The New York herald., 1879-02-24
YELLOW FEVER AGAIN.

4 CARD FROM THE GOVERNOR, MAYOR AND CrIT-
zENs OF NEW oRLEANs-A PEN PHOTOGRAPH
OF THE PoTTER's FIELD.
Twenty leading citizens of New Orleans and the
President of the Board Of Health. tho Mayor. Gov.
ernor and President Of the Cotton Exchange have
united in signing o card denying that yellow fever
prevails in that city. that any deaths from yellow
fever have occurred during the present year. This
card which is in reply to Mr.. s. Il. Hewtt's recent
statements In the HERALD, is published in tho New
Orleans Democrat of February 20.
On the same page Of the journal is the fol-
lowing remarkable report concerning the condition
Of Poters Field in that city. The satire of tho
document is apparent when the above distinguished
persons unite III adding to their statement that 1.-The
health of New Orleans was never better nor the rate
of mortality less. rs shown by the weekly reports Of
our Board of HEALTH
The Potter's Field report is as follows:-
PoTrER's FIELD.
In Tuesdays meeting of the City Council Admins
traitor Marks called the attention Of the Council to
the report of DIR. Holt about certain unhealthy To-
caties in this city. The report alluded to is the
the year 1875 and the part that has attracted the
attention of Administrator Marks seems to be that
relative to the Locust Grove Cemetery, Potter's
Field. DIR. Holt in his report says
l myself making an inspection witnessed the
burial of q corpse. The grave was prepared by un-
covering coffin. opening it, raking the bones to-
gether and throwing them out, breaking up and
pricing out the old coffin and depositing the new in
the mould OF the former. When laid in its uncertain
resting place the lid OF the box like that of the
preceding. was two inches below tho surface OF the
earth. To hide IL the earth formerly removed
piled upon the coffin In mound about two feet high.
In this covering counted the skulls of three former
occupants besides observing other bones. SO filed
with bones was the earth 10 make the use of the
spade extremely difficult. Another coffin lid, warped
by the sun. displayed in hdeous reality the body Of
a poor wretch who had died few months before;
the stencil was dsgustingly pcrceptible The whole
surface of the ground strewn with ribs and small
bones, like pebbles upon the hills. Here and there
huge thigh bones served as head and foot stones
the unknown dead.
The citizens living in the vicinity presented petit
tion to the City Council March Is. 1877. wherein they
set forth in the strongest terms the horrible facts
relative TO this graveyard; how that in the summer
the stencil from human bodies pervaded their
homes; that whether eating sleeping. indoors or
out they were ever in an atmosphere heavy with ex-
ing sights presented and forced upon the gaze OF
themselves and of their children.
They referred to their pitiabe condition during an
epidemic, when the putrefying dead were piled in
heaps under q blazing sun waiting burial ana tho
ovcrburdened earth reeked with rotting human
flesh. while clouds of flies swarmed back and forth
upon the graves and upon their tables
They urged In this prayer their constant dread OF
the infectious and pestilential diseases whose vic
tins were brought from all parts of the city and
buried in their midst, hardly covered from their
The neiehbors assurcd that hogs repeatedly
made their way through the picketed fence, and
declared me that they hsd been known to root up
casses the live long night, hlling themselves with
human flesh TO fatten on it, Whether this statement
be truc or not IL is certain they frequently in
this graveyard and the cofins, sometimes not below
the level OF the surface. often made bare by the
rains
Adding danger to the disgusting features Of this
horrible picture the boards of collins broken up,
described, were in constant demand TO be- used a
rcwood for cooking and for the construction Of yard
fences by certain degraded whites and negroes the
district.
earnestly recommended the selection of q site for
sPoters Field in the neghborhood of the cemeteries,
far the Of the Of the city. of sight
of habitations and directly Npproachable from all
parts of the city without having TO traverse Its
length.
The City Council about TO establish pau
per graveyard. This petition numerously signed,
was presented at the City Hail. and IL ever Is with
the prayer of the poor when they cry out In their
aiiiicton. their supplication fell muficd upon tho
dullcd ears of rulers fattened with brief authority.
aud when they looked for judgment. behold opprcs-
sionl The petition itself buried In the needy
mans official graveyard, pigeonhole, no special
record or account being kept OF it. square OF
ground. however. was at selected, adjoining i'm
fnediatcly the first.
As already stated, yesterday q committee Of thrce
was appointed to confer with the Board of Health
upon tnis subject Up to now the committee has not
acted, and DIR. Chopin said yesterday that IL tho
committee waited upon him he would refer them "
Dr Holt who will have TO prove what he advances ia
his report.