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CHAPTER IX.

Extravagant Letters from Philadelphia. Credulity put to the test.

THAT I might not interrupt the chain of events in Philadel phia, I have deferred, till now, giving an account of the proceedings in the several states, respecting our fugitives. As an introduction thereto, I shall prefix a short chapter respecting those letters, which excited the terror of our neighbours, and impelled them to more severe measures than they would otherwise have adopted.

Great as was the calamity of Philadelphia, it was magnified in the most extraordinary manner. The hundred tongues of rumour were never more successfully employed, than on this melancholy occasion. The terror of the inhabitants of all the neighbouring states was excited by letters from this city, distributed by every mail, many of which told tales of wo, whereof hardly a single circumstance was true, but which were every where received with implicit faith. The distresses of the city, and the fatality of the disorder, were exaggerated, as it were to see how far credulity could be carried. The plague of London was, according to rumour, hardly more fatal than our yellow fever. Our citizens died so fast, that there was hardly enough of people to bury them. Ten, or fifteen, or more, were said to be cast into one hole together, like so many dead beasts.* One man, whose feelings were so composed, as to be facetious on the subject, acquainted a correspondent, in New York, that the only business carrying on, was grave digging, or rather pit dig

* The following extract appeared in a Norfolk paper about the middle of September.

Extract of a letter from Philadelphia, to a gentleman in Norfolk, Sept. 9."Half the inhabitants of this city have already fled to different parts, on account of the pestilential disorder that prevails here. The few citizens who remained in this place, die in abundance, so fast, that they drag them away, like dead beasts, and put ten, or fifteen, or more, in a hole together. All the stores are shut up. I am afraid this city will be ruined: for nobody will come near it hereafter. I am this day removing my family from this fatal place." I am strongly inclined to imagine that this letter was the cause of the Virginia proclamation.

ging. And at a time when the deaths did not exceed from forty to fifty daily, many men had the modesty to write, and others, throughout the continent, the credulity to believe, that we buried from one hundred to one hundred and fifty. Thousands were swept off in three or four weeks. And the nature and danger of the disorder, were as much misrepresented, as the number of the dead. It was said, in defiance of every day's experience, to be as inevitable by all exposed to the contagion, as the stroke of fate.

The credulity of some, the proneness to exaggeration of others, and I am sorry, extremely sorry to believe, the interested views of a few,§ will account for these letters.

* From a New York paper of October 2.

Extract of a letter from a gentleman in Philadelphia, dated Sept. 23.— "The papers must have amply informed you of the melancholy situation of this city for five or six weeks past. Grave digging has been the only business carrying on; and indeed I may say of late, pit digging, where people are interred indiscriminately in three tiers of coffins. From the most accurate observations I can make upon matters, I think I speak within bounds, when I say, eighteen hundred persons have perished, (I do not say all of the yellow fever) since its first appearance."

From the Maryland Journal of Sept. 27.

Extract of a letter from Philadelphia, dated Sept. 20.-" The disorder seems to be much the same in this place as when I last wrote you about 1500 have fallen victims to it. Last Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, there were not less than 350 died with this severe disorder!!! As I informed you before, this is the most distressed place I ever beheld. Whole families go in the disorder, in the course of twelve hours. For your own sakes, use all possible means to keep it out of Baltimore."

Extract of a letter from Philadelphia, of the same date." The malignant fever which prevails here, is still increasing. Report says, that above one hundred have been buried per day for some time past. It is now thought to be more infectious than ever. I think you ought to be very careful with respect to admitting persons from Philadelphia into your town."

From a Chestertown paper, of Sept. 10.

Extract of a letter from a respectable young mechanic, in Philadelphia, to his friend in this town, dated the 5th inst.—“It is now a very mortal time in this city. The yellow fever hath killed some thousands of the inhabitants. Eight thousand mechanics, besides other people, have left the town. Every master in the city, of our branch of business, is gone." The "some thousands" that were killed at that time, did not amount to three hundred. The authentic information in this letter, was circulated in every state in the union, by the newspapers. From the date, I suspect this letter to have been the occasion of the Chestertown resolves.

As this charge is extremely pointed, it may be requisite to state the foundation of it, for the reader to form his opinion upon. Some of the letters

CHAPTER X.

Proceedings at Chestertown-at New York-at Trenton and Lamberton at Baltimore.

THE effects produced by those tales were such as might have been reasonably expected. The consternation spread through the several states like wild fire. The first public act that took place on the subject, as far as I can learn, was at Chestertown, in Maryland. At this place a meeting was held on the 10th of September, and several resolves entered into, which, after specifying that the disorder had extended to Trenton, Princeton, Woodbridge, and Elizabethtown, on the post-road to New York, directed, that notice should be sent to the owners of the stages not to allow them to pass through the town, while there should be reason to expect danger therefrom; and that a committee of health and inspection should be appointed, to provide for the relief of such poor inhabitants as might take the disorder, and likewise for such strangers as might be infected with it. In consequence of these resolves, the Eastern Shore line of stages was stopt in the course of a few days afterwards.

The alarm in New York was first officially announced by a letter from the mayor to the practising physicians, dated September 11th, in which he requested them to report to him in writing the names of all such persons as had arrived, or should arrive, from Philadelphia, or any other place, by land or water, and were, or should be sick; and that such as should be deemed subjects of infectious diseases, might be removed out of the city. He notified them, that the corporation had taken measures to provide a proper place as an hospital, for such persons as might unhappily become subjects of the fever in New York. In this letter the mayor declared his opinion, that the intercourse with Philadelphia could not be lawfully interrupted by any power in the state. The 12th appeared a proclamation from Governor Clinton, which, referring to the "act to prevent the bring

from Philadelphia about this time, were written by persons, whose interest it was to injure the city; and gave statements so very different, even from the very worst rumours prevailing here, that it was morally impossible the writers themselves could have believed them.

ing in, and spreading of infectious disorders," prohibited, in the terms of that act, all vessels from Philadelphia, to approach nearer to the city of New York than Bedloe's Island, about two miles distant, till duly discharged. The silence of this proclamation respecting passengers by land, seemed to imply that the governor's opinion on the subject coincided with that of the mayor.

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The same day, at a meeting of the citizens, the necessity of taking some precautions was unanimously agreed upon, and a committee of seven appointed to report a plan to a meeting to be held next day. Their report, which was unanimously adopted on the 13th, recommended to hire two physicians, to assist the physician of the port in his examination of vessels; to check, as much as possible, the intercourse by stages; to acquaint the proprietors of the southern stages, that it was the earnest wish of the inhabitants, that their carriages and boats should not come to the city, during the prevalence of the disorder in Philadelphia; and to request the practitioners of physic to report, without fail, every case of fever to which they might be called, occurring in any person that had or might arrive from Philadelphia, or have intercourse with them. Not satisfied with these measures, the corporation, on the 17th, came to the resolution to stop all intercourse between the two cities; and for this purpose guards were placed at the different landings, with orders to refuse admittance to all persons coming from Philadelphia; and if any were discovered to have arrived after that date, they were to be directly sent back. Those who kept lodging houses were required to give information of all persons of the above description, under penalty of being prosecuted according to law. All good citizens were required to give information to the mayor, or any member of the committee, of any breach in the premises.

These strict precautions being eluded by the fears and the vigilance of some of the fugitives from Philadelphia, on the 23d there was a meeting held of delegates from the several wards of the city, in order to adopt more effectual measures. At this meeting, it was resolved to establish a night watch of not less than ten citizens in each ward, to guard against every attempt to enter under cover of darkness. Not yet released from their fears, they next day published an address, in which they mentioned, that, notwithstanding their utmost vigilance, many persons had been clandestinely landed upon the shores of

New York island. They therefore again called upon their fellow citizens to be cautious how they received strangers into their houses; not to fail to report all such to the mayor immediately upon their arrival; to remember the importance of the occasion; and to consider what reply they should make to the just resentment of their fellow citizens, whose lives they might expose by a criminal neglect or infidelity. They likewise peremptorily required those who kept the different ferries on the shores of New Jersey and Staten Island, to pay such attention to their address, as not to transport any person but to the public landings, and that in the day time, between sun and sun. The 30th they published a prolix address, recapitulating the various precautions they had taken-the nature of the disorder-and the numbers who had died out of Philadelphia, without communicating it to any one. They at the same time resolved, that goods, bedding, and clothing, packed up in Philadelphia, should, previous to their being brought into New York, be unpacked and exposed to the open air, in some well ventilated place, for at least forty-eight hours; that all linen or cotton clothes, or bedding, which had been used, should be well washed in several waters; and afterwards, that the whole, both such as had been and such as had not been used, should be hung up in a close room, and well smoked with the fumes of brimstone for one day, and after that again exposed for at least twenty-four hours to the open air; and that the boxes, trunks, or chests, in which they had been packed, should be cleaned and aired in the same manner; after which, being repacked, and such evidence given of their purification as the committee should require, permission might be had to bring them into the city.

The 11th of October they likewise resolved, that they would consider and publish to the world, as enemies to the welfare of the city, and the lives of its inhabitants, all those who should be so selfish, as to attempt to introduce any goods, wares, merchandise, bedding, baggage, &c. imported from, or packed up in Philadelphia, contrary to the rules prescribed by the committee, who were, they said, deputed to express the will of their fellow citizens. They recommended to the inhabitants to withstand any temptation of profit, which might attend the purchase of goods in Philadelphia, as no emolument to an individual, they added, could warrant the hazard to which such conduct might expose the city. Besides all these resolves, they published daily statements of the health of the city, to allay the fears of their fellow citizens.

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