The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-11-13
CHOLERA IN PARIS.
THE PLAGUE srnlcEES CRY.
Tho Quarters Where tho Epidemic First
Hroks Cultivated, l,csiie the Patients.
Visit. to tho Different Hos.
-B rital. OF tho City-In Toulo,. 70

f's"As ~ tHS Shs-iH lOulous \ I
PARIS, Nov. la.-Yesterday afternoon a
. correspondent visited several houses In
the Rue Ste. Marguerite, and interviewed
two rag.p;ckers, in whose rooms cholera
cases had just occurred. Nothing more
: sad or filthy than this street can well be
Imagined. 1t is n Parisian edition OF tho
Roman Ghetto without it's picturesque.
ness Almost all the houses are tenanted
by ras-pickcrs, who pay from to 10 cents
night for their lodgings, and very often
they crowd six or eight human creatures
INTO one rooln. The ground floors are
chiefly occupied by foul old clothes stores
and wine shops OF the lowest kind, The
proprietors OF the wine shops In some IN
stances rent whole houses and sub.let
them. Sanitary-arrangements are scarce.
~ known in the Rue Ste. Marguerite.
What water IT gets is unfit for horses. The
iirst rag.plckcr interviewed was a respect
able, quiet spoken man Of thirty years.
~ EVACUATED ny WANT AND MISERY. "a /
"lie held little girl by the hand, and told
the correspondent that he had Just been
nursing his sister-in.law, who after seven.
teen hours illness had been taken TO the
cholera ward Of tho hospital 81. Antoine
IN desperate condition. He seemed re.
signed and no way afraid. lie scofled at
tho panic mongcrs for alarming the pco-
pie. when was out in Senegal" said
hc. I've seen four hundred OF them drop
down in 4 space not five hundred Yards
square. I'm not afraid. The worst OF it
IS they wont let me 20 back to my room.
It must bo disinfected, they say, c6niound
them; they're burning ulphur in it now"
"Wha. did you DO for your s!ster.in.
law" said the correspondent.
81 gave her tea and rum. and with
alcohol rubbed her limbs. l believe it
was fear more than anything else that
broughtit on"
"llow many cases are there in the
housc?' he was asked.
Only one besides this.' at
"l,ow many lodgers?'
-Four hundred, packed into 135 rooms"
answered the rag.picker. "Somc OF them
are. so wretchcd that dog would not lie
in them, and you should see the insects"
Just then n decentlv dressed young
woman came into the wine-shop where we
were talking. THAT" said the rag-picker,
is The widow OF the first victim in this
street" Presently We were joined by
second as'picker, who had been
EEEriSG WATCH HEsIDE ANOTHER CHOLERA
PATIENT.
Like the first, he was quiet, respectable,
and equally free from terror. eve been
trying to get him to take alcohol" said
he, "but he won't; so Hold him that he
knew his own business best. and came
away. I've been with him four hours,
Afraid? No. Shouldn't mind sleeping
with him; but you see he is no relation Of
mine, only pal" a
How do you accountfor the outbreak"
"Oh,. 1t Is poisonous air that brings it,
ana ana misery, i suppose" replied No. ..
I'VE ragpickers cont eat enough TO keep
body and soul together, even when We
make our three francs, and now there is
nothing doing. No, thank you, l won't
They pretend that cholera follows the
course OF rivers, hut all that is nonsense, -
remarked rag-picker No. !.
The correspondent next called On the
Director Assistance Publique, n. Quentin,
and asked permission TO visit the cholera
wards OF some of the hospitals. N. Quen.
TN, ruddy, jolly gentleman about tiitv-
iive years old, replied that he regretted
that his orders positively forbade lin to
let journalists into the wards. No one
was admitted hut the municipal au,hori-j
ties, the Senators, and deputies OF each !,
reimbursement. However" he added.
Pm expecting the Project OF Police eyerv
minute. We are going 10 the Tcnon Hos
pl'al together, and il he has no objection
you may, perhaps. Join u.s. "
VISITING THE HOSPITALS. 6 ~
NJ. Camescasse, the project, shortly arr
rived and courteously gave the required
permission. "AIeet us at the Tenon in an
hour said u. Quentin. In an hour the
correspondent, having taken the simple
precantion OF tying 4 flannel band arounlT
ms waist and putting little camphor into
Iis pockets, drove up 10 the door OF tho ! i.
handsome stone building near the Pere In. I
ChaIse Cemetery. Entering tho vast
court yard, testefully laid out rs garden.
frightened with flowers and flashing ioun11
tainss, he was ushered through several
corridors into another garden where stood
long, onc-story stone building, completes,
ly Isolated, and reserved for cholera eases
The project and NJ. Quentin were on tLc
spot already. Passing through n halTY
paved with stone, the correspondent SAN
a door on either side OF him. That on The, /,
right gave access to othemale cho!era warT
and that on the left to the female
ward. Both were lofty, and .hadII
oeaulilui!y clean walls and floor, OF 4
stone which seemed to be marble. Each :
contained eighteen beds. all occupied. The !,
change from the clear crisp atmosphere !,
outdoors to the hot house air within was !.
disagreeab!e, but in few moments one, :;
got used to it. There was no trace oi;ioul,; i;
smells or dirt detachable, thanks 10 the I
careful use OF phenic acid, and the scrup-,i,
uious neatness OF the patients separated !;
each from the other by severn. feet. The ~
betsteads were OF iron covered with clean,
white sheets and blankets; at the foot 5of n
each was card giving the names, i,
age and profession OF the patient, anil nc r
day OF admission. The corresponding
noticed that all belonged to the poorest !
classes, scarastresses, rag-pickers, ser r
wants. Several had been in the ward three, :,
days, the most about twenty.four hours. :
and few had just been admitted. ,Ig o';.r
VIEWING TIE PATIENTS. M s Il
Joining the project and NJ Quentin, \,
the correspondent passed from bed to, :,
bed, halting in front OF each eiahtccn1..
female cases. Only four or Il yc seemed d:
dangerous. It was easy 10 tell tllen;by,zl j
their dark and livid faces. and theil:nk 6it;,
lustre, in their eyes. The rest OF ItI,oi /
women are suffering slight attacks, and d
seemed ieverish and hot. Wien We ar.
rived anutse was rubbing the limbs of
one poor wretch who groaned iearfully- y
From time to time one would raise ber q;
head spasmodically, let it fall back on the 4
pillow, or call for help. On one Eel ay;4: