The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-09-23
STRICKEN HAMBURG.

The accounts which come from Hamburg
are narrowing. and il is no matter of sur
prise that the hat is going round in quest OF
relief for The Sufferers by the plague. The
splendid city by the Elbe, with its magpifi-
cent docks, its imposing churches, its enor-
nous trade and the palaces Of its merchant
princes. is an abode of desolation, In which
people are dying fer want of bread. OILY
a year ago ii boasted that its commerce was
larger than the entire commerce eli boiiahu
or Spain: now no country viii receive any
thing that il wants 10 export. and nothing
enters the city but medicines, dlsinfeetantS
ond seantv supply of food. The palaces
ara epDtv. the Tharyes are deserted, the
merchants offices are closed; there is no
crowd anyw here except in the churches,
where terrified crowds pray 10 heaven for
respite from the destroyer. The scenes of
misery which are painted by casual visitors
have been unparalleled in modern times.
OF course, there is but one thing to be
done. The hungry must be fed. the sick
must be nursed and, If possible. must be
cured. The Christian world cannot sit by
idly while felloW-crestuTes are perlshing OF
pestienee and famine. Subscriptions will
be opened in different cities and relief
poured into Hamburg With generous hand.
Every dollar sent TO Germany may be The
means Of saving ehild's life.
But while Christendom responds TO gen.
erous impulses it is but right that the facts
of the case should be remembered. 1t is
sad truth to state, but Hamburg concealed
the outbreak OF the cholera in the city for
several days, and not only took no measures
to prevent It's spread to foreign ports, but
NJ "a nit
clean bills Of health, when the authorities
must have known that they were infected.
Agents OF tie steamers sailing out Of Ham
burg were instructed to inform travellers
that the Normannia would carry no steer
age passengers. while at the very time over
FIVE hundred such passengers were being
received on board. Representatives of the
State Of Hamburg-f0r it is a State as we'll
as a seaport-denied the prevalence Of the
epidemic long after the leading citizens had
begun TO run away TO the country 10 escape
it. Il was IN the power of the Hamburg
authorities to eonfne the pestilence within
narrow limits by isolating il where it was,
and to notify the ports with which their city
was in close intercourse that it behooved
them TO take precautions for their OWE
safety. Nothing Of the kind was done, and
Canada refused to allow passengers on
Hamburg steamer TO land the captain set
them at defiance, and declared that he
would land his passengers on his own re-
sponsibility.
Hamburg occupies an anomalous posi-
ton. Ii and Bremen constitute the lanse
towns, which have been partially indie
pendent almost from time lmmemoriaL For
several generations they have been included
IN the dominion OF Prussia, but until 1855
they were free ports. and the Prussian
tariff was not in force there. In 1880 Prince
Bismarck began a policy OF pressure TO
compel them to unite completely with the
rest Of the empire. and by threatening TO
build up a rival seaport and by exerting
other measures Of coercion he carried his
point, the last remains of the liberties of
The HanSe towns vanished. and imperial
Germany became dominant at Hamburg.
Hence conflict of jurisdiction arose.
When anything unpleasant or costly had to
be done. the Government at Berlin threw
the responsibility Of doing 1t on the State
Of Hamburg, while the latter claimed that
it deVolVed on the Federal authority. Each
viii now claim that it was the duty of the
other 10 cireumSeTibe the cholera.
There can be no question that the local
authorities at Ham burg ought to have seen
to it that their city was not the nest of dis
ease which it is. The 'old town" is inter
seeted by a labyrinth Of canals connecting
with the Eibe, which I'll with water and
empty at each flow and ebb Of the tide. At
the spring tides there will be sixteen or
eighteen feet of water in these canals, and
at low tide there will he no water at all,
and crowds of boys paddle IN the mud and
slime. These canals are bOrdered with low
lodging houses, in which the poor live.
When the tide comes in the lower stories of
these buildings are submerged, and their
tenants make their escape 70 higher local
titles. When the tide runs out they return
to their coy and dripping abodes. They
lead the life Of water-rats, and, as a matter
OF course, they fall a natural prey to dis
ease It would seem that a wealthy city
like Hamburg, which filed the worlds sea-
ports with the smoke from its steamers,
could have afforded 10 spend little money
in clearing out such a narsery of pestilence
a. this.