The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-10-13
IN THE EMPIRE CITY.
Sights and Scenes in and Around New
York During the Cholera Scare
A Few Words About a Great Band
Leader.
Special Correspondence THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE.
NEW YORK CITY, OcT 10. 1892.

Special Correspondence THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE.
New YORK CITY. ocT. TO- 1892
The reign of terror is at an end. 1t has been
proclaimed BY official act that King Cholera has
failed to fasten his fangs on American soil.
Western civilization can now return to its nor
NAL condition and prepare for another conyul-
sion six months hence.
IL takes great deal to brighten New York
CITY into a spasm of cleanliness, but cholera
can perform that little job with neatness and
dispatch. Cholera feeds on filth and thrives on
coriuptlon, and some portions OF the Empire
City offered magnificent propagating beds for
this child of the Ganges. New Workers knew
this. and the CONSERVATION and dismay caused
by the announcement that cholera was Mt the
entrance TO the port, ready TO sneak in without
inspection or duty, nearly caused social and
financial panic. Ii was costly importation
that nobody wanted. Such inspection of unsa-
worry neighborhoods such sweeping and disin-
fecting in general was never before undertaken
by the City authorities house-to-house can
vass was made and circulars issued by the Board
of Health were distributed. in which minute
instructions as to diet and preparation of food
were given. People whose acquaintance with
soap and water was of the most limited nature
surprised themselves with baths, aud disinfect-
ants made Manhattan Island smell like the pick.
ling vat in a medical college.
Out OH the bay strict quarantine was estab-
lished, and the imaginary desd-line was as
strictly marked as though stone wall cleft
those riacid waters. The city of boats grew
day by day until thousands of souls were num-
bered and the modern Venice almost INSTRUCTED
navigation. There were no gay gondolas Gid
ing TO and fro among The black hulls OF the
ships, however, and the Stars and Stripes float
ing at the foremost were lowered to run up
strange new flag. The black flag Of the pirate,
a. a, ufad half
the horror caused by the unfurling of that sun
bright piece of bunting, the yellow flag of
King Cholera. There were 26 boats in the
cholera feet. OF the 80 or more who died in
sight of New York not one was American born,
all but two or three were steerage passengers,
and constitutional defects, aided by disregarded
sanitary rules. assisted materially in depicting
the census of unwashed passengers who were
fleeing from infected Europe and Asia.
The brute in the animal man came to the
surface when it was finally decided to remove
10 Fire Island the passengers on the quaran-
tined vessels who were perfectly well in every
way. The laws aid was invoked to prevent
this act of humanity, and that failing, the CIV
ilized Islanders forgot their years of education
and training, and drove back upon the angry
waters Of the storm convulsed bay the pleasure
boat with its hundreds of tried souls, condemn
ing them, for aught the Fire Island people
cared, TO a watery grave. After Is days of sus-
pense, anxiety, and privaton landing was
made at the point OF State militia bayonets
and refuge on land secured.
All of the history made on those &c steam
ships with their freight of infected human life,
as they lay in quarantine, will never be known;
but many of the incidents were pathetic in the
extreme. One poor woman. sent to find heal
ing balm in foreign travel, returned on the
Moravia, with its scourge-infestcd Storage, to
die at home Sitting on the deck, with hec-
tic flush on her thin cheeks, she could see the
spires of the church where, when a babe, the
sign of the holy cross had been made on her
brow, where she had plighted her troth in later
years, and from under whose shadow she had
followed to the grave her only child. Death
had taken passage home with her, and his icy
hand held fast to hers as it lay upon the arm
of her steamer-char, yet to her was denied the
presence of her husband, who paced the narrow
limits Of the pier, gazing out over the expanse
of glittering water 10 the dark speck riding at
anchor on its bosom. where his wife was fight
ing alone the awful battle with death.
Night after night an uptown theater was
packed from pit TO gallery god heaven, the
audience impatently demanding the musical
tones and abandoned high kicking OF the ad-
vertised artist, who, to while away the tedious
hours in quarantine, and take her mind away
from the dollars she was losing, sang Tara
ra-boom- der-e" and kicked the cabin ceiling
while down below ia the steeragc disease and
death held high carnival.
little babe, brought before its time into the
world, calmly slept with Its crumped, rose
leaf fists pressed into it's wrinkled face, swad-
died il the soft, warm shawl of stranger,
while Its fair young mother went all alone on
the long journey into the unknown country.
Through tears would-be bride watched
glorious sunset On what was to be her wedding
day. In her beautiful city home the hidden
guests came and departed. Her husband that
was to have been, wild with anxiety, sailed in
his yacht just out of mailing distance of the
doomed Morayis, his princely millions as
powerless to get him across that imaginary
line of quarantine as though it had been the
Alps that loomed between, while in the hold,
She trunks Of wedding fnery were piled up
awaiting fumigstion.
Down in the steersge a little girl with just
IA moons of wisdom shining in her round
black eyes tumbled about on the Goor and
habbled Of mamma aud papa in the musical
tongue OF Italy. unconscious that one short hour
had taken from her both parents, and left her
bit Of human wreckage stranded at sunrise
on alien shores of the great ocean Of life with
not even name to show her nativity or her
ancestry.
quartet Of politicians Of National renown
had splendid opportunity TO prepare the lin
promptu" speeches for the campaign, where
engagements were cancelled because OF their
non-appearance as they paced the decks Of
quarantined steamers aud execrated the luck
tnab ucI0 tDcm prlSouerS at suc1 critical
period in the campaign.
During those days Of detention the gamut
OF human joys and sorrows was often run;
much that happened will add to the blurred
pages Of the Nations history, and above the
general rejoicing that the scourge is barred
out for this year hovers the dread certainty
that no mortal power can hinder or obstruct
Its entrance next Spring.
sss
Gilmore is dead, The great, warm heart of
the Irish Bandmaster lies pnlseless and still
and Autumn winds sing requiems above his
grave. 1t is not too much TO say that the whole
Nation mourns for him, for he had penetrated
10 every corner Of the United States and his
friends were to be found among all classes and
conditions of people. The demonstration in
this great, busting, busy city when the re-
mains Of the dead band leader were being car
ried TO the church was something wonder
ful. For several blocks customary traffic had
20 be suspended because of the crush Of people
Few dry eyes were seen when the flag
orapcd casket was carried beneath the portals
OF ST. Francis Xayier's Cathedral The inte-
rlor, rich with carving and sculpture, and with
treasures Of art, was hung with purple velvet
tribute of great honor from the church
wealth OF blossoms and embems made the air
heavy with fragrance The music stealing
through the yaulted edifce and floating out
through thestsined windows open to let in the
golden sunlight was msryelousy sweet and