New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-07-01
THE STRICKEN CITY.
Ravages of the Pestilence in Buen0,
Ayres-Interesting Details.

! THE SThlCAEN CITY,
Ravages of the Pestilence in Buenos
Ayres-Interesting Details.
The Indianapolis journal publishes the
following private letter from Professor III.
G. jackson, formerly resident of that
State, but now resident of Buenos Ayres:
BUENos AYREs, s. A., May l6, 1871.
| i shall send you letter by to-day's mail,
| if for no other reason than to inform you
that we are alive; for doubtless you will
soon begin to hear reports of the ravages of
| yellow fever in BuenOs Ayres-in fact, /
suppose you must have heard of it before
now. At any rate ] am happy to inform
you that my family aud myself are still
alive and well, notwithstanding there has
been fearful mortality in the city during
the past three months.
In the month OF February there appeared
ia one of the districts OF BuenOs Ayres few
cases of what the physicians called yellow
fever, though there was much discussion as
to whether it was really yellow fever or not.
However, as these cases were few in num-
Der, and not particularly fatal, and, besides,
were confined to one neighborhood, nobody
paid much attention to it, or seemed to
think 1t worth while to take any precau-
tions against its spreading. In the mean
time the disease was increasing quite
rapidly, and the newspapers began to dis
cuss the subject earnestly; some claiming
we had genuine yellow fever among us,
others asserting with equal confidence that
it was not that dreaded destroyer of human
life The number of deaths rose from five
or ten up to twenty or thirty daily, and
were published separately, with street and
number, name, age. etc.
The people became alarmed and began to
leave the city by thousands. 1t was esti-
mated that not less than 10000 people left
the city in a single day. As the epidemic
progressed the people became so much
afraid of it that they deserted, in many in-
stances, their nearest friends and relatives,
and many persons died from neglect, who,
if properly cared for, would have recovered.
The number of deaths rose rapidly until it
finally reached the appalling number of 7S0
daily and it is generally believed that the
full number was not reported. 1t must be
remembered that at the time when the
deaths were reported at from 400 to 600
daily, the population of the city had been
reduced by previous deaths and removals to
about 81. 900 or 10000 souls. lBuenOs Ayres
ordinarily has population of over 200,00O.)
Hearses were to be seen in all directions
and at all hoars of the day and night. In
deed, there were not hearses enough in the
city to carry off the dead. so that furniture
wagons and other vehicles had to be brought
into requisiton. C0tfins could with great
difficulty be procured, and it is said that in
some instances the same coffin was made to
serve second time, it's first occupant hav-
ing been removed upon arriving at the
grave.
At the cemetery the scene was still more
striking, for there was the gathering of the
dead. 1t reminded one of a mass meeting
such as we see in the States during pOlit-
ical campaign; only instead of gayly colOred
banners and flags there waved only the
black plumes of the hearses, and instead of
the shouts and cheers of excited partisans,
there was only the silence of the dead, and
the subdued sobbing of the mourners.
Twenty or thirty hearscs were constantly
awaiting their turn at the gate of the ceme
terry to unload their lifeless passengers, and
soon as they were discharged fastened
back to the city for Others that were await
ing them. Within the cemetery walls there
were always to be seen scores of cOtfins
waiting for the graves to be prepared to re-
ceive them, for the men employed were not
sufficient to keep pace in their doleful work
with the rapidly accommodating corpses.
The municipality employed still more, until
at one time there was said to be more than
a thousand grave diggers at work in the
cemetery, though believe this statement TO
be an exaggeratiOn.
The appearance of the country was like
that of a freshly plowed field. The graves
were made as close together as possible, in
rows of fifty and one hundred. At one
side of the cemetery several large pits were
dug, about fifty by twenty-five feet in
length and breadth, and about twenty feet
deep, in which the poor were buried. A
layer of cOffins was put in, then little
lime, and then more collins, until the pit
was nearly full, after which the earth was
thrown in, and one large mound was made
to mark the grave of hundreds. Poor fell
lows, they have been crowded and hud-
died together in unhealthy tenements while
living, and, being dead, were denied sOli-
tude even in the grave. Business was cem
pletely paralyzed. The banks, and nearly
all the stores, were closed; and but one
subject occupied the attention of all, viz:
the pestilence. The authorities urged every
one that could do so to leave the city, and
sent out thousands of the poor at the pub
lie expense. Lumber was sent out to the
country, and houses constructed, and even
the box cars of the railroad were converted
into houses for the poor; and still villages
of these wooden tenements are to be seen
along the line of the railroads, occupied by
fugitives from the pestilence-stricken city.
Fortunately my family were in the coun-
try when the fever broke out, having gone
on account of Charley's health, who had
had a protracted spell of typhoid fever lyon
know he Is now SIX years DID, When the
pestilence became alarming, /, OF course,
did not bring them back to the city. | was
not so fortunate myself, for many of my
being sick ! could not leave
them, and from continued exposure to the
fever | was attacked also, and had pretty
severe time of it, but am now as well as
ever. My wife came in to take care of me
and was herself the subject of slight at
tack.
The loss of life by the pestilence is
estimated from 5000 to 25, 600. l
presume the latter figure more nearly cor
rect, though to the public the truth will
never be known.