The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-08-19
A BLACK HOLE.
sYmERE QUIZ SANITARY OFFACERs
OUGHT no wORK.


Hrf,af guct Al place could exist In New Or
gksar1s under the strict sanitary surveillance
lstst1t, nm by the Board of Health puzzled the
rua1orter. Yesterday afternoon two gentle
tress called at the DEMOCRAT office and gave
g1e information that the premises Nos. 900
and 400 South Poydras street were nests Of
yellow fever, and public attention should be
called to them. Accordingly reporter at
esslee volunteered to make an inspection Of the
gEIaae and report exactly the facts as he found
chem. The reportorial life leads one intoscenes
or all kinds. Anguish, horror, suffering and
want all come under his observation, and
there are few phases of life or human nature
Chat are not seen; but yesterdays experience
& of the DEMOCRAT reporter, who has been
Through every epidemic since 1863, was sadder
chan he has hitherto been subjected to.
eeHere Is the place" said the gentleman
who knew the house; "let us go In
lit was two-story brick tenement on South
Paytiras street, and o faded sign showed that
HE number was 292. The exterior presented
d fair appearance wide alley-way, solhe
fvselve feet In width, offered an entrance into
sFpe yard After knocking for some time and
Heeeiving no response, the reporter opened a
small gate within larger one and entered.
Ths silence that relgned was
ALMOST OMNIBUS.
beyond the broad alley the yard opened to q
width of some thirty feet, and on each side Of
fsls separating fences were small chicken
hasyeas solitary turkey gobbler strutted
about the yard, the only hVlhB ano ahlnaIe
thing to be seen. ..,
The house Is situated about square and q
ssalf To the rear of the Pile Market, on South
t,arS IrNb1 fNfndFN mi
syallv by Italians who make living by vend-
fIsr chickens The front building has three
Ygaetfls on the ground floor and three above.
Attached to the main house is an Il, with two
1p,s,fns up stairs and two below. When the
Fsn0fter entered, the turkey gobbler strutted
around as II glad of welcoming any stranger.
Th took but moment to see that the place was
A PEST HOLE.
Tte broad alley was covered with the tops
ssss old chicken coopB. which afforded passable
xTaeans FOR pedestrian to secure lngress TO the
yaFd.
Tsa the gutter were lying the heads of defunot
ssfYfekens pntrails and feathers, the combina-
'ta sending up fragfra ,rthsr anything Put Put
Eear Of the yard, the reporter was greeted
with b full flavor OF the yellow fever smell.
elm the right, exposed to the breeze, were, six
WDt1lit, whilst on the left the moss of some ten
others was distributed with
A LAVISH pRoDIaAn1TY
about the yard The forty feet square in the
Agsar OF the buildings were Ia ken up by small
warehouses; where the vendors kept their
ssfs1t,k on hand. stencil such as cannot be
well described arose from the place. Decay
fylr moss. decomposing animal matter, two
aE three dead cats, added their noisome odors
faf the air.
Az fhe reporter was inspecting the rear
premises q thin italian head came out from
ssa1 upper window and D shrill voice called out,
s Maester Whater do youer wanter down
Hera?"
fln being informed that the reporter in
tended only to inspect the place. the head
withdrew AS has been sad just back of the
ssiaIn building was q two-story brick l.. The
doors Of one OF the rooms on the ground floor
were open, and the reporter entered. In one
corner stood an old turned-post bedstead, be-
fseath which was pair Of old shoes. The
mattress had been removed, and on the floor
were
STAINS OF BLACK vOMIT;
a,t right angles with the bed was what was at
fIrst taken for another bed. sheet which
still bore the impress OF the body but few
hours removed from 1t, covered the last couch
taf one of the sufferers from the fever. The
reporter lifted the sheet, and there was e1-
rul4ed only bare pIanks At the head and foot
were old starch boxes, about seven feet apart,
Y and from one to the other were laid four Stats,
taken from the chicken coops in the yard.
Near the head was O soap box on which were
Hl,a remains Of o tallow candle, half burned
cut At the foot was another box with the
stamp Of another candle The man who had
suffered the pains and
DELIBIUM OF THE FEVER
III. This poor bed had been buried only an
hour when the reporter visited the. place
Ytfst behind the entrance to this diminutve
room there were spread In the yard GUAM
EfGy Of cornehucks taken from the mattress
ut one who had preceded the unfortunate
victim who stepped across the waters OF
I.etie from his bed Of hickory Stats.
Ascending the stairs the reporter stopped
at u email eabinet-room on the right. The
lEssy was In the door and he unlocked it. A
gsse bedstead, q stain of black vomit on the
Mall. and a broken basin were all that greeted
Nils eve. Passing on to the front room, he
ha had seen from the yard below appeared
and wished to know what was wanted. Or
Y,efng Informed that the reporter was on q
sfbslr of inspection, he opened the door
g}n q bed, breathing stertorously, was III
Ihalian, apparently about forty, whilst beside
rim. with q GOODNESS which was remarkable
ssiltier the circumstances, sat two demur'
sianues from Sunny Italy, who looked as i
Htfey were perfectly willing for
THEIR PATIENT
Ia die or not, as the case might be-
The head before spoken Of developed itsel
and came out of the door with O. rather at
Gsssiuated body attached. The reporter asked
Glow many have died out of this yard will
Rrancisc col can no telle zaetIy. Twelver
sftteener or so. Me not no.
Rep.--What has become Of all the peopl
faat lived downstairs and in the other rooms
Fr-Deadee. All deadee
Rep--Did one die on those planks
IN THAT ROOM
Ngar the kitchen?
He go this morning. He die too:
Rep.-How many persons lived In thl
Nause2
I'll donter know counting on his tingers)
ssgFer twoer threer fourier, flyer, skier, sevenel
asghter, miner, tener; well, say boutter twer
fY-sixer.
Rep.--How many have died?
E.lFifteener died already.
Eep.--Did all die that lived here?
E.LOh no: some run away.
Leaving the man to his sick friend th