Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1873-10-31


&C., &C.. &C.
The Memphis correspondent Of the N. Y.
world writes that paper an interesting
history of the yellow fever in that city and
graphic description of that plague stricken
| city. The letter says:
| The city has entirely changed in life and
appearance within the brief lapse Of 'A'ty
days. The shops are closed not one bsi' g
open north Of Exchange street.
THE STREETS ARE NEARLY pEsEkrED.
save by those who are engaged in sanitary
work and in hurying the dead. There is
no promenading and the women who once
made the sid walks brilliant with life sud
color arc eta in their graves or bave fled
| FIR IN the town fr their lives, The few
who remain when they are Sect at all, fit
rapidly and silently through the emptied
streets, their white and haggard faces tell
ing the rueful story Of breaking and broken
hearts. Whole f'miles have been hurried
| into the vaults and tombs of the cemetery
within a few hours The city swafms with
HELPLESS little children whose parents are
dead, and to provide anything like comfort
able temporary homes for these is one of
the most difficult tasks OF the benevolent
societies, which have done aud are doing
such noble work. The money which is
sent to them from all parts Of the Union
disappears rapidly -even more promptly
than it comes in-and there is ever an
urgent necessity for more,
| THE PRICE OF PROVISIONS
has enormously increased. and for bread
which ones brought 6vs cents loaf fifteen
cents are now demanded ; and it really
seems as though to the horrors of the pestl.
lence the pangs of hunger are to BE- ADDED.
The most pressing demands for aid are
made by able.bodied men upon the resources
of the disbursing authorities. These poor
creatures would be wiling enough to work,
but unfortunately there is no work for them
to do, for business is stagnated and they
have been thrown out of employment. On
Saturday last ninety applications for relief
we're made at the ccmmissary iepot, aud not
less than $500 rations were distributed to
the sick. Wanness and misery. sickness.
despair, and death defaee this once beau,.
full city. All day loog the noise of hearses
rafting through the streets-for they arc
driven almost as fast as the horses can GO.
aud even then cannot dispose Of the corpses
rapid ly enough-is heard. and at night.
fires cast their glare upon the sky as though
death were celebrating his victory, and the
sound Of wailiug and sobb.ng in palace and
howell strikes thu appalled, sense of him who
ventures abroad in this unhallowed time
The yellow fever has been confined to no
particular locality. and rich and poor have
suffered alike.
OF al the Inhabitants perhaps not 10, 900
sleep at night within the city limits; the
rest leave in the evening ana remain in the
country till morning. Many of those who
thus have left huve been selzed Oh the cars
and erish~d mi,erably at the various sta
tons, fo SO intense is the fear. of the disease
that the country people turn from citizens
as from lepers. and will have nothing to do
with those who have a''y appesr nee Of be-
ing injected. L deed,
THE HEARTLEssNR>s AND INHUMANlTY.
which genr lily ccompany such terrible
plaques as Ia Esve been conspicuous her
The brood OF Sstan-th thieves, pckp"ckets
and burglars seem to have b.en about the
only persons who have ihriven dufng tn
past month. They have come from Other
cities to prey upon the dead nd dying As
upon the living. Siugularly rnoagh. the
drinking saloons have not found their ao
count in the plague although during such
visitntons drunkenness and deb .uchefy gen
orally hold high carnival, the p. "ple bDcom
ing reckless and ready tn drown their fears
in the diversion of ale ,holic drinks. Ou'
of between thirty aud forty of such saloons
which commonly are open from one year.
end t. the other all arc clio Oh but one. and
this by no means docs thriving hu.inesS.
The boldness O. the desperadoes, i. some
thing simply wonderful Uohapi.ily. where
all are dying, the deai hav often to be left
fer hours without at.tnti n ard in such IT,
stances il is often found that after death.
their persons and rootaa !.ayr be robbed
Several arrests of men and woman accused
of such dreadful work have been made, and
it is likely to 70 hard with the scrilegious
williams Some npdertak. rs, iii the press O.
business, have refused . make returns 10
the Board of Health, and otheFs are aacpsrd
ot hulfying corpses off 10 their shops and
keeping thu N there until they should find
liuc fr burial There are lot. indeed.
burst- enough for he work. sld su'retimes
" many AS nine corpses are placed in one
way and driven at full speed 10 their last
r -,lns place. The
HORRIBLE SPECTACLE
OF the horses Of such a wagon running away
with their ghastly burden is taid to have
been Witnessed the dead being thrown from
| the ,umbril into the road AMI some caught
| by their drapery, dragging on after the clas-
| 'ering wheels.
With one o, two shameful exceptions, the
cle' gymcn oi Memphis have fully done their
duty. and all praise is due to 'aa udefatiga.
BILE Sisters of Charity. who have never for
moment Hinched from their mpurnful.
selfimposed task of relieving the SORROWS OF
the sick and dying The priests AID preach
| , RS have been everywhere, at all hours Of
| day aud night. wherever their services wHr'
needle! Is nurses, mess ugers. aod spir
ilul advisers they bas- 'gs Al they could
and four Of them have talleu victims 10 ~,
fever.
| FIRST pRosT-A TOUCHING SCENE AT MEM.
The Memphis App~sl'' thus describes
the coming Of the frost at Memphis !