The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-01-04
THE YELLOW FEVER.
Tho Terrible Epidemic Raging in
Portions of Brazil.
HUNDREDS ARE DYING IN SANTOS
And are Hustled Away rs Soon as
Dcnd.-.Tio Janciro Saved From tho
Pcstilcnco by Good Drainngc...A
River Hull Of Death.

SEw YoRH, Jan. 3.--Reports from
Brazil say that!yellow fever and small
pox arc raging at Santos with almost
unprecedented fury, and the summer
season has only Just begun. As MI in
dication OF the fearful prevalence OF the
diseases it is said that eighteen cap
= tains OF merchant vessels have been
stricken down and have died within
tho past two months. They constitute
but n small fraction OF tho many VIC
Tins. Onsome vessels the entire ships
company, officers and men, have been
swept away by the diseases. OF all the
persons attacked 1t ia estimated that
only about one-third have loft their
beds alive.
Attic offices OF the different compa.
MES i'll this city engaged in tho Brazil
ian trade it was said to-day that nearly
every mail brings tho announcement OF
ono or more deaths FROM the ships i'll
port at Santos. On board the ships
which have lately returned from Brazil
tho situation ut Santos was pitlfnl in
decd. Tho captains OF tho different
vessels all give much tho same account.
no SAVED III GOOD DRAINAGE.
Tho yellow fever and smallpox, they
say, have also broken out at Rio Janciro,
but TO nothing like the same extent rs
ut Santos. At Rio Janeiro atEuropeNn
company has recently reconstructed the
drainage system, while at Santos the
drainage system is in moro frightiul
condition than ever. To make matters
worse ut Santos, the means OF transport
tation have become clogged, and YES.
sells are arriving in tho port arc
obliged to wait weeks and months for
wharfage and dock room. The whole
harbor is crowded with such vessels
lying idle in tho presidential waters.
Santos is about 40 miles south oil
Rio Janeiro. 1t lies on the inner side
OF the island oil Santos, which extends
within short distance OF the coast
The province oil st. Paul stretches along
the opposite coast, and the greater part
OF the merchandise landed at Santos is
transported to the city OF st. Paul, which
lies inland about three hours ride by
rail. The merchandise brought to Sam
tos is exchanged for coffee, which is
about the only export from the neigh
boring country.
RlvEl: FULL OF DEATH.
1t is among the ships and along the
water front that the black vomit and
smallpox have done their most deadly
work. Tho drainage OF tine port emp
ties into the river close to the railway
wharf, which is the place where the
larger vessels 90 to unload. OF the
many vessels that have been ut this
wharf 10 unload in the last two months,
the Chaucer, OF the Liverpool, Brazil
and River Platte Steam Navigation
Company, is said to be the only one
that did not give up some OF the crew
to the pestilcnces.
The water in front OF the port and
along the river where the vessels are
anchored is'described as black and foul
1t is filled with animal and vegetable
growths, plainly visible TO the eye, the
captains say. ii glass OF it is held to
tho light The bottom OF the river is
black, bad smelling mud. When the
tide goes down great stretches OF this
bake in the sun. Near some OF the
wharvcs the water is not deep. enough
for ships and the unloading is carried
on across scows. At low water many
OF these are left buried in the soft mud
The men working OIL them are said to
furnish large number OF the fever VIC
tins. A stone quay is now building on
the water front, and dredees and scows
are necessarily at work spreading the
contagious that the mud is supposed to
contain.
HUSTLED AWAY AS SOON AS DEAD.
The number OF those stricken down
is so great that only :! part OF thom can
be accommodated ut the hospital. Tenn
porary quarters have been fitted up us
well as circumstances would allow. and
as fast as the hospital is filed the extra
victims are distributed among the other
places. II most cases those stricken
down live at the longest only few
days. Sometimes they are dead in q few
hours. AS soon as certain symptoms
appear the physicians are able to caicu-
late the time when death will probably
occur, and the family or friends OF the
dying man to notified to have all ar.
engagements for the burial ready at that
timo. No delay is permitted. II tho
family or friends do not como forward
the city. takes charge OF tho burial.
The usual time for yellow fever to be
ut its worst has only just begun. From
January to March is the summer season
in Santos latitude, and it is in the
hottest weather that tho disease works
the most damage. A now hospital is
. lninn mill mud nj lnst rannrtc ,rarl: al,