, 1873-03-25
A STRICKEN COMMUNITY.
Tho Dreadful Work Ok n Sn1nl1-Io1
Epidemic III Cnmnc1tOll, Ind.

Tho Dreadful Work OF Il Smn1l-rox
Epidemic III Cnnnc1tOI, Inu.
CHnnelton, [iid {fdreh 10y, Correspondence NJ tho
Loutsriilc Couritr-IonTMaF.
This town Is just recovering from ono Of tho
most disastrous epit!emtcp, III all Its manifesta-
tionB and dotnilB, TINT hag viaitod this immoll-
ato section sinco tie cholera Of twenty-five yearn
ago. Tho smallpox broke ont lloro in tho early
part of january, md, after raging with oxtraor-
dlnnry yiru1once for twolyo woary weeks, is
now, happily, almost nbatcd, thore being but
little oyor dozon caBos rop1rtod, and thoao Of
4 mild form. But many families mourn tho
loss Of mombers aolne, indeed, having boon al-
most extinguishcd. III ono household, with five
children about tho home hearth two months ago.
only tho father md mother arc loft. III nlmoBt
every homo visited by the terrible disease tho
loBa Of one or more children Ia mournod.
:. Tho first coming of tito epidemic Was so pec-
lnr III tho circumstances attending 1t TINT thor
waB raging in Louisville, during the latter part
Of December, q rclativo hero Of ono of tho VIC
tins received from your city sowing machino
and bundle Of clothing, proan1s62,ly tho effects
Of ]lor dead relativc. 1losovor this may be, as
with smallpox mud l believe died. There Ind
been one caBo Of tho disenBo In town before, Of d
negro who contracted 1t in Louisyillo, bnt SO
earofully was ho isolated from tho rest Of tho
town tint mono of tho after-diaaBtroua results
woman / hnyo mentioned WIS intimate with tho
family ofn Gormau bakor In town, who had q
number OF children, tho older Of whom had tho
tucked with small -pox TIC fact vas carefully
concealed by tho ignorant advice Of tho attend
ing physlclan-a Goruaan-and tho children Of
the family attended school Us BEFORE tho shop
also boing kept opon md daily filled With GUS
fnfnnrH t1ino inn f1nva f1,n fahrfn3 fSnD
broke out al at oncc in MI parts Of the town, but
particularly in tho claasoa at tho public school
and tho snnday-Bchool attended by these chill
dron. Almost orcry one Of tho oardor cases is
nm told, an1 to tho wretclol concoalnont Of tho
first case tho dreadful results Of tho epidemic
must In great measure DO referred. Hlirty or
more caaos were reported among tho Germans
within spaco Of two or three days, and tho
town waB delivered over to a foarful panic.
at first tho authoritios mado no motion to
arrost Its progress, but In weel or 30
stringent measures were adopted, Board Of
Health appointed, and tho most effectual pro-
qautiopg possible taken to prevent ita aprea9
upon any violation Of tho regulations. NurBcs
woro employed by the town, aud q guard, whose
duty 1t was to prevent egross from houses In
tho wants OF inmates.
But tho disenso Rpread In spite of Ill procau-
tions, and for weeks tho town suffered under a
/ mortal terror, such as can hardly bo imagined
by ono not having personal experience Of its
manifestations. On q visit here during the
tic streets deserted, except by a
by special business; tho stores wore onlpty, and
tho largo cotton mill, into wl,ich the disease for
t,nato!y did not cntor, furnished almost the only
sign Of activity within its limits. There arc
somo 3 900 inhabitants in tho town, and first and
lust thcro has boon about per cont of tho ontiro
population attacked. Nearly 80 per cont Of tho
cases woro fatal, an extraordinary mortality,
am informed.
have said that eovorul families wore almost
| swept from the faco Of tho Garth. In one, Of q
German-the .pestilonoo aooms to have boen
almost entirely confined to that element Of the
In tho morning beforo daybreak, another OF
nooD and another just ut nIghtfall. Tho three
wero taken from tho llouao tint night and hur-
ried to q common grave: Another fanily lost
five children; another Bi1. In aaothor, fathor
and three children woro buried within four days
hind.
If not for tho painful thoughts suggested, a
| sight to bo seen evory day in tho streets would
have beon most grotesquo. Tho guards, OF whom
| have made mention, Nero selected Of men who
before Ind tho disease, But as several cases aro
disease and afterwards attuclzcd again, these
mon clothed themselves in rubber from head to
foot as protection against infection, with lgl-
| turcB tied closely about the wrists and ankles,
| aud heavy rubber gloves and boots encasine
hands md feel. Thoso men woro each provided
with yellow ilag, and Meeting you on the
street would wayo It toward you to warn you Of
their occupation, and the pasaongor noyor failed
| to give them tho widest berth the limits Of the
street would allow.