Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1884-10-19
THE ITALIAN seouReE.
Scenes Ia Naples During tho Recent
Cholera Visitation.
Piteous Appeals for Help from. a Befeased
Mother---waiting, for the Feast Of San
Gennaro---funeraI Cars Filled With
Empty Collins Sad Professors.
Mnpies Liter % LorAon &qnAdrS.

he history of the present visitation has
several features Of unusual interest. When
the first case occurred. although the course
of the disease was closely watched by the
entire population, aud the man died, the
physicians reported, after post mortem
examination, that the symptoms did not
exclude the suspicion of cholera, but they
declined to be more precise. Two more
cases followed, aud special precautioR were
taken, but still the dreaded word cholera
was not pronounced. Fortyeight hours
elapsed without a new case, and press and
people in great glee declared that the zin-
CARO-, as the cholera is called here, had no
chance in our well.protected city. This
being so, the people regarded with jealousy
the disinfection Of several places, and es-
peciAlly the cleansing Of the infant school
rooms; and hencr
The Riots
occurred which have been reported. The
population celebrated their supposed escape
from the epidemic by feasting on figs.
prickly pears, melons and bad wine all day
on Sunday. Then on the Monday morning
there could no longer be any doubt the
zingaro was amongs us, and had made
havoc of eight victims during the night,
while forty others we're attacked. The au-
thorities were now on the alert; the hos.
pital at Connochia was ready with 80 beds.
If only the sick of Porto, Mercato Pendino
and Nicaria could be got to leave their
slums in order to be cured, the general
opinion was that all would soon be over.
Al energy was directed to these shame
fully neglected quarters. Sig. Matteo
Schilizzi, noble philanthropist, of whom
humanity may be proud, was the first, ac'
Con panied by physician, to enter the foul
Coz us, called Johuaci, in search Of the sick.
Money was the key to their doors and with
it lie went largely provided. Every spoon,
full of medicine he gave the patient would
take after being bribed with five francs,
and after the good man had tasted IT him
sell. A much larger sum had to be spent
to persuade the patient to 60 to the hospt-
Il, and to provide for his family during his
absence, and thus thousands Of francs were
expended in one morning.
Such was the beginning Of the
Cholera at Naples.
No one would have noticed any differ
creLce in the usual aspect of the town upto
the 9TH and 9TH inst. The promenades and
drives were well frequented; even the thea
tres were moderately full--a medicine
gladly taken by the Neapolitans and highly
commenting as tending to induce an easy
mind. Now, however, our poor city was
sad aspect indeed. Many theatres are
closed, and actors having fled. No car
riages are to be seen in the COrso; the cafes
are empty at 2 p. m, what vehicles one
meets are funeral cars, and in the low
quarters are ladened with four or six collins
at a time. The few people seen after mid,
night hold some Sweet-sented herb TO their
ncstrils to ward off infection.
was attracted to the Woo Volari one
morning while visiting the quarter by the
frantic cries of a woman who rushed out Of
her room on the ground floor, calling out
Don't speak TO me of miracles? No nit
aclcs" A crowd of neighbors instantly
collected, and learned that the poor
woman had Just lost grown.up daugh-
ter by cholera. The people pushed into the
ROOM, full of curiosity, TO see the corpse,
while the mother continued to rave
against the saints. heard that the young
vomun had been i'll only four days. She
might have been saved if she had been
taken to hospital, but when | suggested
this TO bystander he said IF we must
die, we must, either here or there There
is TO help for us till the 10 (the feast OF
San Genuaro) San Rico has this time
been powerleSs; only only San Genuaro can
do it. Just after the scene Of mourning
man was seen in commissions on his bed,
some people waiting for the priest bringing
the holy sacrament to the dying man.
When the priest came in sight all the PEG
pie, unmindful of the state of the road, knelt
in the street, and with them the bereft mother
The room in which the man was dying was
fetid in the extreme and so small that there
was scarcely room for the officiating priest
to preform his sacred duty. Nevertheless.
boys and girls push in behind him, utterly
without fear of infection. No doctor was
to be seen. AS left the quarter Of Pendi-
no ! met an omnibus converted into a
funeral car, full of empty cofins, load OF
collins with corpses being ready TO be taken
away in exchange.
AS long as they continued
The Professions
gave some animation to the streets, the
young women, with their long dishevs lied
and generally beautiful hair, looked highly
picturesque, but their chanting OF the ros.
airy in nasal tones was very doleful These
professions were headed by rather suspic-
ious looking youths, who solicited contribu.
tons from the passersby or induced the
people at the windows to throw down cop.
pers. Bags full and handkerchief full
were obtained in this way, but the objects
on which the money was spent we're not
very clear. The rival Of saints pictures,
long forgotten under the mortar Of many
houses, and particularly at street corners,
formed for a day or two another source Of
movement and even disturbance. Large and
eager crowds, chiefly Of women and child
rem, watched for the temperance Of their
favori;e saints, and one could not behold
their sincere Joy and delight when at last
the image appeared in wonderful preserva-
ton without respect for their religious feel
ing.
Lamps Were Immediately Hung