THE YELLOW FEVER IN THE WEST INDIES.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIV, Issue 1091, 11 December 1857, Page 4

THE YELLOW FEVER IN THE WEST INDIES.

The Royal Mail Company have sent out instructions to St. Thomas to alter the coaling nrrangements there, in order, as much as possible, to put a stop to the yellow fever on board the company's ships. The company's arrangements for roaling at St. Thomas are defective. At the Royal Mail Coal Wharf on that island there are nearly 20,000 tons of coal stored. With the heat a deletereous gas escapes from the coals, which is frightfully injurious to health. Mail steamers come up to St. Thomas with a clean bill of health. In two or three days after coaling yellow fever almost invariably breaks out during the sickly months. The steamers which ru-t to the Windward Islands and to Honduras, and which do not come up to St.Th.omas to coal, hardly ever get thp yellow fever on board. Her Majesty's ship Orion, with 700 souls on board, which is in the West Indies, and which has not coaled at St. Thomas, has not had a single case of fever. The fever does not attack blacks, rarely visits peisons who have made many voyages to the West Indies, or passengers. That something conducive to yellow fever is generated from coal is proved trom the fact that firpmen and engineers, who sleep nearest to the mass of coals on board the West India steamers, are the' sufferers from the fever. The Royal Mail Company's coal wharf is most injudiciously situated at the foot of a hill, which scarcely ever feels the sea breeze. The gas generated by the coals is hardly ever blown away, and the crewt of the mail packets are therefore inhaling it for the two or three days which each large packet takes to coal. The La Plata coaled outside St. Thomas harbour, and the Arato coaled at the wharf, and the latter suffered far more from fever thnn the fornier. The crews of the mail packets always say they are poisoned at St. Thomas coal wharf. The steamers Dee and Clyde have suffered badly trom yellow fever ; but no mail packet has ever suffered as much as the Orinoco. After coaling at St. Thomas, the fever broke out on board of her on the 27th ult , And two or three died daily until she left for England. She had upwards of 30 on the sick list when she left St. Thomas. Complaint has been made that these were not left behind, and it hns been thought that the Orinoco ought not to have come away with a full hospital. It is difficult to say that there was blame. Persons perhaps with only bltght symptoms do not like to be left behind. The commander of the ship, who wants every hand, thinks that many who are ill will soon recover, and be oi service to him. Captain Sawyer, the commander of the Orinoco, provided as well as he could for the emergency. He borrowed all the men he could from the Solent, which is repairing at St.Thomas, and started on his voyage ; before he had concluded it 70 out oi his crew, which numbered 106, were struck down with fever and 28 died. The number of passengers was neatly 200. All but one of the engineers were ill, and the first and 6th engineers died. The shifts that all on board were put to were most inconvenient. The stewardess, a very worthy and J respectable woman, perished. The surgeon, Mr. Walter, worked like a horse, and it is a marvel that he did not die from fatigue. The Rev. Mr. Ratcliffe, a Jamaica clergyman, who was a passenger on board, rendered great service in cheering the sick, comforting the dying, and performing the last offices for the dead, when they were consigned to the deep. Lieutenant Tickell, the Admiralty agent of the ship, a humane and brave offi. cor, also rendered assistance. Captain Sawyer and his officers set an example of manliness. The white saloon waiters all perished, and the officers and passengers dispensed with the black ones, who were sent into the engine department to succeed the dead and dying stokers ' and firemen ; yet everything possible was dene for the comfort of the passengers. The resources of a ship like the Orinoco, and the handiness of all on board, are astonishing. Capital dinners were served up daily and everything consistent with the bolemnities of illness and death were done to keep up the spirits of »11 on board The Admiralty agent, Lieut. Tickell, describes the scenes on board as most pathetic. You talk one day with a man v»ho is cheerful and in good health; the next day he is ill, and the day after the funeral service is read over his dead body, and you are cairying home from him a love token to friends who will mourn his death. The dead were enclosed in their hammocks, and in the morning when few persons were about the deck, the funeral service was real in a subdued tone, and the corpse was gently dropped in the ocean. The utmost care was taken to prevent too saddening thoughts from pervading the ship. Fear oftentimes introduces disease. One or two persons got hipped, believed they had the fever, and confined themselves to their cabins nearly the whole of the voyage, although they had not the slightest symptom of disease. The death -bed of a [ yellow fever patient is oftentimes a sad and terrible seen?, the brain and limbs are preternaturally active, the body feels like a burning coal, the expression of the face is maniacal ; yet, apparently, the final struggle with death is a painless one. — Sun.