Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-07-25

The most gloomy predictions in regard to
an epidemic of yellow fever ut the South
seem in n fair way to he justified. The story
that our telegraphic dispatches tell is indeed
II gloomy one. Ten thousand souls thrown
upon the meTcies OF charity Il general ex
odus of almost every one possessing the
means; complete cessation of business;
and above all the desolating pestilence pre-
pairing for u leap upon its prey-surely here
is combination that might strike terror to
the stoutest heart and it is no wonder that
thousands upon thousands fly from the jaws
of death and abandon the city To Pestilence
and Poverty. 1t is no wonder, either, that
there is great excitement throughout the Mis-
sissippi valley. Cairo has established quar-
antine, rs have many places farther down the
river Louisville and Cincinnati are making
vigorous preparations to meet the impending
danger. The board of health al Galveston,
Texas, has adopted n resolution not to per-
init any more mail, freight and passengers,
leaving New Orleans, To enter the port after
July 81. But the great trouble in the case OF
Memphis and Undoubtedly in other cities OF
the South is the neglect, utter or partial, OF
proper sanitary measures, enforced though
they were by such stern lesson last year.
Casey Young OF Memphis, Representative
in Congress from the Tenth Tennessee
District, said the other day: We have not
improved our sanitary condition 81 much as
we should have done. 1t is possible that the
disease will become epidemic throughout the
Mississippi valley unless the most stringent
means in the world are employed 10 arrest its
progress or To eNterminate it entirely" Last
Year something was done in the way of sini-
tary precautions, but not thoroughly or on
sufficiently large scale. The spirit OF the
South is eXemplitied in the old story OF the
planter who didn't mend his roof i'll foul
weather because he couldn't, and in fair be-
cause there was no need of it. When the
epidemic existed no thorough sanitary meas
urcs could bc taken and in other seasons they
were not needed. So the city is ripe for the
harvest of death and peStilence stalketh at
monday.
AS threatening as the disease now appears
and AS financially disastrous AS lis appear
ance has proved, there is yet possibility
which every one will hope will have its frui-
tiun in fact-that Memphis and the South
may be- spared such visitation as that OF
last year 1t is maintained by some authori-
ties that the yellow fever which breaks out
from germs that have survived the winter
has less virulcncc and less propagating
power than that which is directly imported
and that consequently there will he no such
an epidemic this year as last and the rigid
quarantines established and sanitary precau-
tions taken in other cities will COniine the
disease to Memphis. This, however, is
only possibility, for other scientific authori-
ties deny that experience gives any substan-
tll basis for this theory.
The disease has appeared mucn earlier
than it did last summer. and the season of
prslilcncc, if the city should not he spared,
will he cnrrcspondiusly longer. And in the
hong months thai must cnsuc before the COM
ins OF the welcome frost there may he II
dreadful repetition, with added horrors, of
the defamation of last year. Ii such is the
ease il is very unlikely that any possible
quarantine will Keep the epidemic from
other southern cities all nl them, there is
not much doubt. ms unprepared aS Memphis
and the result is something terrible To
think OF
In the meantime the condition OF the peo-
pie left within the city is pitiahlr in the eN-
treme. The cessation of business has left
them without means of support, much less
Of properly attending To their sick and dying
The city treasury is bankrupt, 81 that M
aid cal, bc expected from that source; and
the wealthy people OF the plare have He'd
fnr their lives Here then. are ten thousand
people face tn face with despair and death
number appalling IN its immensity AMI,
should the disease prove epidemic, over
whelmiug in its needs.