, 1879-03-06

Tho Torribie Condition OF Tint Ctty-No
Eewcrs, No yVntor. Mo City Gnvernnsent-
1tnportctl Cnscs Of Fovcr, anil n Gu,,er,ti
Desire to Get Away.
CNrresnonaencs LoHttrtlis Eetntno E.1st.
MRMpHls, Tenn, Feb. 97.-T'ho yellow fever,
or some other prst|lcnco or plague, will assurcly
visit this city during the coming simmer as Tho
lapse Of time brings tho scason nl,d tcnpernturo
suitable for tlic development OF tllo germs uf
fatal sickness. Memphis Is unQuesl[onably tho
nastcst, dlr.test, unts llthlest city in tr United
stntes, II not In tho world; 1t ought to be In
tlictct as national nllisancc. Tcre s tln l'lro
wator for drinking Or culinary pNrposes to 10
had within the llI,ts Of asta corporatonl Therc
nre soite wells anl pumps IN tllu suburbs, but
tlu water trot, bayosis md cess-poois
they contain. Wolf HIver, from whence
The city Water Works draw thc!r supply, IL, III
for Tho surrounding country, ulnl Is Just rcck!ng
with seen poison at,d l'th. In tic central part
Of tile city there are great 1nany cistesns. tho
covers OF which arc ucncrally III ditapdatcd
nbly broken, md eracsed, a,,d t,,r seep poison
filters into lhe1n. When the pcople returned to
this city lust ycar, after tho l!ourd Of Ica!1s al
issncd thctr proclamation nf safety, they COM
1nerccd to uso the water from tilese etstcrns
what Ind bceu enlpttcd or thrown Into them
during tho prevalence OF the fever. The result
OF all tl!s casclessnets ana stupidity las brcn u
scason Of unparalleled sekncse, ,hn end Of
WHICH Is not yes. TIC srocn and pntretynE
bo1ics uf hundreds Of Inst years Yeiow-fcver
Victims have bccn exhntNcd, removed. Minl re-
Inferred 1T other PLACES II there existed no
otcr cause for tho rcappcaraNec OF yellow lever
this year. this digging Up Of the bodies IN Zig
be amply sufficient.
There arc no sewers In Memphis worthy Of
the name. nnl tho nauscatlE fluid from mi
,1ls aIld vaults tltRt rcniaIns Whcro It faEla or
sccps through the ground to elsterns, cellars,
weltst md the river.
The stteuts, alleys, mil back-yards Of the
city arc In most deplorable state Of nastfncss !;
no arrangement ur contract for removing Curb
nge nppears tu have hoeu IN existence here for
morH than year, and the consequence tst that
nt tle doors and In the rcnr Of many dwelling
md bsinCss-llo,ista there arc lient,s OF ashcs,
piles OF .nnnlirct and Otller filth and offnt. How
Mny community call bo ut ease under such 4
frtEhttu state Ut affairs Is, TO the writer, tnosr
e1plfcab1o mystery. ..
The Inevitable nttyent Of another terriblo af
aictlon upon the peonle Of Memphis Tits year t.
Of whom hayc already. removed t!lcIr families
to places Of safety. WorkIngncn are str,lg-
Cling md denyinga themselves md families
many comforts md luxurics In order to nccll-
tnulato few dollars to enable lllcin to remove
to u healthier place. Quo or two very larrc
buslncss.lsouscs havc closed their bllsiness
hers forever. aud tpclled out I'll st, Louis
and other elites: others hayo detcr,pincd to
close at an carly day. and are now selling out at
prices far below actual coat, ia order 70 enable
them to meet obligations to gct away. There
ara not dozen retail merchants in tic city in
nny hrnnrh of trade TINT ara not cnulurti,t,
their business with strict reference TO uil carlV
s1sponsion OF business md it Is safe 10 sny tlot
tlcre is not business t]rm in any line hcro who
| hns now OF futcufis TO be- caught viii, heavy
| stock Of Foods on hand whcl1 Memphis has
another uttacK. yellow fever lias not entirely
gubsiJctl hero since lust summer, I'I,crc aro
people here now, sick i'll bed, viii, m indrmit,
showing ali Of tic prominent symptoms of ycl.
propcr season, tiey would i,nl,csitatnEly pro.
,,olinco II such. Tkc last Authenticated casc o,
record here, which tcrniuatol fatalIy, was TINT
Of Mrs. Pnttcreuu. widow, Who lived ou
| ifnion strcnk. ncnr De sttS1. shc wns intended
by Dr. Pournell. TIC patient died n1,out Dec.
l. Ii was n wc}t-tnnrkctI case nf peny1inn ycllnn
hnvr hnnrc. etthnr drniee or i|ortits its charnt
Ter or indanttv WITH lie drcaded srot,rre of Iast