Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-06-24
THE CHOLERA.
The Truth OF the Matter-An ExpIor-
ing Expedition Through the In
fected Districts.

fecteG DA6tr1ctS.
A representative of this paper having ex.
pressed to Alderman Pentecost, chairman
of the street committee, a desire to visit
those portions of the city where there has
j been the greatest number of deaths from
cholera, that gentleman very kindly took
him through the infected district, in his. car
rage.
Passing out Line street, Mr.. Pentecost
pjiltft cut IN our reporter a collection OF
negro huts .sS west of the trest e-I OIL
and in the low ground along Lick Branch,
as place where a number of deaths had
occurred. 1t is into this branch that the
sewers on that side of the city empty, cor
sequently the houses occupying the low
ground in this vicinity are not desirable res
licences, for the locality cannot be 9TH
erwise than unhealthy in sickly season.
NEW BETHEL
was the next point visited This settle
ment is made up entireIV of small shanties
occupied By c0lored folks, one shahty being
considered large enough for from hal idozen
to fifteen or taenty inmates.
Stopping ut one of the most respectable
and Clearly looking of these hous $. in front
of which were four women, one man, two
children, several pigs and chickens, the ;ol-
lowing conversation was had:
sis there much sickness around here?
mo not much to-day, and as dem is sick
seems to be mendin" az
"There have been quite q number of
cholera cases near here, IN erstand?'
'No not so many right here. Back that
a way (pointing to SeigIeTs R1w)there has
been heap, but there amt so many now.
Dat was last week"
"Have any ofyour neighbors been a.
tackled by cholera?'
"No, none at all"
| MANCHESTER,
similar settlement to that called New
Bethel, was ext visited, and inquiries
made here answered IN about the same way
as those previously asked, the statement
being everywhere made that there were
but few new cases known in the vicinity.
Our reporter W IS then driven over ''across
lots" to the Granny White Pike and start
ed towards the city, but had gone bat q
short distance when The vehicle was stopped
by member OF the sanitary committee,
wuO was on duly at that point. This gen.
tleman made complaint TO Mr.. Pentec0st
that the cOlored people Ia the localities just
visited, had started a burying ground at
| New Bethel, and that they had put so little
dirt over the bodies that fearful stencil re-
suited. He said that during the latter part
of last week, the darkies gathered in the
houses at night and would
HOWL ALL NIGHT LONG,
turning out in force the next day to bury
! the dead.
"Where did they get their collins ?" in
quired our reporter.
"Coffins9" responded the sanitary chap,
"why they didn's wait much for collins.
Some were buried in collins made by negro
carpenters, while others were put under the
ground in dry goods boxes and things Of
that kind"
Show many new cases have you heard OF
to-day ?"
"Well, it amt so bad o-day as it has
been. The fact is only know OF one cese,
but there we're great many died Saturday
night and yesterday, an / the OF her day
there was ten died over 10 Seigler 3 Row."
This gentleman was very desi rous of
haviDg some lime and tar sent out to him,
as disnfec ants, although he was outside
the corporation.
A SAD CASE.
Passing along Forbes street, Mr.. Pente-
cost pointed out TO our representative
comfortable, home-like place, where he said
the father, other and eldest daughter had
all died of cholera last week, within few
hours Of each other, leaving two little girls
aged six and eight, respectively, the sole
survivors of once happy family. Yesier-
day the house was locked up, and had evil
IDENTITY been deserted, the bereaved and
homeless little ones having been taken
somewhere-let US hope to a place where
they will be comfortably provided for.
WILSON'S SPRING.
Since the advent of cholera in our midst
Wilson's spring has become famous as the
starting poins of the dread disease. The
name has figured prominently in newspaper
articles, and ras been flashed over the wires
to the uttermOst parts Of the country.
"WilsOn's sp-ing.' From this time On
synonymous with disease and death, ia the
minds of thousands of our citizens. Stu
steu on low P zee of ground in the South.
ern part Of the city, this spring brings to the
surface, water tainted with all name of
filth and uncleanliness the DRAWINGS of a
wide stretch of low ground.
At this spring, John Cocksriil, otherwise
1.-THE BUZZARD ORATOR"
has been standing guard for over q week
past.
The s'Orator" was gsrralons (for that mat
ter he always isl, and WAS ready to tell ali
he knew about The cholera in his vicinity.
''Its 'batin' sir to-day, 'Batin' sir, at
most satisfaco DRY rate. Thar's bin only
one new case right here to-day, and that's
Mr.. Flanagan. He was look to-day, AID
they sent right off fur two doctors, and
priest. The priest he tried to burlesque
him, and he tod him he didn't have no
cholera, an don't know whether he's got
ii or not, but guess he has"
Turning to Mr.. Pentecost, the "0rator'
continued: aft the tar that you uns all leave
here don't burn ike il ought to, you mustn't
blame me. | sets afire 'cording' to drec-
shun, sbut thar's a whole campaign of
young boys and G as what comes out o. dem
houses, and dey throws stones into do tar
and dat puts it out. But, I've bin keepin'
ie folks from using de water outen lie
spriE more to-day dan any time yet, but
had to sh, d my linen 10 do it" (This
last was, doubtless, q mere fguratiVe ex-
preston, Mr.. Cockerell probably referring
to having laid aside bis pocket handkerchief, !
that being the only linen article he had |
about hiln.)
BROWNS CREEK
was next visited, and fiat on either side of |
this stream, extending from Cherry street |
to the Lebanon pike, was pOn ed out to |
our reporter as locality in which quite a |
number Of deaths had occur ed. point !
called "Rolling Mill Ill.," near the reser- |
Voir, built up principally with cluster of |
negro snAntl ), ne vas told had also |
furnished number Of cases which had |
terminated fatally.
THE CONCLUSION.
After thorough Insp9c ion of the local.. |
ties named, the following is the only con
clusion which can be reached:
1. The districts which have furnished |
nine-teIths Of the fatal cholera cases i'll this
city, are low, badly drained, occupied by |
negroes living very much like animals, and
calculated in every way to breed disease
and death, when the season 10 at all sickly. |!
2. 1t is a matter of surprise, under the
circumstances that the mortality in these
districts has not been greater than il has.
3. The mortality is decreasing at very
encouraging rate, even in these unhealthy |
localities, where the conditions for a per
petuation Of the scourge are most favor
abb.
WHAT Is BEING DONE.
A great deal has b5ea done and is still
being done By cur city offici is TO rrest the
progress of the disease. Over three hun
bred barrels f tar have been burned or