Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1873-10-28
yellow Fever Horrors in Memphis.

The following extract from a letter writes
on the 18th instant by Rev. sylvanus Lam
drum. of Memphis, gives sad picture of
the scenes during the heighth of the yellow
fever plague in that city:
The periences of. the few weeks past have.
in some respects, reminded me much of the
saddest times during the war Every hour
We hear OF a new death. aud every morning
and evening We look over long lists of the
dead to see who of our friends have passed
away We compare to-day's dead with yes
sterdass, and eagerly inquire for indications
OF some pailiatlob of the pestilence. Our un.
sdeftaSers are worn ont, and their supply Of
cefios Exhausted. Theycan no lorger. be re-
leo on for regularity. hut bury when they
can The disease originated in a filthy place in
North Memphis, bur now has peryaded the
whole community. We are averaging over
fifty deaths peri day, with popu lation reduced
to one third its usuarsize Indeed, ont of a
population estimated at GO. 1000. it is surprised
that net more than 10. 900 white persons sleep
in the city. Blocks of business houses are
closed and nearly whole streets of residences
deserted. Of course cotton comes in, and
some business is done on orders; but many of
the leading merchants have left the city;
The chief activities are about the Offices Of
the Citizens Relief Committee and the How>
ard Association and the commissary stores -
Here you will find crowd of all coors and
conditions at all hours. In any. part of the
CITY you will find members of the Howard AS.
-sociation the Masonic and Odd Fellows Re.
lief Committees making their morning and
evening rounds. furnishing nurses food fuel
and medicine. BY visiting. the headquarters
of,this Association and these Orders one NAV
find ont the condition of the sufferers In every
direction. The work is >ystemized, and in
cslcnlable good done. There are many nurses
from abroad especially from New Orleans and
Mobile. When an application for nurse il
made it is met with great .promptuess Nur>
ses receive from five to ten dollars day.
The disease requires incessant vigilance.
The Sunday schools are suspended, or very
thinlv attended. There are no services in the
churches at night and in but few on Sunday
morning. The pastors have heen exnosed in
all forms by day and night Two Presbvte.
rian ministers and three Catholic priests have
died. One Methodist minister is now sick
One Of tho ahove, Rev. F Fl Bowman. was
son OF DIR. Bowman, formerly of Greenhnrn'
Georgia. A singular coincidence occurred in
connection with Mr.. Bowman's death. At
the verv time OF the interment of his bodv
tho ceiling of his church fell down unon the
pewa. the h"nse being closed frequently
see three or four hearses in sight at once,
The poor are carried out pled M in wagons
Verv few attend even the funerals of the d;s
t'nguished and the rich Often i. is difficult
to secure enough to move the body from the
house Many reonle have great fear Of
coming near yellow fever subject Some nt
the rhvsicians say it is not conta eious. hut the
neonle believe it ia ..catching" Tn one hun
dred and fiftv yards of nv house ia the resi-
dence of DR. Coleman. entered his house
and found him down with yellow fever mas
sing to the next room, there Law his wife am,
two children then to the next room. and
there was his sister; and, finally, in another
room. his eldest daughter all Frustrated in
forty honrs-six out of family Of seven -
In the distrct where the pestience began. /.
gentleman found children on the door. stem.
and asked ahont father and m ,her-both
dend So it is with hundreds Yesterday 7
followed alone vonng husband to the grave.
leaving at the house his wife and infant hot
dangerously i'll with the same disease.