The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-04-17
THE GREAT PLAGUE OF 1864.

THE GREAT PLAGUE OF 1864.
In September, 1864, it was ascer-
tanned by the letters of merchants that
the plague had appeared in Holland,
and much fear existed lest the con-
tagion by means of ships, should spread
to England. The first evidence that
the pestilence had really appeared in
London was given by the death, toward
the end of the following November, of
two men of that disease in Long Acre,
or, at any rate, in the upper part of
Drury Lane. A third death from the
same cause occurred in the last week of
December, and to the CONSERVATION of
the city, n fourth in February.
In few weeks the mortality became
so great that the alarmed inhabitants
began to hurry out of town, and in time
the traffic on the streets consisted
chiefly of coaches and wagons, in which
entire families were to be seen making
their escape to the country. Indeed, so
great was the demand for horses, that
at length not one was to be got for hire
at any price. But before being per-
mitted to pass through any towns on the
road, or to lodge at any ion, it was
necessary to have a certificate of health
from the Lord Mayor; and the general
Impotence to obtain this, and to get
out of town as quickly as possible, was
much Increased by rumor that an
order of the Government was to be is
sued to place barriers in the road to pre-
vent people travelling. Thus vast
crowd of persons was to be seen sur
rounding the Mansion House door, and
pressing forward to get certificates of
health. Ere long many of the once
busy streets were totally deserted whole
rows of houses being shut up, all their
| inhabitants having fed. In Holborn,
the few passers-by walked in the middle
of the street only, and were careful not
to brush against any one. So great had
become the exodus that one of the
widest thoroughfares in the city pre-
sented the appearance of a green field.
Grass grew in Leadenhall street and
Bishopgate, and Cornhill was scarcely a
missioner.
Instead Of attributing the disease to
natural causes, such as impure air and
water, and exerting themselves to i'm
prove the sanitary condition of the city,
the inhabitants had recourse to witches
and so-called magicians, from whom
they received charms against infection,
which they wore round their necks.
The terrified inhabitants attached
much Importance to dreams as omens.
Indeed, many persons imagined they
heard supernatural voices and saw
visions both by day and night. Even
in the streets crowds of people were to
be seen, forgetful for the moment of
the danger of such close personal con-
tact with their fellows, and earnestly
contemplating some fancied figure in
the sky. An old woman would per-
haps declare that she saw hand come
out of a cloud, holding flaming sword
over the city, when her assertion would
Immediately be corroborated by several
others, whose credulity gave ample
proof of the truth of the observation
that ignorance is the mother of super
stition. Some said they saw collins
and hearses in the air others believed
they saw heaps of unburied dead in the
clouds. If any one denied the reality
of such visions, he was regarded as AL
infidel and scoffer. =
Pretended sorcerers went about dressed
in black velvet jackets, and wear.
ing black cloaks, and wherever they
were seen they were followed by
a crowd of superstitious per.
sons, who eagerly questioned them
with regard to the durati of the
plague. Sign-boards, inscribed with
Here lives fortune-teller, or "Here
dwells an astrologer," were commonly
seen on house fronts, proving that many
were to be found willing to make profit
out of this calamitous visitation.
The general alarm was also increased
by others of a totally different class.
These were men who, being in frantic
state of fear, were unable to settle at
home, but rushed abroad, inspiring
terror in others by their doleful lamen.
tations. Some went about in imitation
of Jonah, crying, "Yet forty DAYS. and
London shall be destroyed. One half.
naked man ran through the streets night
and day, uttering, in loud and solemn
voice, 90, the great and the dreadful
God -
The very robbers and murderers were
affected by the general panic, and went
about the streets confessing long con
cealed crimes, and earnestly implorinp
, divine mercy; but few needed them
: and these criminals had nothing to feal
: from any human tribunal in state o.
society so disorganized as that of the yea,
, 1865. The constable would lave shrunl
, from putting his hand on the arm of th,
, greatest thief, for he might possibly b,
: plague-stricken. Even had he beer
I arrested, there would have been non,
to try him, for the law courts were
: closed, and judge and counsel, trembln,
for their lives, had left the metropolis
far behind them.
In accordance with the order of tin