The New York herald., 1879-08-05

serious loss OF cargoes In regard to the refugees
concealing that they from the infected districts,
thought that could be detected by his inspectors
examining them on the boats and trains and in the
event of suspicious cases by at removing them
to quarters provided where they can be isolated.
The Health Officer feels confident that he prevail
upon the Board OF Health to allow him to use his
discretion in the matter. and not insist rigid
quarantine, he feels fully competent to
take care of the city and prevent the dis
ease from getting foothold here. The
fact that the Health Officer had received such in
structions became generally known to-day, and in
consequence much uneasiness is felt here Business
men dislike the idea of quarantine, they say it
would seriously injure their business. and they
ern cities through which the refugees pass, not
quarantned. they do not see the necessity Of inter-
tering with the trains and boats at this point
NO DEATHS AND NO NEW CASES AT QUARAN-
T1NE-DIscHARGE OF MALARIAL FEVER Pa
TENTS
There have been cases Of yellow fever re-
ported at Quarantine Hospital from sea inland
for over forty yeight hours. and there have been
deaths among the old patients. 1t is considered
somewhat remarkable that out Of fleet Of thirty
forty vessels from infected ports lying at Upper and
Lower quarantines at this season OF the year no
sickness of any kind has bee reported to the
thorties for that length of t The remaining
yellow fever cases were stated be doing well last
evening.
nedy third cook OF the Moro Castle is so far recov-
cred as warrant his discharge, which will be
given to-day. Charles Otto. steward OF the steamer
City Of New York, was discharged yesterday.
The cases Of yellow fever in hospital are:-
Purser Wells, OF the MORO Castle, who still con-
tinues in comfortable state Chapman. second
mate and Nies Dumstead, sailor, from the British
brig Salisbury, who show change from yester-
day; Esty. OF the schooner Ebbett remains easy.
Tho passengers on board the steamer" Niagara,
from Havana came up the city last evening" The
vessel will discharge at Upper Quarantine.
| The steamer from Norfolk having on board six of
the crew OF the bark T. l.. Gregory. of Baltimore.
| which arrived at wilmington, n. c., with yellow
fever reported on board, had not arrived ut Lower
| Quarantine at a late hour last evening.
The Quarantine Commissioners met yesterday and
passed u resolution requesting the Health Officer to
detail at Swnburne Island practical physician. who
shall remain there until all cases Of yellow fever
have been discharged from the hospital.
PHIs--HoRRIBLE RESERVOIRS OF TILrH-THE
OBVIOUS MEANS OF DELIVERING THE CITY
FROM PEsTILENCE.
To TUE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
AS you discuss all matters of national importance
beg leave to call your attention to some matters
connected with the pestilence now raging in Men,
phs. Tenn, referring particularly to the measures
necessary to prevent its recurrence. I have never
resided in Memphis though l have been familiar
with place forty years have there
ing former periods of pestilcnce. The formation of
the bluff which the city stands has l.ssch to do
with its sanitary condition. The Mississippi
| River flows by the city from north to
| south. Wolf River runs into the Mississippi from
the east. and is the southern boundary Of the city.
| Bayou Gayoso flows into the Wolf from tho SOUTH
though the Mississippi. running parallel with it.
| flows from the nor.b. As the bluff the Missis-
sppi is the hlgAest part of the city, all the drainage
! flows east into the bayou; hence the bayou is tho
great open conveying by the aid of occasional
rains all the garbage and filth of the city into the
the north boundary of the city aud into the Assis-
sippi. The bayou is very crooked. with little
rill of water passing along it i'll dry weather.
with long ana deep ponds in the bends. where
the sewage and filth collected by the water
from the rains lie fostering and putre-
| flying in the hot sun, generating poisonous MAS
mata, calculated to foster the propagation and the
vrulence of any malignant form of disease. II hui
man ingenuity had been tasked to invent the most
certain means of producing pestilence could any
more efficient agencies have been combined? How
there is still another agency adding greatly to
the efficiency of this all-pervading cause. This bluff
formation is of porous tenacious clay. into which
the privy vaults sunk and it is thoroughly per-
meated with the privy poison and infuses its venom
not only into the air. but into wells and all i'm per.
| fections in the csterns, all OF which under
! ground The exceptionally virulent type of fever
which has just destroyed Judge Ray and nearly all
his family attributed to privy poison His house
| il in high aud dry location. some distance from
the bayou and in part of the city reputed healthy.
based correct principles all these evils could be
obviated and Memphis made as healthy city
any the river. 1 would suggest that eight
foot tunnel be started in the front OF the bluff and
drifed through the clay, east. about under Gayoso
street. gradually rising unit il intersecs the bayou
n distance of say about one thousand feet. From
! this point underground sewers should be built
| up tie southern branch of the bayou. and
4 large sewer gradually rising to the point whore
Poplar street crosses the bayou. These emptying
| into the tunnel would promptly discharge the
age twentie,hs of the city into u strong
River,
OF the city. The very limited north OF Poplar
street would be drained into Wolf as il is now II
be observed that there am pie fall from the
bluif into the bayou to drive all sewage promptly
into the river when washed in either by rainfall or
flushing from the water works. AS tho underground
sewers were extended under the streets the prives
should be drained into them. and all other priyes
should compulsorily be kept in dust boxes. to be
omptied weekly at the public cost.
1t is idle for property holders to say that they
cannot protect their property from the calaniitous
effects OF continually recurring disease by an ef-
cient system of drainage as it would be for the cap
tain OF over aden ship in storm to say that he
could not throw part OF his cargo overheard to
tighten the ship. and thus the lives of his
sengers and crew as well as the ship. Their prop
crty is unstable now and it will continue worthless
until, by wise sewerage system they render it
habitabic for human beings. Tie population OF
large OF productive territory requires depot for
the exchange of commodi ties--a city-at this point
II the taxing authorities of this district have not
the Legislature OF the State has the power the
property to DO Lenehted, pro rata. to construct such
drainage ms wiu protect tue place from pestilence
and render IL subsorvcnt to the public uses Since
ii seems to be proved now that the germs OF pest-
lenco may be preserved from year to year in such
intensely nlthy localities and then during the heated
be scattered through the land. il would to
be necessary To remove the cause, II ~ indeed be in
the power of the community to do IL. Buenos Ayres
was devastated by pcstilence caused by the accu-
mulated sewage of years. When the city thor
oughly cleansed and drained the public health
restored. The property owners of Memphis may
profit by this example. There is utter ruin and
prostration now, but though cleanliness may DO
achieved 1t will not DO thrust upon them. +. Ii. S.
FUND FOR THE REMOVAL OF HEALTHY IN
HADrrANrs FROM INFECTED cITIEs--wnAr
MIR. coRcoRAN's CHARITY HAS SUGGESTED.
ST. LOUIS, July 81, 1879.
To THE EDITOR THE HRRAI.p:--
Tho action of that noble and philanthrop.c citizen
of Washington city, Mr.. W. w. Corcoran, in send