Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-11-25

whom two-thirds die. To the terrible
conditions Of the place Is added poverty
so abject that the people 60 hungry
from birth 10 death-and generally
make a short trip Of IT, Because OF
physical weakness, owing TO insufficient
noufishment. they fall an easy prey to
the frst disease that takes hold OF
them. Some say that the plague orig-
mated I'm the entire fish diet OF the pe0-
pie; others that It developed spontane-
ously, from the same conditions Of life
that produced
THE GREAT EPIDEMICS
OF the middle ages. Meanwhile. quar-
antined by Gordon OF police, the
wretched denizens OF the infested quar-
ter, cut of from employment, are hour
" growing hungrier and rendering
themselves better subjects for disease.
Doubtless the lrreguarity Of the cl-
mate contributes something to the UNI
healthfulness OF Oporto. There is often
a difference OF twelve degrees cent?
grade between sun and sun. a sea-fog
comes IN the DOuro every night at the
turn Of the tide, and at us best the ell
mate Is damp and chilly. The plague
made It's first appearance early In June,
IN Fonte Taurine street, down near tbs
river. The first victim was a spanish
porter, named Gregorjo Blanco He wa,
30 years old, unmarried and very poor.
lie had long been In feeble health and
his neighbOrs were so used to see him
come totterng home. faint and melan-
Choly, after his days work, that they
paid no attention when he returned one
night sicker than usual Next morning
he was dead and at his funeral--whlch,
according to Portuguese custom, oc-
CURED the same day, one OF the coffin
bearers was seized with a lit Of SILVER
Ing which presently ran into raging
fever, and In a few hours he followed
his friend, Gregorio. Thus, within thir-
ty-siX hours, nineteen others, who had
all slept In one crowded tenement, went
by the same swift route to the Campo
Santo. by this time, people began TO
be alarmed. Or. Ricardo Jorge, Tan
English physician In Oporto, whose
name Ia properly Richard George,
made archaeological analysis, and dis
covered bacillus OF Kitusato- Yersln IN
the pus Of suppuratlon The Junta Con-
sultiva de Saude. % Llsbor--a unique
institution OF Portugal, whose business
Is to look after the public heath--sat
IN solemn cOnclave, discussing quaran-
tine regulations with a view TO keeping
the plague out Of the capital; but no.
body thought Of fighting II In OportO.
with sulphur fumes and carbollc acid.
When II was given out that quarantine
was to be esta bhshed. upwards Of twen-
~ thousand people fed from Oporto.
fearing not so much the plague, as the
scarcity OF food sure to follow; and
some OF the refugees carried the deadly
bacillus along with them 10 other parts
Of the peninsula. Factories and COM
mercal establishments were closed and
for
THREE AWFUL MONTHS
the only activity in the city was among
graye-diggers and dead-cart drivers.
With the approach OF cold weather, the
plague seems TO have spent itself IN
Oporto. except In the poorest quarter
known as La Sc, where every house Is
a cesspool and the dark and nOisome
alleys, reeklng with the contamination
OF centuries, are veritabl breeding
places Of disease Strict quarantine Ia
maintained over this section. In conse-
quence OF which as many people are
now dying Of starvation as from any
other cause. II is said that rats and
iieas carry the plague about. and that
II any small animal is pricked with
needle. dipped In the blood OF a plague
patient, IL Is Immediately seized with
the deadly chill and dies in commissions.
] need not add that your correspondent
will give La Sc wide berth and that
her hospital investigations In Portugal
will be confined 20 the outside from re-
spectful distance Although a great
deal OF buster Is made about quaran-
tine II IL a we'll known fact that few
dollars, tudiciously expended. Will ELI
able the foreigner In apparent health.
n hYauE fhrutfUh lie raptfla finna
where in Euru.e.
In spite ot lts canketed heart. whore
death lurks ike the worm on the bud.
Oporto is a beautiful city its newer
portlon-to which the traveller should
conhne his XplOra,ions-being built
nearer 10 the principles OF modern
science and thanks TO the English resi-
dents, kept comparatively clean. Pub
lie squares are as numerous as In our
national capital. a score Of them being
adorned with statues and fountains
The finest ~ these Is the Praca de Sac
ONdio, high up on the hillside, sur
rounded by handsome residences. II Is
shaded by magnificent oaks and faced
by terrace. which affords wide sea-
ward Views. Next In popularity az o
promenade is the great Botanical Car
den, which. however. cannot
COMPARE IN BEAUTY
with tie nanesake in Rio de Janeiro--
the word-famed Jardn Botanlco with
IT'S avenue Of royal palms. In the bet
ter portion Of Oporto most OF the houses
have gardens attached In which olives.
figs, grapes and pOmegranates are grow
ing. amid carefully tended tlowerbels.
But there Is no water works system. eX-
cent the public fountains 10 which the
servants 60 for oil the household sup
piles. Happily, there are hundreds OF
fountains. and each is a work OF art,
its stone basin and facade carved IN
arabcsque designs.
The principal business thoroughfare
Is named Rue Nova das lnclases C'New
street Of the Eugllsh'D on account Of
the many British mercantile firms es-
tablished In Il. The greater part Of
the foreign trade OF oporto Is conducted
by EngIlshmen. whose warehouses line
both banks Of the Douro.
The Rua ia sac Ioa. thew street of
ST. John0. being nearly on level run
ming parallel with the shore. Is the fash
ionable afternoon driveway II Is lined
with handsome houses. all faced with
gally painted and gilded balconies.
Many of the front walls are covered
with blue and yellow tiles. inlaid In
quaint devices, precisely like those of
the beautiful Praia IA Botnfog1. OF Rio,
the finest residence street Of the branch
city across the sea.
The Rue das Flores, Street Of the
Flowers, "--proba bly, so called because
there are no flowers In it--is interesting
on account OF lts display OF the gold
work for which Oporto is famous. II
appears not only IN the windows OF
every shop. but on the persons o. the
brawny and bawling fish-women. This
fantastically CARRIED class % Portuguese
citizens are everywhere greatly In evil
dence. They may often so dinnerless
and supperless TO bed. but none are 50
poor as 10 lack enormous golden ear
rings. and filagree necklace, and heavy
rings on every digit, 60 say nothing Of
pins and bracelets and buttons galore.
FANNIE u. WARD,