was writhing in pain, while the hot sun
was beating and glaring down upon him
with all its power. Some good Samaritan
| was STOPPING over him and doing all in
his power to relieve the poor mans suf.
ferings. And yet, many in the car barely
turned their heads to look at the sad sight,
and then went on laughing and talking as
if it were nothing.
Directly opposite, in gilded bar-room,
men were drinking and carousing. The
click of their glasses, the loud laughter,
the merry uproar were more than ever
hollow mockery, when contrasted with the
scene over the way.
But when night had stolen over the city.
then it is that the real gloom comes. And
yet this is strange, for such radiently
moonlight nights were never dreamed OF
by young lovers, as these which we are
having now. One who looks up throug Oh
the trees Of La Fayette square at the mel.
low moonlight Of midnight, who feels the
cool, bracing air, almost like that of our
Louisiana winter, finds it hard to believe
that on all sides of him the sick, the diving.
the already bereaved are lying or weep
ing. But there is a loneliness and a gloom
on the streets at night which makes one s
footsteps resound with wierd echo.
Many have left the city, and those now
here feel the greatest danger in remaining
La Rues carnival minstrels came here, as
l told you ina previous letter, to fill an
engagement at the Academy of Musis.-
PThey had played but three nights when
their agent, Mr.. Stanley, who had pre-
ceded them few days, took the fever and
died at the City hotel. The troupe threw
up their engagement at once, and left bv
the same train that carried off Gen. Sheri-
dan. Since their departure it is stated that
one OF their number, Ainsley Scott, had
died of the disease ut Canton, Miss, and
that another of them, Cal. Wagner, is sick
with it.
Of the police force, composed now prin-
cipally OF discharged soldiers, about fifty,
are OIL duty on account of the fever. 1t is
said week since, among the soldiers 100
deaths had occurred. In the navy it has
not been so bad, with the exception of the
gunboat Mahaska, of which have alrea-
dy written you.
All this is terrible picture for one to
draw, and a sadder one to witness. We
had hoped from the absence of the yellow
fever, that its strength was broken. AT no
time since 1858 had it prevailed to any ex-
tent in New Orleans, and people had be-
gun to believe its appearance in an epi-
demic form thing OF the past. But now,
after nine years, it comes again, invading
nearly every household. Meanwhile emi-
grafton has poured in from the north and
from Europe, furnishing an abundance of
material for the Destroyer harvest ripe
for the sickle. The epidemic will be a ter
rible drawback to this section. 1t will stop
emigration, it will hamper investments,
and will shake the confidence of all not
born here who might have chosen this 9TH
erwise attractive spot as permanent abid-
ing place. Very many northerners, who
came here during or at the close of the
war, bringing with them, some of them
money, some of them brains and good
right arm, ard who have proved good.
worthy citizens, have died manfully at
their posts. The fever is no respecter of
persons.
AN OLD Fool AND SUPERNATURAL
HUMBUG.-The eccentric Mrs. Lyons, who