Sharp County record., 1878-09-19
THE STRICKEN SOUTH.


Progress of the Yellow Fever Scourge =
n Tales Almost too Horrible for Belief
New ORLEANS, Aug. ga deluging
ain, accompanied by thunder and chilly
orth wind, which commenced at 3
clock and continued one hour, bodies
il to the sick, and increased mortality
lpredicted for tomorrow. From -
Clock until 4, % deaths were reported,
lfCeaSing the number announced at II
INTO 60. Interviews with tie Sanitary
Injector elicit the statement that there
arelot so many cases to-day as on Tues
daybut all admit that not one-half are
repcted. Dr.. j, c. Beard, City Ply
slcia, has treated 146 and reported only
40. Avery house on Franklin Street, for
TWO squares above Poydras, contains a
yellow fever patient One square on
Euterp, Street between st Charles and
Carondtlet Streets is in the same condi-
Saon. The intersecting streets have been
o&rncaded to prevent the passage of
vehicles, and milkman who undertook
10 force his horse through was driven
away with loaded revolver. This
als aalsernoon an hour or two passed at the
oped several strange sights rhe office
is on the ground floor of the St. Louis
Hotel, corner of Royal and st. Louis
Streets. While sitting there one Of the
charity wagons containing two dead
bodies in rough, unpainted pine coffins
drove up for burial permit. One, con-
tanning woman, was piled upon the
top OF the other, and surmounting the
ghastly heap sat faithful dog and the
woman'S husband, who accompanied her
to the Potter 's-ield tonote the spot where
they laid her. Empty cofiins had
been brought from the Work-house
and driven round to the scenes of death
rs one might drive around and gather
up so much garbage. The driver start
cd on round through the rain, and af-
ter about an hour returned with two
other bodies for two other permits. The
clerk on duty said that this was his fifth
visit, and three other wagons perform
the same Office. 1t is of course under
stood that these instances are exclusive
ly confined to the miserably poor. They
have indeed suffered terribly, and the
nation will rejoice to lealn that a miti-
CATION OF their agony has at length
come. Within a week their abodes have
been metamorphosed from pest-houses
into hospitals. Thanks to the Howards
and The Young Mems Christian Associ-
alton, the scum of the city, black and |
white, are receiving as careful attention
as could be given in the best regular
hospitals. Instances do sometimes oc- /
cur which are extremely sad. A little .
girl of II was so unfortunate as to be at
tackled in the house of a cousin on Mag /
azine Street, where two children died |
and two were sick. The evening she
expired another of the household was
attacked and the unfortunate girls body |
lay in an undertaker's warehouse dur !
ing the night and was not buried till the !
next day. No one pretends to conceal |
the fact that the disease is destined to
increase, but there is every hope in the
ability of physicians to reduce the per-
centSge Of mortality.
At a meeting of the Board of Health
last night the origin of the epidemic was
discussed, and from the data furnished. |.
it was plausibly argued that it could be |
traced to the ship Souder. The Board .
discussed the progress of the epidemic,
and the members were unanimous in the
belief that 1t was beyond human control,
and would have to run its course. I'M
less some great and rare meteorological
change takes place the probability is
strong that the city will be swept
throughout. A strange feature was
brought to light yesterday by the COM
paratiye statistics of the convalescent
and fatal cases. 1t is seen that the
mortality among the negroes attacked is
nearly 60 per cent. So fatal indeed is
the disease that when a full-blooded ne
gro is seized he abandons hope at once.
In illustration of the extreme nervous
prostration during the stage of conva-
lescence, one man, already able move
abont the house, and who was consid der
cd totally out Of danger, was severely