The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-04
THE HOME OF CHOLERA.
Meshed the Holy, Its Shrines and
Plague Spots.
From the Neo York Tribune.

PlARue Spots.
From the NetD York Tribune.
CoNsrANTINoPLB, Aug. 7-Meshed Is
now the cholerA's home. Time was when
the dread disease made Mecca its headuuar-
corners OF the globe by the hosts OF pilgrims
returning from that shrine. Prominently
the holy city of the Moslem world. Mecca
was and Is visited by countless muititudes
Of worshipers, herded together in a truly
horrible state of unoleanlinsss. The only
wonder is that the rAvAges of the plague
were not greater. 1t still exists there
But British rule in Egypt, at Alden and at
5uez, has proved potent quarantine, and
now the world is little menaced from that
quarter, Calcutta, Benares, and other In
dian cities have also in years past
been literal pest houses. Why nots A sim
gle pool or reservoir is used for bathing, as
a receptacle for Offal and sewage, and also
as the source from which the supply of
drinking water is drawn. Imagine all the
sewers of New York emptying into the Cen
trail park reservoirs, and thousands of the
| populace daily making their abutlons in it,
and yet the same water, unfiltered being
used for drinking and other household pur-
poses, and all this under the rays OK a trop-
ioal sun. Loathsome as tho picture is, its
| actual counterpart In real life is co be seen
in more than one great Indian city. Yet
British rule is there also exerted in the di-
rection OF improved sanitary conditions. so
that 1t IS no longer thence that the pestilence
proceeds.
Meshed--Mukuddus, or Meshed the Holy.
is now the offender; the most sacred Mos
lem city in the world after Mecca itself.
Within 1t Is buried Reza the eighth in the
list Of twelve imams of caliphs recognized
by the Shia sect OF moslems The Persians
are all Shias, and Reza is the only imam
buried in Persia. Hence. the especial holt
ness OF Meshed, and the reason why it is
visited annually by vast hosts of pilgrims
called Meshedees. The twelve imams.
according to Shia faith, have been
Ali, the son-in.lsw OF Mahomet.
HaSsan. Hossein. Zeimal, Abedin.
Mahomet, Banker, Jaffar, Muga, Reza, Ma
homet Taxi, An-un-Naki Hasfan Askari
and Ell Mahdi. There can be n more. for
after the twelfth imam the judgment dav
was to come. But the Judgment day has
not yet dawned. SO a legend has arisen that
FL Mahdi did not die, as was reported, but
that he is concealed in Bagdad and will
presently reappear. Moreover, no imam
was ever to die a natural death. Reza did
not. He was poisoned by Matmoom, son of
Haroun-al- Raschid. the deadly dose being
placed in a bunch Of grapes.
Not many European visitors ever reached
this holy city OF Persia. and mona are even
allowed to approach the temple containing
the tomb Of Reza. The myriads Of the faith
full go there yearly, and IL is now the place
where cholera is chiefly propagated and
from which it is carried into other Aslatic
countries and into Europe itself by way of
Russia. The traveller approaching Meshed
meets or oveItakes thousands OF pilgrims on
the road. Some are alone: some are in
groups Of two or three; some are in large
parties. Some are afoot, but most of
the men are mounted on horses, mules
or donkeys The women are 10 curious
contrivances, balf-chaiTS, halt-litters, on
the backs Of mules Those on their way
toward Meshed cry to the traveller who
passes them, also going thither, Ultima sa
doah, or Pray for us'-meaning at the
shrine of Reza- The reply is, BE sharti
hayat," or "lf we live to get there" The
road from Teheran leads over and among
the mountains. and the first sight of the
holy city is from the side Of the mountain
overlooking the valley in which it lies. At
this point are many cairns and monuments
erected by pious pilgrims 70 mark the spot
from which they hrst caught sight Of
Meshed. The distance is several miles, but
one can see distinctly a number of golden
domes and spires, chief among them being
the dome of the shrine of Reza.
No one who is not Moslem is allowed to
so anywhere near the holy tomb. So far
as can be observed from distance, the en-
tire structure--dome, drum, minarets and
al-is covered with gold. Other shrines
near by are Rtlded. or painted yellow or