Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-05-25
The Plague i'm Bagdad i'm 1881.
Translated for the Chicago Tribune

Translated for the Chicago Tribune.I
The following is description OF the
terrible plague which in 1881 spread des-
olation in The province of which the city
of Bagdaa is the capital. II was written
by an eye witness, the celebrated Italian
Doctor Antonie.to, and is, at the present
time, when the inhabitants of that Inflated
country are stricken down again by thou
sands, of more than ordinary interest:
At first, he writes, the Black Death"
Gas the natives called III appeared in one
of the suburbs inhabited by the tribe of
the Kurds. Two residents of the city,
English physicians, went to the infected
quarter, and found in few hours no less
than 200 sufferers. On DR.. Antoniettos
remarking to them that this must be the
pest" these gentlcmen replied: No:
the pest never attacks the neck, whilst
these sick people are severely suffering in
the neck from kind Of inflammation or
Group" The next day DR.. AntOinettO
made the same remark 10 the Governor
General, that il was the pest that had
broken out. Dawud Pasha answered that
il could not be the plague, because the
people were all violently suffering from
inflammation of the neck. Beside, said
he, when the pest breaks out the storks
fly away and the jackals cease bowling
Neither of these things has happened"
The Doctor met, a little while after, the
Milachar" Secretary of David Pasha.
The Secretary cried out: How will
this end?'' II donot know" replied the
Doctor, but | would advise you to re-
move the soldiers at once" At that time
there was garrison of 5000 men in Bag
dad. Struggling his shoulders, and true
TO his creed, the Turk replied: "Why
remove the troops? What is TO happen
will happen"
The plague soon EMBODIED the entire
city in its deathly grasp. The survivors
refused 10 bury the dead. The streets
were deserted The Governor, General
promised the Arnauts jewellers in the
country 200 piasters for every corpse
dragged by them TO the Tlgris and THROWN
into the water and, when they came for
their pay, it was given them on their own
statement as 10 the number they had
thrown into the rivcr--the Pasha' merely
saving to them, "li thou hast lied to me,
the sin be on thy head"
Thieving Arabs rushed 10 the doomed
city, entered the deserted houses, and took
what was left. But few Of these escaped
WIN tntI pthnhhi lb' prague '''i''efN
them ut that time; death set in
within three hours after the at
tack. Those Of the Arabs that es-
capped carried the plague with them to the
desert, which was partly inundated. Flee
ing before the waters, hundreds Of these
wretches huddled together on elevated
places, 10 meet "a death worse than drown
ing Others, more desperate, pushed a
few miles farther on, only to perish from
hunger and exposure. OF the garrison,
not soul escaped.
DR.. Antonietto, with his family, had
locked themselves up in the Quarantine
bnilding. After they had eaten all the
fresh provisions they had taken with
them, they had 10 live on rice. The
building was situated on hill, and they
could overlook the scenes of horror which
took place in the unhappy city. One day
the doctor was called by a messenger
from the palace. The Pasha had been
stricken down by the plague. Terror
seized the doctors soul as ne passed
through the deserted streets, gloomily
echoing his solitary steps. Nothing waa
10 be seen but cOrpsas In every stage OF
decomposition, too loathsOme 10 describe,
surrounded by starving, bowling dogs.
In the palace reigned the silence OF
death. OF the women Of the harcm and
their slaves. not one had been left The
servants Of the Pasha had deserted him
one only remaining faithful, his CHIEF
groom. The horses Of the Pasha's stable
unfed and uncared for, had broken loose
and rushed wildly through the city
Alone, in dark chamber, lay the once
powerful Governor The rising floods
had partly undermined the castle.walls
which had fallen in, and, IN the remain
ing portions OF the building, the dead
lay in heaps, spreading an insafierabl'
stencil. The Doctor found In the part o.
the city inhabited by Christians an ole
woman who offered 10 nurse tho Pasha
and, with her help, the Doctor SAVED
him.
The Tigris rose on d sudden, sappinl
the walls OF the city, and enguifng NAM
houses in its floods Those who he'd es
capped the plague found a watery grave
In 1919 the city walls had not yet been re
paired During seven days the water
rose. On the eighth day they began 4
fall. DIR. Antonictto thinks that SOM