Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1871-06-29
Striclten by a Pe,siience.

stricken by n Pe,silence.
| I, Our neighboripg city of Buenos Ayres
is suffering from a terrible pestiience.--
On February the yellow fever broke
out in the northern part of the city, but
did not create any alarm at 6rst. as dur-
ing the entire month the average mortali-
ty was only about twelve day. On
March I there we're 35 fatal cases. and
the number gradually increased. reaching
| 204 on the 18th, and 337 on the 28th.--
On Saturday, one week ago to-day there
were sol interments; or Sunday 749 bo-
dies were counted at the cemetery gates.
and the daily average mortality for tho
week has been A50 The total number
since the scourge began is over 10000.
Rich and poor are alike stricken with
the malady. Families have been broken
up and scattered. In some instances hus-
bands have abandoned their dying wives.
mothers have left their children to die ~
lone, and in many cases whole families
have been swept away As many as i've
or six corpses have been discovered in .
single house. A new ccuietery has been
opened in the campo south of the city,
and tram railroad laid to IL. The boz
dies arc carried out on the tracks, packed
like freight. There is no time to con-
struct coffns, and the stock on hand was
long since exhausted. In some instances
the undertakers have Acd from the terri
bic harvest of business that the pestilencs
has caused.
The population Of tho city, which ten
weeks ago number at least 200, 900 souls
is now reduced to 10000. About l5o,-
900 have fed their homes, some taking
refuge in Montevidco and the towns up
the Parana River, but the larger portion
are in the campo, within q distance OF
from ten to fifty miles Of Buenos Ayres.
The miserable mud huts Of the peasants
in the districts have been bcsieged with
tenants from among the wealth and aris-
tocracy of the republic, and in some cases
arc receiving from $3.50 to $500 per
month rent. Families who lived in luxu-
ry two months ago are Snow covering a.
mong these mud huts and sleeping on beds
laid upon the floor of earth.
Those who remain in the city are most
ly of the poorer class. who have not the
means to leave. and the Public Commis-
sion. philanthropic association. organ
lied for the emergency. is now proposing
to send away on the railroad sech as are
not yet affected by the fever. This COM
mission consists of same 800 members,
many of great wealth and good position.
Several of them have already been sacri-
feed to their self-imposcd duty, but the
work is carried on nevertheless. Tho
commission has supreme control over eve
rything in the doomed city, and has just
proclaimed fast Of twenty days. This
has been resolved upon to prevent imam
cial disasters or embarrassments among
the commercial houses, consequent upon
the total stagnation of business. VI
course all notes, drafts, bills of exchange,
and maturing commercial paper of every
description are IN abeyance during that
time, and the proclamation of the fast, in
fact. prohibits business or labor of every
kind. ~ f-.
On the 9th, the bank Of London and
the Rio dc la Plata closed its doors, and
will not resume business until the end OF
the month. A quarantine has been es-
tabished on all river towns, and far all
practicable purposes Bucnos Ayres is shut
out from the world. About twice aweek
local vessels leave this port to convey to
Bucnos Ayres the mails and hospital sup
plies: but no person or thing, not even D
letter, is permitted to be brought back.
aud the only communication the people OF
the unhappy city can have with US is by
telegraph. A few days since even tele. I
graphic communication was irregular and
very uncertain, as some Of the operators
at the other end Of the line died, and their
places could not be filed readily. t
There is much division of opinion n to
the origin of the fever, but it is pretty
we'll settled that it was brought in an l.
Italian emigrant ship which arrived from
Genoa and Barcelona in January last
As to the cause Of the spread aud raysges
of the disease, any one who has ever been
in Buenos Ayres can readily eee. The
city is built on the fat shore Of the river,
is without any system of drainage what
ever, and fer nearly two hundred years
the inhabitants have buried all filth, gar
bage and refuse matter of every descrip-
ton beneath their houses. This was done
by sinking cellar shaped wells to q depth
OF fifteen or twenty feet, the sides being
Strengthened with rude brick work. These
were reached by small openings at the sur
face several feet in depth, and through
these apertures the filth was deposited in
the ss-pools below. When the sinks be-
came full the mouth was filed up. and .
new cess pool was Dug elsewhere. Tho
system preqailcd everywhere throughout
the city, and to-day Buenos Ayres honey
colnbed by these filthy traps.--MoSTEvr-
DEo (April 15) Cor. ~. Y. San. ,d Wv