Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-07-04
VERA CRUZ LETTER.
THE CITY OF TIE TRUE CROSS
NOT so BAD.
Uloa-OriSin OF Yellow Fever
-Epiden,icai Antidotes.
Correspondence OF the REcoRD-UN1os.l
VERA Cruz. Mexico. June. 1885

Correspondence OF the RECoRD-UNIos.l
VERA CRUZ, Mexico. June, 1885.
Vera Cruz, the City of the True Cross
which for nearly two hundred years has heer
dreaded as the very lair and lurking-place
of Yellow Jack, is really much-maligned
locality. In spite Of yellow fever and the
still more deadly gomito-either of which
may be taken III varying doses at any time
of year-.t is far healthier abidiug-place
than the City Of Mexico. am aware that
it is difficult TO make people believe this
statement, such is the deep-seated prejudice
against Vera Cruz; but il proof we have
but to refer to the Official statistics, which
give the annual death-rate at five per cent.
more, according to population, at the Capt.
tai than in this fever haunted town. The
reason lies in the fact that though the City
OF Mexico is more than eight thousand
feet higher far above the fever line) than
the port Of Vera Cruz, there IS no POSSIBLE
ity Of draining it, but on the contrary the
oup-like hollow, which has been the site of
q popui0us city for five hundred years. has
been constantly drained into from all the
surrounding country and the accumulated
impurities from
CENTURIES or DEAD RACES
Foster. in the ground, and loads air and wa
ter with more death-dealinE pOisons than
yellow Jack possesses. Vera Cruz Is the
cleanest city of its size in the world. Twice
in every twenty four hours its streets are
swept tidy as a paTlOr floor and through
its cutters, which are dag down both sides
and middle Of every avenue, wafer runs all
day long as in the Holland villages, and
every night they are thoroughly washed.
That yellow fever is no longer yearly Wis
itor, but has taken up his perpetual abode
here, is no fault Of the authorities or Of the
citizens, as has been alleged Of some sec
tons OF our own South, for every precau-
ton is taken to avoid il, and the most scru-
pulous neatness is enforced by law. The
dread scourge here. as elsewhere on the
continent, is the direct
RESULT or TIE SLAVE TRAFFIC,
Having been unknown in America till
brought to Vera Cruz by that accursed
trade. The African disease, intensified by
the filthy habits Of human Cargocs, came
first to this port with slave-ship in 1888
ana in like manner wa5 transferred TO ali
the West Indies When the negro insur-
rection in San Domingo drove the white
population into exile, the c0ntaeion was
carried by the immigrants 10 all the cities
of the United States, even to the most
healthy localities in the interior OF Massa-
chusetts. There are people still living who
remember when the city Of New FORK was
so completely deserted that irs principal
streets were boarded up and watchmen
went their rounds II silent avenues the
same by day as by night. The Untimcly
death OF umnumDerGd thousands may be
traced directly 10 the fact tina; slaves We're
struggled into Rio Jaueiro. who brought
with them from Africa the disease in It's
most yigulent form. The terrible sCourcc
was carrying its hundreds to the grave in
RIO JaneirO, when q vessel cleared from
that DOr. for New Orleans While this
ship was disseminating It In the upper
wards Of the last named city, there arrived
another vessel from Cuba, which from sinI-
liar cause had contracted ,0r,itJ al Havana,
and from this second crew the disease was
scattered about the lower wards Of Eew
Orleans. Il was the meeting OF these TWO
Independent currents Of death in the center
OF the Crescent City which caused
that fatal day Whereupou more than three
hundred victims went 10 their long home
q
bur they grind exceed small, if such We're
the fruits @; the traffic in one city in
single day. The worst Of it is that in this
form OF retri2ution the innocent suffer for
the sins OF the guilty. It seems as if in
dignant heaven had sent groan for Groan
and sorrow for sorrow for every stroke Of
the cruel lash throe Of mortal agony; fer
the tears Of every slave-mOther torn from
her children, the sundering Of families by
the grim destroyer; the loaths0me death,
the hasty burial; often the quick and the
dead carted away together and tumbled
into a common pit; grief, horror, agony
unspeakable, which visits not only the
abodes of poverty, but dcvastates the hap
piest homes. and calls adventurous travel
ers TO leave their bones under foreign
skies.
TEE DEADLY GERMS.
In Vera Cruz, whenever an old wall Is
disturbed or street dug into, the fever is
sure to break Out with redoubled force in
that locality, proving that the germs are
always present, though sometimes dormant
until disturbed. Two years ago the disease
was particularly prevalent, because the
main street had been torn up for laying a