The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-09-11
The Fever Spreadidg to the Suburbs
The Un%dertakers Unable to Bury
Dead Bodies Fast enough-Decom-
posing Bodies Found in Deserted
Hanna

DSku go SSOt
posing Bodies Found in Deserted
Houses.
MEMPHIS, September l.-Thc plague Is cx-
tending two or three miles from the city. md
finding victims among those who have kept
nway since the epidemic broke out, indica-
ting that the atmosphere In the city and for
miles around 1t is thoroughly poisoned with
the Infection. The burial Of the dead has be-
come n matter Of serious consideration. I'm.
dcrtakers arc drawing upon every resource
for burylng material, and now 1t Is almost I'm
possible to get gravc-dIgSers. Still there are
hnndredsof able bodied lnen crowding around
the :commlssary depots bowling for %rntions:
The demand for physicians Is so great that II
one ssecn on the street lie iSimmedintely sur
rounded by petitions for him to visit and ad-
minister to sick persons.
Two cases OF fever have broken out at the
Father Matthew's Aid Camp. six miles north.
east Of this city. one Of the clcanest and
healthiest localities in the vicinity of Mem.
phis. a number OF cases are also reported
from Fort Pickering, the southern suburb,
which has been exempt from epidemic ofany
character since 1857, when 1t was almost de-
populated by yellow fever. 1t Is spreading
rapidly In Chelsea. the northern suburb, and
In the southeastern part Of the town new CO.
SEES are quito numerous. BY this 1t may be
| seen that the disease has talsen entire possess
sion OF the city and It's suburbs, the camps
several miles away from the city, north and
south, not even being exempt.
The visitors continue to report dead bodies
found. VisitorScmmes had occasion to enter
the upper stories Of the Library building nd
Following the course Of q sickcning stencil.
he opened the door Of q room, on the floor Of
which lay the dead body Of a mnn, so far de-
composed ms to dcfv Identification, Tic could
II black man. Persons living In the building
say they saw n white man go into that room
trunks several days ago, bnt had not seen him
since.
The saw-mills and the lumber.denlcrs hay
Ing closed their business, the county under
takers announce their inability to bury the
dead. 1t Is thought the Mayor will press all
the lumber to he found, 10 be converted into
collins for the pnupcr dead, The undertaScrs
are pressed to bury the dead, and at Elmwood
Lot to-day dozcns OF coflned dead were lying
on the top OF the ground waiting for inter
ment.it being q difficult matter to rocure cv-
en- colored ~grave.dlggers.
Later and Moro Horrible Accounts.
MEMPHIS. September 2,-The list Of ncw ca
scs md deaths, though not ms long rs those Of
yesterday and days previous, afford nc COM
fort, when 1t Is known that only q few physi-
clans made reports Mt the health office and
the undertakcrs were unable to bury the
dead for want of labor md material; This
takOr Walsh, who could not turn n wheel un-
til he received help from the citizens COM
mittce, and It was nearly noon before he be-
gan work; Hestated to your reporter tonight
that II all his wagons arc kept running
through the night till noon Tomorrow he
cannot bury the dead now awaiting inter
ment. At ElmwOOd the collins arc piled up
In tiers, notwithstanding that n large force Is
constantly employed digging graves. It Is
the same at all the burying grounds.
Not less than twenty applications were
made at the Office Of the board OF health to-
day to have dead bodies buried. Some had
been dead since Friday and Saturday and
were In IN advanced State Of decomposition.
Two bodies were reported TO be Mt No. lS
Vance street, no living person being In the
house or Rowing anything about them. 4
dead white woman was reported to be at No.
100 Madison street: she had recently died
alone. Her body lay on the floor behind the
bed where she had fallen and died. \ dead
body was discovered In n house on Union
street nearly dcvonrcd by rats. At an old
shanty In IN unsettled part Of Chelsea 81 body
was found which had hcpn dead since Friday.
and the flesh was falling from the bones.
These arc only q few Of the reports made to-
bay.
In view OF the inability Of the undcrtakcrs
to hurry people rs fast MS they die. the citi-
Zcns' committee to-day organized n burial
corps. consisting of forty men with the ncccs-
sary wagons &C.. who Will enter upon their
duties tomorrow.
The Appcnl has only two rOnlpOsitnrs on
duty tonight. All the others are sick with
the fever. The IrGlnnche'S force Is also re-
duccd. and only one editor Is on duty.