Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-07-26
Ra,ase, Of yellow Fever In Buenos Ayres.

-N'Nt -
Prof H. J. Jackson formerly of Indiana,
writes as follows in a private letter, dated
May ld, about the terrible plague that has
depopulated Buonos Ayrcs.
In the month Of February there appeared
in one Of the districts Of Buenos Ayres, a few
cases Of what the physicians called yellow fc-
YER though there was much discussion as to
whether it was yellow fever or not However,
as the cases we're few in number, aud not par
ticulary fatal, and, besides, were confined to
one neighborhood nobody paid much attention
to it, or seemed to think it worth while to
take any precautions against its spreading.
In the meantime the disease was spreading
quite rapidly, and the newspapers began to
discuss 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 10 up
to 20 or 30 daily and were published sepa-
rately, 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
AiN WY III % 0luElN uNNs As Aut fIlhtllllN
progressed, the people became so much afraid
Of it, that they deserted, in many instances
their nearest friends aud relatives, and many
persons died from neglect who, if properly
cared for, would have recovered. The mum.
Der Of deaths rose rapidly, until it finally
reached the appalling number Of $50 daily,
and it is generally believed that the full mum.
Der was not reported 1t must be remembered
that at the time when the deaths were report
ed at from 100 to 600 daily, the population
Of the city had been reduced by previous
deaths and removals TO about $4,000 or 40
coo souls (Buenos Ayres ordinarily has a
population of over 200,000). IIearses were
to be seen in all directions and at all hours Of
the day and night Indeed, there were not
hearses enough in the city to carry off the
dead, so that furniture-wagons aud other We.
hicles had to be brought into requisiton Cof-
lius could with great difficulty be procured,
and it is said that in some instances the coffin
was made to serve second time, its first &C.
cupant having been removed upon arriving at
the grave. At the cemetery the scene was
still more striking, for there was the gather
ing of the dead II reminded one Of mass
meeting such as we see in the States during a
political 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 hearses were constantly awaiting
their turn at the gate Of the cemetery to I'M
load their lifeless passengers, aud soon as they
we're discharged, hastened back to the city
for others that were awaiting them.
Within the cemetery walls, there were al
ways to be seen scores Of collins waiting for
the graves to be prepared to receive them,
for the men employed were not sufficient to
keep pace in their doleful work with the ra-
pidiy accumulating corpsos. The municipality
employed still more, until at one time, there
was said TO be more than a thousand grave
diggors at work in the cemetery though |
believe this statement to be an exaggeration.
The appearance Of the country was like that
of freshly plowed field. The graves were
made as close together as possible in rows o
! fifty and one hundred. At one side of tn,
cemetery, several large pits were dug, abou
: fifty by twenty five feet in length aud breadth
c and about twenty feet Deep in which tn,
poor were buried. A layer of collins was
put in, then little lime, and then more cof
fins, until the pit was nearly full, after which
the earth was thrown in, and one large mounC
was made to mark the grave Of hundreds
Poor fellows they have been crowded and
huddlcd together in unhealthy tencments while
living, and being dead were denied solitude
even in the grave. Business was completed
paralyzed. The banks and nearly all tn,
stores were closed, and but one subject oc
cupied the attention of all, viz the pesti
. lence The authorities urged every one tina
could do so to leave the city, and sent GU
thousands Of the poor at the public expense
Lumber was sent out to the country, anl
. houses constructed, and even the box cars o
the railroad were converted into houses 70
the poor and still villages of these woode
IS tenements are to be seen along the line of tn
railroads, occupied by iugitiyes from tn
!, pestilence stricken city Fortunately m
II family were in the country when the ieve
n broke out, having gone on account Of Charley
VI health, who bad had a protracted spell {
is typhoid fever, (you know he is about six year
e old) When the pestilence became alarmin
| Of course did not bring them back to tn
g CITY was not 80 fortunate myself, 10
y many Of my congregation being sick, | coul
/ not leave them, and from continued exposur
lie to the fever | was attacked also, and had
a. PRETTY severe time of it, but an now as we
es as ever. My wife came in to take care
n, me, and was herself the subject of sligl
attack. The loss of life by the pestilence
% variously estimated from $1,000 to % ,00
I. presume the latter figure more nearly co
/. rect, though to the public the truth will new,
. ha known