Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1854-11-16
From the Home Journal Of Oct. "a.
THE PLAGUE IN LONDON.

THE PLAGUE IN LONDON.
We trust that the following lette
from literary friend abroad, receives
by the last packet, gives an exaggerated
account of the state Of health in tn,
Great Metropolis. As it comes, how
ever, from q man of verscity, we give
place-eonfessing that it appears NOR,
than probable the sudden outbreak o
severe visitation Of Asiatic cholera
with that slight variety in its symptom,
which is not unfrequently observed
may have given rise to an impression or
the part of those who were scourgec
with it, that the Plague, which had beer
buried for the best part of two centu.
ries. was again decimating them. We
unhesitatingly express our opinion ol
the improbability of this report being
confirmed
81 am at present running away from
London, and what is more, although not
much given to fright, / am running
away because am literally scared out
of it. The fact is. although l presume,
from the careful manner in which the
details of it are suppressed here. you
will at present hear but little of it, that
the "Plague," or something very much
like it, has commenced in London
You open your eyes as l say this, and
possible doubt my sanity; nevertheless,
let me assure you, that l am saying
nothing which is not strictly true
One hundred and fifty years since,
more or less, the infection of the Plague
was brought to this city from Alexan-
dria, in a chest Of clothes. Half OF
London perished with this fearful conta-
gion. The bodies were carried out and
buried in deep pits in those fields which
now lie under Argyle street and its i'm
mediate neighborhood. This Plague,
it is said, has now been turned up by the
spade, and has begun to ravage London.
Impossible as this may seem, the sur
geons and physicians say positively that
London is not suffering much from the
cholera; that it is a contagious disease
which has broken out in this neighbor-
hood, and that it is rapidly spreading.
1t would appear that in cutting a
sewer through Argyle street, it was
carried rather deeper than ordinary,
and that bones of the old victims of the
fearful disease were turned up by the
workmen, many of whom were taken
i'll and died suddenly. Children, also,
who had come and played with these
bones, sickened and perished! More
over it was noticed that those who came
in contact with either the workmen or
children, sickened and died, in most
cases within a few hours. The disease
increased. Clever physicians said that
it was decidedly not the cholera. The
disease now spread rapidly, and in
week from the time at which it broke
out, it had completely ravaged the
streets in Soho and its immediate vicini-
ty; at the present moment, Poland
street, Argyle street, and others, are
closed against all passers. Half the
shops in Regent street are shut up
The remainder are rapidly closing. At
two O'Clock in the day, scarcely dozen
persons may be met with in that great
thoroughfare. In those streets which
the disease is most speedily depopula-
ting, the dead bodies are placed in the
open air, Immediately that life has de-
parted from them, so great is the fear of
l have seen in two instan-
ces. half dozen bodies being carried
off in black sacks, like bales Of goods,
for burial. You will easily judge how
great fright this has created. Every
one who is able to do so, has fed. Lon
don, generally at this time Just empty
ing, is now half depopulated. Business
is at complete stand-still. Nothing is
doing. Amusements for the time being
have completely closed.
Physicians say that this is undoubt-
edly the Plague. The symptoms occa-
sionally vary from those which are re-
ported to have accompanied it when it,
in the reign of Charles H., swept off
one-half of London. No medical means
have as yet availed to stop it. 1t is
BY contagion, and is singu-
arly speedy in its efects-surpassing
even the speed with which the cholera,
On its first appearance, slew its victims.
Never, indeed, in the worst period of
The first visitation of that disease, did
London look so dreary as it now does.