The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-11-06
Peculiaritie- OF the Plague.

ID. i s
OF NEW ORLEANS.
ra---g. uIeace ofthe Springfield Republic
ra--.
NV ORLEANS, Oct. u, I878.-A
,.u items ia regard to the yellow fever
mast prove ~ interest to your many
,..I.rs. The disease this year is unlike
usr If any other Having passed
through every epidemic Of the past IS
retr. ( ana enabled TO sec the great
Inference in the course Of the present.
WrrEs MANY families have been entirely
swept away, other families sick with the
ag.r have entirely recovered. What
f. -.raug. is, the disease has been the
most fatal in the nice, cleaner part Of
tho rrtv. while in the most filthy por-
,.aa- It has prevailed in a mild form.
Mr. and Mrs. Isby and son, for instance,
all died within ten days. They resided
sg wlas is known as ''the garden district, "
where every house has a large garden;
the street j., well paved with square
blocks and is known as the most aristo-
cratic part IT the city. Near the bust
ness plrt OF the city, on Camp and West
Charles streets, the disease has been
very fatal, vet the streets are kept extra
r.eau having all square block pavement;
they are watered every day, and the
houses are all well built two and three
story buildings. The entire length of
Magazine street Is paved with square
block, the class of houses all of the best,
the street is sprinkIed every day, no
foul. filth cutters, yet the death-rate on
this street has been enormous; the Block
family Ell of whom died, were on this
street. Prylania street, where the five
members Of the Barnes family died, is
known As our most fashionable one for
family residences. 1t Is kept in extra
good order. Euterpe street, between St.
Charles and Caroudelet, has been an
other fatal location. Here the houses
are two story, occupied by families hav
ing their own servants, aud having dur
iag the sickness the very best Of doctors
aud nurses; the street is well paved,
0yarHows, and the location would be Sc
.eeted as the most healthy in the city
Vet in every house the most fatal form
of the disease appeared, the street had
whs 5aJrIcadei and death claimed its
victim. iu every family residing there.
Nn.. as contrast We viii take the
r.- nAtoy streets, The poorest of fam
iH-s. suffering from want Of proper food,
Wi1 mere sheds for houses aud no com
fort .l any kind, and we find the disease
ig mild form. very few of the sick even
having doctors. and yet nearly all re-
cover. In my own drayman's family,
they had six children sick at one time.
There was 10 doctor and no nurse but
The ignorant Irish mother, vet all recov-
orej and la the same block where these
children were sick there were over 50
cases. and not death. | found filth in
all the surroundings of that house, and
1t was enough to make a well man sick
TO go near there Ia my frequent visits
TO the Washngton-street cemetery,
which Is in the heart of the city, | have
seen the same faces in the houses of the
the streets opposite to this graveyard.
At every funeral the same children
would be there-not one missing. This
led me TO make an investigation yester
day. This cemetery occupies an entire
square, bound bv Washington, Sixth.
Putauia and Coliseum streets, and the
entrance on Washington street. Di-
recty opposite this entrance is the fam
NY Of Mr. Berchmier, consisting of
himself, wife and six children; none of
them have ever had the fever
and ~. have thus far escaped. There
are IN the same block tive,other houses,
and as vet not case OF fever in any of
them. On the SiXth-street side of the
cemetery there has rot been a case in
Ha N
Pytania street side there is a church
and but three houses; all of the families
IN these + uses have escaped the disease
Ou tle l@,Iseum-street side Of the GENE
terry thers are a large number of cot
age houses. and fever in only one of
them ! next interviewed the men who
are constantly employed ia the burial of
'ae dead. These men open and close
'ne tombs, aud are very much exposed,
yet they have escaped the fever.
The death rate has shown a very large
proportion Of children, fully so per
cent Of the mortality being of young
children; and the children who have had
The very best care and attention die,
while the children of the poor recover.
IN the orphan asylum we find there have
been 50 cases; the Camp street female
orphan asylum has had "A cases and no
deaths. The Sisters of Charity have
@Aen care Of these children. The fact
Snat these children sleep in the third and
iouF'h story of the buildings may have
C5en OF advantage to them and caused
mem to have mild cases. There
are some families who have from four to
eight children and who have not had
Ease Of the prevailing epidemic. l have
!sI 10 learn of any citizen having had
.ne lever IN previous epidemics and
asAln TINS year-unless they have spent
so'ue time away from the city. After
ouce having had the fever they are al
Ways safe, being fever-proof. x