New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-05-21
THE RAvAGEs OF THE BLACK vOMIT
Death at BuenOs Ayres-Business Sns-
pended-The City n Vast Hospital-A
List of the American Dead.


Death at Buenos Ayres-Business Sus-
pended-The City n Vast Hospital-A
List of the American Dead.
From the Baltimore Americanl
1t is hardly possible that Egypt, in her
darkest days of plague and famine, could
have presented more deplorable picture
OF suffering and desolation than that which
is to be seen to day in the fever-ridden city
OF Buenos Ayres, in South America Until
recently the beautiful capital of the Argen-
tine republic, situated ON the Rio de la
Plata, has been noted for the salubrity of
its climate. Though, during the summer
season occasional cases OF yellow fever
would occur among the poorest and most
abject classes, the malady rarely made It's
appearance among the better classes. who
were more careful of their diet and avoided
exposure to the burning rays of the mid
day sun. Nor did the disease at any time
ever become epidemic. In the latter
part OF February last the yellow fever
appeared suddenly in Buenos Ayres. was
confined to the lowest novels of the river
front, and though for nearly month the
deaths exceeded by far the ordinary NOR
tallty, very little attention was paid by the
authorities to the increasing virulenCe of
the disease. About the middle of March,
though the disease had not vet commenced
It's dlreful work in -he upper part of the
city, its fearful ravages among the lower
orders, the majority OF whom are Italian
emigrants, at last aroused the fears of the
people generally, and public meetings we're
held IN every part of the pestilential city to
devise plans and raise the means by chari-
table contributions, to succOr the needy and
stay the progress of the epidemic Panic
stricken, those who could flee fled with the
utmost precipitancy. The exodus was indeed
general; rich and poor hastily decamped;
IN fact everybody that could manage to
leave the infected precincts hurriedly de
parted, leaving the once lovely and lively
capital almost deserted. All the villas and
towns within fifty miles of Buenos Avres
became the refuge of its terror-stricken in
habitants, who suffered untold miseries and
dlsc0mforts IN consequence of the utter i'm
pOsslblllty OF the country people to make
adequate provision for them ALL In the
little towns of Belgrano, Lujan, Maron.
Flores and Sar Isidro, all in the vicinity of
Buenos Ayres, the spectacle was pitiful one
indeed. Crowded within the narrow. filthy
confines OF the most squalid novels, and
huddled in masses under open sheds were
seen delicate and refined women, with their
children, enduring almost incredible suffer
ing by actual hunger and exposure to the
drenching rains of the wet season in order
to escape, if possible, the fatal contagion
which surrounded their luxurious homes in
the city.
With a population considerably over two
hundred thousand, Buenos Ayres, by the
fourth of April last, had been decimated bv
the death of nearly thirty thousand of its
inhabitants, while fully one hundred thou
sand had taken flight to the country towns,
leaving scarce sixty thousand in the city. |
One-half nearly of whom were invalids or |
unable to assist in caring for |
their sick tellOw-citizens. Most of the pub |
ic buildings in the city, including nearly all |
The churches, theatres and club houses,
we're converted into public hospitals. The
grand Cathedral" the richly endowed
Temple, the beautiful Teatro Colon. on the
Plaza de la Victoria; the Teatro Victoria,
IN the Gale Victoria; the Teatro Argentine.
IN the Gale CangallO, and the Foreign Club
louse, on the Gale San Martino, had all
,een for weeks overcrowded with the
aundlced-looklng victims of the pestilence,
ONE, 1t is true, slowly recovering with lust
he bare sembance of what they once were,
'ut many, very many, rapidly dying, sur
ounded with all the loathsomeness of the
lack vomit in its most hideous form.
Sentleman-a native of Buenos Ayres-
writing to the Argentine consul general at
Sew York. under date of April 3. saws:
The yellow fever is frightfully decimating
he lovely city of BuenOs Ayres Hundreds
nd thousands have left the pest-ridden |
ity, and hundreds and thousands are daily
ollowing the example of those already
one. In fact, BuenOs Ayres is almost com
letely deser,ed. 1t is the general opinion
hat there are not remaining in it more |
han sixty thousand OF its two hundred and
twenty-five thousand inhabitants and even
mong the reduced population the mortal
~ exceeds over four hundred per diem.
he business houses are nearly all closed.
ly father had the misfortune to lose the
ther day. My family are all down with
he fever, together with six out of nine
Jerks In my commercial house"
Among the Americans who have lately
led are Messrs. Edw. Spring, Edw. En-
ert, William Prescott, John Butler, G.
Walker, Nicholson G. Longford, John Glib
on, George Gallagher, Berrier Aroeena,
ohm Braw and three daughters of Mr..
.elnlcke. Rev. Mr.. Jackson, Rev Mr..
'ett, Samuel A. Wheelwright, Mrs Nichol-
on, Messrs. Nash and Welsh and three sons
Mr.. Iahaterro are all down with the dis
ase. OF the prominent natives who have
led within the past few days are Don
francisco Lopez Torres, distinguished
Dung journalist and the editor of La Dis
tSsiOn, who had seen his father, mother.
rother, sister and cousin all die. and Don
ose Rogue Perez, who fell sacrifice to
is zeal i'll behalf of the sick
The arrival of the Brazilian steamer at
isbon some days ago, with River Platte
ates to the twelfth, represents the yellow
'ver as having by no means abated in
uenos Ayres. The mortality then had in :
'eased to seven hundred daily The noble
sters OF Charity were performing almost
erculean labors in the holy labor of nursing {
le sick, but many of the charitable ladies
ld themselves fallen victims. ,
In regard to the origin of the present NAL ,
iy, 1t was said that it was brought into
1rt by infected vessels from Paraguay, and :
!ough resembling the yellow fever Of the
est Indies and our Southern States, it is
I'D to be in many respects quite different.
range to say, though the infection is said
have been brought to the city by the
tipping, not single death has occurred
BOARD of a ship in the harbor. and with 7
lie or two rare exceptions, it has not made
~ appearance among the large number of
lying in the stream opposite 4
e city. g
4 rlFe