New-York tribune., 1908-09-26
GOLD CHECKS CHOLERA
mANY BODIES UNBURIED.
Scenes an Russian Cen1etcry-OEt-
break in Spring Feared.

St Petersburg. Sept 25-The cholera cpl
demic in St. Petersburg, in the opinion OF eX-
.perts now has reached its maximum, and
the number Of new cases daily is expected TO
remain about stationary for a week or ten
days and then gradually TO decline under the
influence OF the cold weather.
Little progress has been made in cleaning the
courtyards Of tenements, the factory districts.
the sluns and other breeding centres of the
disease and the necessary conditions exist for
a renewal Of the epidemic in the spring. The
disease might then sweep down TO the Russian
frontier 10 the neighboring regions of Germany
and Austria and from the coast towns might
menace the ports of northern Europe.
A visit to-day to the cemetery where most
Of the victims are being buried showed that
the squads still are unable to keep pace with
the number of dead received there. The ceme-
tery is a low-lying tract near the river above
the city and is reached by railroad. Nor
tuary trains which run there twice daily convey
an average Of over one hundred and fifty
bodies for burial
In a shed near The entrance TO the cemetery
about one hundred and fifty collins were piled in
q confused heap, some of them. according TO the
statements of attendants. having been waiting
for burial for a week. Many OF the coffins were
without marks of identification.
Sixty or seventy more cofins were stacked
outside the cemetery chapel Wnlie INSIDE llaI
building were the collins Of $50 victims. for
whom the influence or opportunities OF relatives
obtained the privilege of immediate burial Most
of these collins were rude board boxes. with
gaping cracks and l1notholes, similar TO packing
cases. The mourners were mainly Of the peas
ant and working classes and all were poorly
dressed Their grief was frantic.
While waiting for the funeral service TO be-
gin the rnourners crowded around the rows Of
coffins endeavoring to identify their dead, some
times wrenching loose the lids.
AT various places in the graveyard squads OF
weary sections labored at graves-shallow holes
barely three feet deep, into which water oozed
from the sodden earth. The coffin bearers
pressed the gravediggers hard. the coffin some
times arriving before the digger had ceased ply
ing his spade.
The funeral services IN the chapel were con-
Quoted over one hundred dead at q time num-
Der Of priests taking turns at chanting the long
Russian funeral liturgy. AS soon as the service
was finished gang Of peasants, dressed IN thelT
working clothes, shouldered the cofins and bore
them off 10 the graves, followed by the mourn
ers Priests were scattered among the graves,
two by two. They said a short prayer and
'chanted the usual responses as each coffin was
lowered into the earth. Immediately afterward
1vorkmen filled in the graves and levelled them
over. The sanitary precautions were slight The
rnourners and worknen handled the coffins freely
and the graves are SO shallow as to offer danger
from infection for years TO come.
Three hundred and f1fty-seven new cases and
l62 deaths were reported at the municipal hos
pitfalls for the twelve hours ended at noon to-
day. This is a slight Improvement over yes
terday. Among the deaths reported is that of
an instructor in the St Petersburg University
The total number Of cases in the municipal
and rbpra
have been 1879 deaths. These figures are
more than double the statistics for the corre-
spending fortnight OF the last great outbreak
OF the plague in St Petersburg. which occurred
:n 1894 A total .of 976 patients have been dis
charged from the municipal hospitals cured.