Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1878-09-20
VAST CHAR>EL HOUSE.
What n Memphis Nurse saw in that
Stricken city.

\ letter received from one Of the
Washington nurses. who was sufficient
! ~ accFmated to remain iii Memphis,
gives sad picture Of the terrors Of the
/ plague there. lie says: There are nj
present not less than 1000 cases ii
fever III this city ono-haN of which
will prove fatal. Ali classes are includ-
Ell, millionaire rs well rs paupcr. All
! places of business are closed, tho only
exceptions being drug stores, printing
offices, telegraph offices, and express
companies. In the latter establish
meut only one person is left, the man
agcr, and unless he can procure help
that will have a. 10 discontinued.
To-day our party were turned over to
the Howard, and are being aS-
signed u then duties. The city Is di-
yidcd into districts, and doctors and
nurses already are being ovorworkcd to
such M extent that many of them are
| falling victims to the fcvCr. All of our
delegation are cheerful, but fully real-
i1o the situation. There are ten cases
III the Peabody House, where we are
staying. In fact, il is the only house
whcroa meal can he Obtained
DR. pcasc, ono Of the Washington
nurses Who has returned from Mem
phis, gives the following description of
the horrors Of the pestlonce in that
city, lie has passed through tour vel
low fever cpidemicS, ono III Bonn
bay, two NJ Now Orleans, and one at
Key West, but has seen nothing to
compare with the dCath-stricScn aspect
of Memphis, "The wealthy have nj
most MI departed, leaving the poor To
shift for themselves, and Is tho horrors
OF the plague arc added those Of IL con
dition of approaching famine, Pro-
vision stores are all closed, and the only
way to obtain supplies from them is 10
break them open, which is sometimes
done. Even the drug stores arc closed
save three, and il il difficult togot medi-
cine, even when medical attendance has
been had and prescriptions given. The
banks arc open but ono hour day, The
commissary depots established Ivy the
Howard association arc hosiegcd by
throngs Of negroes, many Of whom
como III from the surrounding country,
risking the pestilenco in order to- get
free provisions.
No vehicles arc seen on The streets
except dcad-carts and doctors buggics,
with an occasional hoarse conveying
the remains Of some wenlthicr victim.
| AT night the streets are here and there
lit up with the bnlclul CLEAN of death
fires that burn in front Of each house
that contains - corpse not OF each
house either, for many victim dies
alone after suffering, unattended, and
thCre il no one 10 put ont hocustomary
signal. Persons taken sick on The
streets crawl into unoccupied
tcncmonts, and their eorpscs arc
afterwards discovered by the smell Of
their dccomposing flesh. Many are
found dead IN the public parks or under
the fences. Corpscs accumulate for
want of an adequate burial force, and
trenches are then dug III which great
rows Of collins are deposited side by
side, and one row on top another DR..
Pcase states that tho peculiar smell of
the great pcsthouse (Which the city
now is) can DO discovered III distance
Of three miles. There is great de-
licicncy Of competent nurses. Out Of
! 100 employed, only about seventy
five nrc really efficient.