Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-08-28


fever are the appalling reports from
the books of the board of health, yes
terday. 1t is evident the city is doomed to
depopdlation, and those who do not go will
ingly will almost surely be hauled away by
the undertaken. The close, damp, disagree
able weather Is increasing its ravages, and
the scarcity of nurses and physicians is leav-
ing the cases entirely at the mercy OF the dis
ease. Not unfrequently is it the case that a
physician cannot be found to attend pa
tent for hours after it has been reported at
the boasd of health Thus far the howards
nave been able to supply nurses, but another
dram ike yesterday will exhaust the list
Several of the nurses have been stricken
down already, and many more are bound to
succumb from oveftaxed duties. 1t is blood
curdlinR to listen to the details of heart
rending incidents encountered by the visiting
nurses in various parts of the city. Some
of these one would hardly believe were they
not given as the experience OF persons whose
Veracity is unquestioned.
The fate of the Donovan family has occa-
stoned much comment, in which Mr.. Donovan
who was formerly held In high esteem and
exercised considerable influence politically
and socially In this community, Is severely
censured for positively refusing to return tC
MS family when notified that his wife and
children were stricken down with the fever.
Mrs. Donovan gave birth to still
child, and soon after died herself; one of hel
children died the same day. Mr.. Donovan
was notified by telegraph, but cody respond
ed with instructions concerning the burial Of
the corpses but still remained away. An
| other of the children has since died, but Mr..
| Donovan remains at Brownsville, fifty miles
away.
A gentleman riding into the city on Poplar
| street Yesterday was nearly slckened with q
stencil coming from a building near the Pop
10 TVtN tl1c
| building, broke down the door of a room
and there discovered dead body in an ad'
yanced stage Of decomposition, evidently
| having been dead several days. It proved
| TO be the corpse of barber who had occu-
| pled the lower story of that building, which
| IS in the heart of the infected district which
was deserted in the early part of last week
To-day nurses reported at the hpS Sae%o in
health office two, three ar, and not being able to
one house the n an6sehrrof the dead are buried
pury tl1SeJHdfnty undertaken, who has given the
health officer so much trouble that to-day
IN order for his arrest was issued. He got
wind of 1t, and up to this writing has eluded
the officer. On two occasions complaints
we're made that he was storing yellow-fever
corpses in his stable on Union street, a thick
Unsettled part of the city, until load" had
been collected before he would send his
wagon out to the Potter field. A Mrs. Ben
nett and her daughter were taken with the
fever yesterday. Her husband and son desert
ed them several days ago, and she does not
know their whereabouts. Benefits son
stated to policeman that he and his father
were going to Cincinnati. The family Is
destitute. Annie Cook, who kept the noted
denti-nO,de establishment, the Mansion
house, has discharged all her female inmates,
and is taking yellow-fever patients in her
elegantly furnished rooms. Being herself
hAff I,
she is personally experimenting the nursing
of all the patients. One, we learn, has
already convalesced in that establishment.
The board of health is yet urging citizens
to continue the free use of disinfectants about
their premises. The board also contracted
yesterday for one hundred barrels of pine-tar,
to be burned in the principal thoroughfares,
poison in the atmosphere, which is proving so
death dealing to the few of US left to hold
the fort. A contract was also made with MIR.
John A. Denie, the hme-dealer, yesterday,
for five hundred barrels of lime, to be used IN
disinfecting Bayou Gayoso. This was urged
by the APPEAL as one of the most important
sanitary measures, and we are glad to see
that it has been considered worth a trial.
The work will, we learn, be begun to- day,
and, if there be any virtue whatever in the
use of dlsinfectants, we feel sure it will be
satisfactorily established in this instance.
Major Walthall, who arrived from Missis-
sippi City yesterday, has already began work
in earnest toward relieving want and dis
tress. A movement, we learn, is on foot to
establish under his direction an infirmary
for INDECENT sick, and it has nearly been con-
summated that the Market street school
building shall be used for that purpose. The
locality is eligible, the building eminently
adapted for the purpose, and Major Walthall
Is the right man to be placed In charge of
such an institution, Those who experienced
the fearful ordeal Of the epidemic
noble and self-sacri6cing labors of this
Good Samaritan, who came to Memphis
from Mobile, and In conjunction with DIR.
Luke P. Blackburn, established Walthall In
Urinary, on Promenade street, where hun
dreds were nursed, almost from the jaws of
death, to a perfect state of health. Major
Walthall has again come to US In our dis
tress, but In giving his valuable services to-
ward allevlating the great suffering now pre-
vailing, and we know that every one will
lend hand to aid him in the perfection of
his wise plans for that noble work.
An APPEAL commissioner visited the How
ard rooms last night, where he found every
thing working smoothly and without confu-
sion, although the depot had been thronged
with visitors the entire day. Nurses had
been supplied to every applicant. They are
in want of female nurses, and IN response to
application by telegraph to Mobile for an adj
ditIonal number information was received
last night that SIX were on their way to Mem
phis, and more could be had on application.
The district visitors were industrious during
the day and prompt in making reports at
night Mr.. A. W. Cooper, one of the most
active OF the visitors, was reported down with
the fever, but doing well. Miss Maggie Stu
art, the nurse reported yesterday morning
sick on Court street, is getting along COM
for ably, and bids fair to soon recover.
But little could be learned from Camp Joe
Williams last night beyond the announce
ment made in the day that six cases of sick
ness had occurred. and hospital had been
established in an isolated spot to which the
sick had been removed. DR.. w. B. Rogers,
surgeon of the Bluff City Grays, had been
placed in charge of the entire camp, and is
regulating matters down there in accordance
with the strictest sanitary rules.
One of the remarkable features of the dis
ease as 1t prevails now is that whole families
have been swept out of existence-father,
| mother aud children have followed each other
in rapid succession to the grave, and in sew
eral instances several members of family
are lying dead at the same time, having died
almost within the same hour. This has been
| the case in several instances in what is known
as the infected district. The list of new
cases reported yesterday shows that several
| members OF InS SAINT family nave peer
| stricken down almost in the same instant
and thus become totally dependent upon the
nurses furnished by the relief societies. These
are only few new features of the prevailing
epidemic never experienced in any preceding
| visitation.
| The vast congregation of people seen daily
in front of the citizens relief committee
commissary department has been the theme
of considerable comment, and by some wal
rather censured. An APPEAL reporter tool
occasion yesterday to investigate the manne
of issuing rations. General Wright politely
instructed him as to the manner in which
relief was dispensed, simple though perfect
and almost beyond the possibility of imposi
ton. No applicant is given an order fo
rations unless he presents certificate signee
| by two of the committeeman in the ward o.
/ district in which the applicant resides.
NEW CASES REPORTED YESTERDAY.
Henry GUNNER, years, 448 Dunlap.
/ Sarah Scott, 80 years, q Exchange.
! Virginia Bond, 10 years, 108 Jefferson.
| Dave P. Flynn, 10 years, POT Vance.
/ Mrs. Sarah Williams, % years. 207 Vance
Robert A. PEBBLES, 43 years, 139 Madison
/ WA. Gordon, COL, IS years, 80 Poplar