The New York herald., 1878-11-02
Safe Return Of a Volunteer
Yellow Fever Nurse.
TERRIBLE EXPERIENCES.
A Graphic Description of the Plague
in Memphis.
LATEST REPORTS FROM THE SOUTH.

Mr.. Robert z. Bakesisy, young man who went TO
Memphis a nurse in company with DR.. Thomas z.
Easton seven weeks ago, returned to the city on
Tuesday. Mr. Blakesey was found at his residence,
No. 3l9 East Thirteenth street, last evening, by
porter OF The HERALD, and very interesting oonvsr-
sation ensued In regard nurses experience
the plague ridden city.
.What Induced you 10 brave all the dangers OF the
pdsmc,' the reporter asked, 'and voluntarily lace
ieaths"
~ don't know" young Bakeslsy answered, ''but
made up my mind 70 go and l went. do not exag
gerate when tell you 1t was terrible experience
Even before / got TO Memphis what /
and heard enough to make the stoutest
heart quail All the way from Louisville
TO Memphis there was yellow lever. Wherever we
stopped Tor meals the conversation was about tho
ravages OF the disease. AT Paris, whore we break
fasted-a miserable hamlet in miserable hollow
there five cases. This was bad enough.
tanly. tor such place; but we wcAs able TO get
breakfast, and that was more than could do on my
return, Tor in the meantime the place sad been de-
populated Notwithstand ding these sv'donces OF the
aeadly character of the epidemic did not ieei
afraid, but when got TO Memphis confess 10 having
iet nervous; 1t enough 10 irighten The bravest
man."
"wnat were our arst mpressions oi The city alter
your arrivalr" the reporter interpossd.
ALMOST DEPoPULATED.
"Realy, can not describe tnem. The city was al
most deserted. 1t was Monday morning when we ar
rived, but forgetting myself, l asked DR.. Easton
whether 1t was tuesday morning. We had not gone
far, however, before the evidences of the terrible
condition oil things became apparent. Tho nrst thing
In the shape of vehicle that saw truck,
loaded with cofns going round to collect the dead.
As this within tour blocks OF the depot you may
imagine how soon came 10 reaiizing sense OF The
desoIation. Two blocks iurther collins were piled
tiers the sidewalk in front vi an undsrtaker's
shop, and we were compelled to walk between them.
similar scenes were be witnessed in many places,
ana IN front OF the city undertakers the whole block
was a street of cofins."
show were the uesroes affected BY the epidemic sn
'.it seemed to me there were u million Of them
crowdng round the commlssarles OF the Howard
aud CitIzens' Relief ASSOCIATE ions Many OF them did
NOT belong to Memphis and came there ter Tree
rationa Ii they could get something TO eat without
working Tor IL The lever Was matter OF little i'm
poranc. ney were not SO afraid OF IL as the whites
seemed tnink tia their race Was exempt from
Il; but they suffered almost as severely as tue
Hnitesh
.sHow were the patients cared fors''
..Ii they mad a residence a physician and a nurse
prov ided until tney recovered or died. Ii they
we're nou-rss idenls they were sent 10 the hospital
Few oil the hospital pstients recovered. A case in
point Is that oil f. W. Ludlow, OF New York he
went 10 memphis as nurse and escaped the fever
longer tnan any of u.s. He never had the fever, and
was there four weeks before ne took IT, When ne
vas seized wnn u he was at ,he Peabody Hotel; but
iwenty-iour hours think his removal had great
aeaI TO do win has death"
NV hat makes you tnink soY'' asked the reporter
HOSPITAL DANGEROUS.
''ln cases of yellow lever removal generally means
deatn. When l was seized Win the disease was at
the MOTEL winch Was entirey gwen up 10 the Howard
Assoclatfon ana lew newspaper correspoudentG
The clerk Of the hotel came 10 me and said, Mr..
Blakesey, / very sorry, but you must be re-
moved 70 the hospital physician from New
Orleans VINO was IN the room answered, 'rnat young
he lies there has ten chances out OF u hundrsd
10 recover; remove him ana he has not one' The
manager OF the house, VINO was Ia reality nothing
more than an agent OF the Howard Association, the
real manager being himself down wuh the lever,
swors 10y God he must be moved; my orders are 70
move everybody ''
.'Was tuis truel"
..By no means. There were thirty cases in the
house at tho time. There was a case IN the very
nexl room 70 ms. and in the room where vas Or.
heating died. Ii DR.. Easton had not been at the
noei al the time would not De mere now TO tell you
this AS said before, the hospital was almost cer
tain death; and think II was very great Injustice
TO tne aurses IRON tue North tnat they should be
sent from the hotel 10 the hospital to die. People
with money or friends could remain at The Peabody;
but those who took their lives In their hand to sue
cor the dying, VINO had neither money nor
TRENDS, met the fate OF those tney TO save.n
"How maGy Of the nurses have returnedf"
~ heard OF one to-day, but am not sure that ex-
sepl my SELL even sot home. All that knew
tnat went from The North died OF the plague"
NrRssG THE PATIENTS
"Tel me something OF your experience as q nurse.n
the reporter suggested.
IL mad under my care in All eleven cases. or these
seven recovered Some OF my patients refused to
take tneir medicine, and was compelled to open
their mouths aud force them to swallow II. Ine
second case had-that OF a younR iady-was such
one; ont the next 10 the last patient nursed
was the most neartrending OF any tnat came under
my notice. she was young girl whose home a
mfie nall iron toe city she died on my hands,
and when sne dead nobody couid be found 10
dress her and 30 was not only compelled 10 dress
Der myself but TO put her ner conia and uuaided
carry IL TO the wagon ana aiterward 10 the grave
YARD. Amer her aeath nursed her iather ana got
MIN over u. He attended by DR.. Easton, VINO
saved several patents even alter the black vomit
SET in.p
community
everybody was Thoroughly frightened. A young
doct SAID TO one day III taxes man oi great
moral courage to stay IN this place You talk with
man Tonight anu tomorrow near that he 10 In the
grave. People don't care TO go too near The yellow
lever even wien tt Is all around them. The day alter
Game out OF the hospital stroed past car stable
pnd found that the building was on IRE. In room
Dver the stable was boy dying Ie remove him
Woud have been certain death, a0d the only thing TO
be done was to put out the hre But nobody about
The building bad courage enough TO 90 on the roof
aud cut hoe IN II, 80 that water could be thrown
upon flames mad business to be there at all,
but dld IL and the sable was savsd the only assist
ance had being tnst OF Englshmsa-Jshn @.
Gain-wDo happened TO be In the neighborhood.
Tns shows bow frightened the peopis OF Memphis
really were"
"And wnat was the effect upon your"
GROWING CALL0Us-
al must confess grew TO D. exceedingly oalious.
never thought Of dying hut didb't care whether
/ lived or dsd. / saw men dying all round me-in
the next bed, opposite me as lay my cot--every-
where. scarcely had thought for myself But
never Deheved was going TO ole. Few persons be-
lIeved tbcy would dc when they were irst ssized
with the disease; but, as rule, they aware OF
II before the last moment came. In they
predicted the time oi death almost to the m mute.
Then, again, nearly every body VINO had not the
maisdy expected TO escape u altogether. 4 asked a
physician II he expected TO escape the lever,
anu he SAID certainly. In two days ne was dead.
Every txpedtent was adopted 10 escape the disease.
Tue policemen, black ana white, ran away fact
wbIsh mention simply 10 show nov prevalent ~
the idea oil nght. SOme men had idea that nard
drinking would save them, anu the Two liquor saloons
winch we're open did tnriving trade. ihe epidemic
cOntradcted all rules IL was always thought before
tpst drnking coud not escape death II the fever
once seized them; but IN Memphis men OF regular
lives aIea by The thousand wBle druukards sur.
vrved. book might be written on this phi ase oil me
spiucmic"
"What your experience aiier you lett Men,
phis on your WY homer the reporter asked.
s.Wsn, 4 iouDd atter rcacned Louisville tnat had
10 pay my iare, although mad been assured 10
the cOutrary before l started dd not have money
enough, and only got nome by the aid OF tue Mayor
Of GiIcInnht, Mho gave me my passage money out oi