Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-10-11
%FERaASDINA'S FEVER.


The Causes that Led 40 the PIasne
"A Light MOFtaiity-Ths COndI.
lion Of the People and their Wants
Eleven Hundred Gases 10 Date.
Atlanta Constitution, 4,h.l
Yesterday morning Colonel J. n. Whit
ner, brother OF, Colonel j. C. Whitner, of
our city, arrived here from Florida. He
left Fernsndina some days ago, but was
in that fsted city during the fury Of toe
scourge. 4 reporter Of the Constitution
called upon him at the Markham House
and had a conversation with him con.
corning the state Of affairs 10 Fernandins
The city has a population Of bstween
sixteen hundred and two thousand per.
sons, probably the larger portion being
colored persons Many Of the latter earn
q livelihood BY the industries Of the place
aud by labor upon the wharves, ia steve
dore gangs, loading and unloading yes
sells, OF which q large number are engaged
in foreign trade FROM and to that port.
Heretofore Fernandine hss been Q re.
markedly healthy city, and since It's foun-
dalton has lever before been visited BY a
yellog fever scourge. The causes for this
fatal epidemic may be properly traced
to the uncleanly condition Of the south.
western portion Of the city. Where the
disease first appeared the n~eighbornOods
we're in 60 lltby a condition as to sustain
3 very putrid atmosphere most inviting
TO the disease. This condition was due
10 the fact that the present municipal au-
thorities, when tbey assumed the care Of
the city, found its treasury Impoverished
and debt accumulated TO q heavy azouuf.
and 10 their desire 10 ~economize in city
| expenditures the drainage Of the city and
sanitary regulations generally we're neg
lected. The usqel result Of such fool
lab, if not criminal negligence in the
name Of economy, followed, aud the
city quarters became the harbors ofthis
malignant plague.
Eleven hundred cases haye been under
treatment since the disease made its an.
p~esrsrce, which number is fully two
thirds Of the pOpplahon subject to it.
attacks A number Of oitisoQs left the
city upon the %intiInation aud ags1fance
that the disease was yellow fever, nu,
many who would have escaped were de
layed 6y . controversy between the tw,
leading physicians oyer the true cLarac
ter OF the dlsease. One VI them con
teudsd that 1t was yellow fever, vail,
, the other stoptly denied it, and it was no
until DR.. Mcfarland, the emiLent ph5
stefan from Savannah, eEsuioed Ii
I body OF Z deceased person aud made al
= autopsy. By reason Of which il was full
/, established as a Ease Of yellow feyei
: that the true condition Of affairs wa
+ realized.
r The disease made rapid progress, bu
r was singularly mild in effects, thong
piotracted in its operations upon ID
systems OF those attacked.
Out of the eleven hundred cases. onl
fifty deaths have been reported, which
r 4 fatality u less than five per cent. {
r the NUMBER seized with the sickness
This is a very small mortality, and snow
9 that the plague has been general but NJ
> 80 virulent as WAS at FIRST supposed.
c Nearly 81 the white people in the cit
subject to attack have already been pro
irated, aud the MATERIAL upon which tn
: disease car feed 10 that direction il uea
o ly exhausted.
e The Eavages Of Zoe plsgae are no
rapidly taking in the coIored people, wi
OF late years seem to have lost their ia
= munity from this scourge. Among the
e II auds victims lily prepared to 6ght II
o dread monster. and az Q consequent
! there is reason TO fear a greater mortali.
among them. Trade is suspended. an
the negroes are poor, and IN many cas-,
paupers, to the extent even Of the bare
II necessities Of life.
It When tho sgoprge FIRST appeared, Co
= Whituer says the sstharites aud peop
= were pretty well prepared to combat
o bpt now there is immediate need 4
/. %pecuniary assistance aud supplies, pri
q cipally to relieve. in the name CT pu
humanity, the large number Of destitu
and Suffering colored people,
z There IS a charge made by som
though Col Whittier thinks it an U