Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-06-24
APLAGUE
Narrowing Details Of the Ravsges Of the
yellow Fever in BueROs Ayrss
Over 1000 Deaths IN Two Days-Tbe City
Observation-Disclosures Suspended

Observation-Disclosures Suspended.
Ffom the New York Times, June l9
The following extracts, from letter
written by a resident Of BuenOs Ayres
10 relative in Providence, although
IL was written so long ago as the 18th
of April, contains so many details Of
the frightful fatality attending the
yellow fever in that unhappy city,
that IL cannot bat be OF mOurnful In
Gerest to all readers. We quote from
the Providence Journal:
1t is now about three months since
few isolated cases Of yellow fever,
very deadly in their results, took place
in one Of the city parishes. These be-
Gan 70 attract some attention, yet not
much alarm for time, as they were
confined TO q limited district, and did
not rapidly increase. The deaths OF
several known persons caused
little panic after awhile, and the doc
tors warned their patients in the in
feeted quarters that fever existed, and
that the families in the neighbOrhOOd
were exposed. Acting under this adj
vice. a number of our friends and
Others left fOT other parts Of the city,
and some for the country. For some
time the disease was limited almost
entirely to one parish, where il be-
came very severe, and the deaths and
removals nearly depOpulated the dis
trict. Gradually il spread TO the
neighbOring parishes, isolated c6ses
E appeared in different quarters, and
fEen the alarm grew. The railroads
were crowded with gers-tami-
lies going TO the towns in the vicinity,
and. as these were illed, going still
further ont to the estancias and
country towns. But, nOtWith-
standing the emigration, and
the constant reduction of the
number Of persons remaining in the
CITY. the deaths have lately increased
20 q most alarming extent, and this
week we have had so prOdigiOus 3
number that everything is paralyzed.
Everybody is fleeing from the pest,
and nothing is spoken OF but sickness
and death. / viii give you some OF
the numbers, so that you may see
how impossible it would be for words
70 express this unprecedented Calam-
itv. which can only be partially IN
derstGOd by figures. The population
of BuenCs Ayres was about 10000,
perhaps a little more, when the year
commenced. So many have left or
died that there ere probably not $4,000
now residing here at night. On two
days Of this week the deaths have
been $40 each, according 10 official re-
port, and il is supposed by many that
not ali are reported. You thus have
one per cent. Of the whole population
dying each day. Yesterday, am
happy 10 say, the number Was only |
d D. a n
Providence there may be, as ] sup
NOS $4,000 inhabitants. Imagine
what q scene Of desOlatiOn, misery
and sIarlq would follow upon the ap-
pearauce OF a pestileDce carrying on
even 100 daily: but let that be doubled,
and how few would remain in the
place.
/ have been once to the cemetery
where only the victims Of yellow fe-
yer are allowed 10 be inferred. No
distinction is now made between RO-
man Catholics and PrOtestants, IS
has ever been the case in these cOun- /
tries, but each body IS consigned 10
the first grave at hand. This ceme-
terv was filled in q few weeks, and
another has already been opened.
Some 300 or 400 men are constantly
employed in digging graves, and the
sight Is one Of the most strangely
painful that can be imagined. The
IOdv Of the friend, which we came to
place in the ground, was followed by
ive or six people, and we had our
clergyman with Us, who read a part
uf the service: but this was an unu-
sual attendance. Generally there are
not enough persons at funeral to Lift
the coffin 10 the hesrse. and no prayer
5s uttered as the body is laid in the
ground. The bodies Of the poor are
taken to the cemetery in caIts. -Four,
dve, and even nine, have been seen In
the same vehicle. I write all this be-
cause our hearts are full Of scenes
which occur before our eyes. In the
family Of that friend 70 whom / have
alluded. there have been twenty ca
ses. Two have died; two have
been removed 10 the laZarettO, and
are probably also dead; per-
haps six have recovered. while ten
are stil 81, bat wiz probably survive. |
Ut Is rare indeed to find family IN
which none have been attacked. In I
some cases sl have recovered, in 9th
ers nearly all have died; snd yet
there have been no apparent reasO rs |
for the different results. In the house
OF another Of cur friends nearly every
body died who remained in the house, /
including all who came 70 aid them |
and ali who were hired as nurses, and |
the house, like many others, was left /
with furniture, papers, etc, untouched, |
on account Of the deadly atmosphere |
which seemed to peryadeit. Yet this |
house was one Of the r0omtest and /
siriest ia the city, as my poor rleno /
assured me less than q week before /
his death, when / advised him 70 90 I
INTO the country. he sen his child /
Fen away, but he and b IS wife re-
NAMED, as they suppose O, IN safety IA 1
their home, aud both did
A singular thing Is that removal /
from the city seems efieclual 70 ali /
except th0se who have the seeds OF /
disease already planted in them. /
Many have died in the country /
towns but have not communicated /
the fever to those around them /
whereas IN the city there are hardly /
any single cases IN 8 house almost 1
all tue inmates Buccbmbing one alter 4
another.
AS usual in such times as these, /
there have been instances Of great 4
courage and devotion as we'll IS their 4
DHkl1lAH3f ltLaA AAlc W anus GL ALAc pun I
have been attended to as well as pos
sible under the circumstances. So /
completely did the fever take these
people By surprise that they had no 4
organization for combating the evil. 4
Much has, however, been done In an 4
irregular manner, and now. seeing 1
tnal ali the means employed do not ]
stop the pestilence, and that doctors /
md nurses are dying or getting dis !
,oursged, great eXertiOns are making /
90 tieDopulate the city as much as /
possi5le- and a decree Of the govern |
neut has been published declaring all I
the DAYS of this month to be holy /
days, which Of eoUlse stops al busi. |
ness. Along the difIeEent lines OF |
railroads freight and baggage cars /
have been placed at the various sta- |
tiOns, and families are now living IN |
them, and, under the circumstances, !
they are comfortable dwellings. On |
one line, the director himself has I
Established his home ia the freight /
cars. with his vile, three small cSil- 4
dreu and his servants. Wooden 4
houses have also been built at some /
If the stations on the government /
railroad, near the city, FOR the occupa- /
ion al families, and tents have been |
19itched at different points along the
road for the poorer classes.
The greatest mortality Of the fever