The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-11
SCENES In HAMBURG.
PEN PICTURES OF TIE sORELY
STRICKEN CITY.

Buryln2 Hundreds of Victims in
Long Trenches in Potter's Field
Collins Jolting Through the Streets
on Butcher Oarts-5howsrs of Disin-
fectants Through the Streets Sprink-
lers-Patlents in All Stages of tbs
Disease Seen at the Hospitals-Very
Few Cases Among the Hundreds of
Nurses and Attendants-Dr. Krauss
Blamed for the Calamity That Has
Cost 5000 Lives.
From the New York Sun.
. HAMBURG, Sept S.-This city, usually at
this season one Of the gayest places in
Europe, an aristocraoy of merchant princes,
who live in elaborate style In beautiful
houses with magnificent surroundings,
where no element Of pleasure is lacking, is
to-day a'oity of death and desolation, Of
mourning and misery, city OF collins and
hearses, Of Rachels weeping for their chill
dren, OF children crying for their parents,
OF wives mourning their husbands,
and husbands mourning their wives. Ham
burg's vast commerce with all nations is
at standstill. Her miles of wharfage are
lined, and double lined, with idle steam
ships and sailing vessels, and only an occa-
Sional tug or lighter disturbs her waters.
Her families have fed from the great houses
and beautiful grounds of Hohenfelde and
Uhlenhorst, on the one side Of the Aussen-
Alster. and from Harvestchude and Rother-
baum on the other. Her hotels are vacant
save for an occasional benighted traveller,
and her schools, theaters, opera houses and
concert halls are closed.
The first intimation had Of the manner
in which the plague is regarded on the con-
tinent arose out OF the circumstance that
every railroad guard on the route from
London, after ! reached Belgium, looked
at me with curiosity when he read the word
Hamburg on my ticket. / was the only
passenger on the Bremen express who got
off az Hamburg on Saturday evening, and
the others shut their windows when they
saw the name OF the station, as IL they
feared that the deadly atmosphere Of the
polluted suburbs would penetrate the smoke
and steam and inoculate them with the
deadly virus In the railway carriages. The
station was only half lighted and deserted,
save for the stationmaster and a single
porter. who carried my baggage quarter
of mile before he could find conveyance
to take me to the hotel, conditions some
d
nibuses. cabs. hotel runners and railway
service.
The streets, even in the central part of
the town, were all but deserted, The
tables outside OF the cafes were with
out occupants, and desolation was on the
city when l drove up before the great
Hotel de Europe, beautifully situated upon
the Alsterdamm, tree-lined terrace facing
the blue waters or the Binnen Alter.
&c L.,
corridor that i at first fancied that the
Hamburgers were celebrating the plague
after a manner suggested by Poe Ia "The
Masque OF the Red Death" IL turned out
that all the walters were gathered IN the
hall to discuss the prevailing topic, owing
to lack of business and a dread of remain
ing In the rear rooms alone.
was the first guest to arrive at the hoted
since 1t had been depopulated, more than a
week before. They were delighted to see
me. The proprietor was on the sidewalk TO
bid me welcome before had slighted from
the cab. Three or four porters struggled
for the honor Of bringing 10 my luggage
Two pages fought for my umbrella and a
retinue of servants escorted me to the bridal
chamber. The hotel was absolutely empty,
save for two permanent guests, who could
not get away, and the employees. and the
loneliness OF the echoing halls and stair ways
impressed me as nothing else had done with
the actually OF the presence Of pestilsnce
The same state OF affairs | learned ex-
listed Rt all the other hotels. There we're
but two or three guests at the Kron PriEen,
the Hamburger, and the Victoria. The
walter who served my snpper that evening,
where ! sat alone in big dining hall
among empty tables beamed with pleas
ure when he took my order. He made brave
efforts to ameliorate the gloom of the situa-
ton by informing me that the head waiter
on his way home the night before, had met
three great luggage vans, each drawn by
six horses and piled high with collins Of
the cholera victims, and had followed them
part way to Ohlsdorf cemetery for the en-
tertainment afforded when an occasional
box Of human clay fell into the street.
A wealthy Hamburg merchant, the pride
of whose life vas in three sturdy boys, aged
z, 8 and 10 years, saw them all die on Sum
day within five hours OF one another. Two
OF the editors of the Hamburger NCschrich-
ten died last week, and was told of q child
of 3 months who Ia the sole survivor of
father. mother and four brothers and sisters.
and will inherit millions.
Driving With a well-known citizen of
Hamburg yesterday, he pointed out one of
she most beautiful houses, with extensive
grounds on the Schwa aenwik, whose lord
and master had succumbed few days be-
fore, he having refused to leave the city
when his family fed, and laughed at their
fears
All this time the people from the infected
districts come and go as they will In the
public streets and public places Funerals
are ceaselessly passing through the city,
and the improvised police ambulances are
carrying patients through the most densely
populated thoroughfares at all hours of the
day and night to the Neues Allgemeines
Krankenhaus, or hospital in the suburb of
Eppendorf, or to tho hospitals in the heart
Of the town,
1t is almost impossible to realize without
having experienced it the depressing effect
Of these continual reminders Of the presence
of disease and death. Turn from one street
where funeral is passing and a wagon load
OF new coftins is on its way to the mortuary
and one meets perhaps two or three moro
hearses with attendant mourners and an
ambulance containing hospital attendant
and a dying woman wrapped In blankets.
All these public funerals one meets in the
better parts of the city, and they are outside
the daily quota Of untortunates who are
carted away at night to be buried
In long trench in potter's field.
From morning until night these
dreary professions are vending their way
to the cemeteries, and from morning
until night the hearses are hurriedly re-
turning thence for new employment, and
groups of professional mourners, curlously
clad in knee brooches, buckled shoes, white
ruffs, and barettss are hurrying from one
place to another as their services are re-