Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-03
YELLOW JACK RACES.
The Dread Pestilence Begins Earlier
Than Ever in Brazil.
DYING BY HUNDREDS, IN SANTOS.
Death Rides the Waves of River Out to
the Vessels at Sea.
CREWS WIPED OUT OF EXISTENCE

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPATCH.l
New YORK. Jan. 2.-Reports from Brazil
say that yellow fever and smallpox are rag
ing at Santos with almost unprecedented
fury, and the summer season has only just
begun. As an indication of the fearful
prevalence of the diseases it is said that 1S
captains of merchant vessels have been
stricken down and have died within the
past two months They constitute but a
small fraction of the many victims. On
some vessels the entire ships company,
officers and me-, have been swept away by
the diseases. Of all the persons attacked it
is estimated that only about one-third have
left their beds alive.
AT the offices of the different companies
in this city engaged in the Brazilian trade
it was said to-day that nearly every mail
brings the announcement of one or more
deaths from the ships in port at Santos.
On board the ships which have lately re-
turned from Brazil the situation at Santos
was described as pitable indeed. The
caDtains of the different vessels all give
much the same account.
Rio Saved by Good Drainage.
The yellow fever and smallpox, they say,
have also broken out at Rio Janeiro, but to
nothing like the same extent as at Santos.
At Rio Janeiro a European company has
recently reconstructed the drainage system,
while at Santos the drainage system is in a
more frightful condition than ever. To
make matters worse at Santos, the means of
transportation have become clogged, and
vessels arriving in the port are obliged to
wait weeks and months for wharfage and
dock room. The whole harbor is crowded
with such vessels, lying idle in the pesti-
lential waters.
Santos is about 12O miles south of Rio
Janeiro. 1t lies on the inner side of the
island of Santos, which extends within a
short distance of the coast. The province
of st. Paul stretches along the opposite
coast, and the greater part of the merchan-
disc landed at Santos is transported to the
city of st. Paul, which lies inland about
three hours ride by rail- The merchandise
brought to Santos is exchanged for coffee,
which is about the only export from the
neighboring country.
A River 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. The
drainage of the port empties into the river
close to the railway wharf which is the
place where the larger vessels go to unload.
OF the many vessels that have been at this
wharf to unload in the last two months, the
Chaucer, of the Livernool, 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 pestilences.
The water in front of the port and along
! H. -, ,l,a.o tI,o, IL
described as black and foul. 1t is filled with
animal and vegetable growths. plainly visi-
Bile to the eye the Captains say, if glass
of it is held to the 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 wharves
the water is not deep enough for ships and
the unloading is carried on across scows.
At low water many of these are left bur; ed
in the soft mud The men working on them
are said to furnish large number of the
fevers victims. A stone quay is now build
ing on the water front, and dredges and
scows are incessantly at work spreading the
that the mud is supposed to con-
tain.
Hustled Away as Soon as Dead.
The number of those stricken down is so
great that only a part of them can be ac-
at the hospital. Temporary
quarters have been fitted up as well as cir
cumstances would allow, and as fast rs the
hospital is filed the extra victims are dis
tributed among the other places. In most
cases those stricken down live at the longest
only few davs. Sometimes they are dead
in few hours. AS soon as certain symp-
toms appear the physicians are able to cal
culate the time when death will probably
occur, and the family or friends of the dying
man are notified to have all arrangements
for the burial ready at that time No delay
is permitted. If the family or friends do
not come forward the city takes charge of
the burial.
The usual time for yellow fever to be at
its worst has only just begun. From Janu-
ary to March is the summer season in San
tos latitude, and it is in the hottest weather
that the disease works the most damage. A
new hospital is being built, and at last re-
ports work on it was being pushed night
and day.