The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-10-26

The Causes That Led 10 the Plague
ALteht MOrtaIity-The Condition
of the People and Their Wants
Eleven Hundred Cases 10
Date.
Yesterday morning Col. J. y. Whituer,
brother of Col. J. C. Whitner, OF our city,
arrived here from Florida. He left Fer
nandina some days ago, but was in that
fated city during the fury of the scourge
A reporter of the Constitution called
upon him at the Markham house and
had a conversation with him concerning
the state of affairs in Fernandina~-
The city has a population of between
1 600 and 1000 persons, probably the
larger portion being colored persons
Many of the latter earn livelihood by
the industries Of the place and -hy labor
upon the wharves, in stevedore gangs,
loading and unloading vessels, OF which
a large number are engaged IN foreign
trade from and to that port.
Heretofore Fernandina has been a
remarkable healthy city, and since Its
foundation has never before been visited
by yellow fever scourge. The causes
for this fatal epidemic may be properly
traced to the unclean condition of the
southwestern portion of the city. Where
the disease first appeared the neighbor-
hoods were in so filthy condition as to
sustain a very putrid atmosphere, most
inviting to the disease. This condition
was due TO the fact that the present
municipal authorities, when they assumed
the care of the city, found is treasury
impoverished, and debt accumulated to
heavy amount, and in their desire to
economic in city expenditures the
drainage of the city and sanitary regula-
tions generally were neglected. The
usual result of such foolish, if not Grim
inal negligence in the name of economy,
followed and the city's quarters became
the harbors of this malignant plauge.
Eleven hundred cases have been under
treatment since the disease made Its
appearance, which number Is fully two
thirds of the population subject to Its
attacks. A number of citizens left the
CITY upon the intimation and assurance
that the disease was yellow fever, but
manv who would have escaped were de
laved bv a controversy between the two
| leading physicians over the character o.
the disease. One of them contendec
shat it was yellow fever, while the othel
stoutlv denied it, and it was not unit
DIR. Mcfarland, the eminent physician
from Savannah, examined the body of {
deceased person and made an autopsy
bv reason of which it was fully estab
lished as a case Of yellow fever, that th'
true condition of affairs was realized.
The disease made rapid progress, bu
was singularly mild IN effects, though
protracted in its operations upon tn
systems of those attacked.
Out of the eleven hundred cases, onl.
fifty deaths have been reported, which
fatality of less than FIVE per cent. o
the number seized with the sickness
This is a very small mortality, and show
that the plauge has been general bu
not so virulent as was at first supposed
Nearly all the white people in the cit,
subject to attack have already been pros
trated, and the material upon which tn
disease can feed in that direction is nearl.
exhausted.
The ravages of the plague are nov
rapidly taking in the colored people
who of late years seem to have lost thei
immunity from this scourge. Among
them it finds victims lily prepared Il
fight the dreaded monster, and az con
sequence there is reason TO fear a create
mortality among them. Trade is sus
pended, and the negroes are poor, and II
many cases paupcrs, to the extent tha
even of the barest necessities of life.
When the scourge first appeared, Co
Whitner says the authorities and Peopl
were pretty well prepared to combat il
but now there is immediate need 70
pecuniary assistance and supplies, primo
pally to relieve, in the name of pur
humanity, the large number OF destitut
and suffering celored people.
There is a charge made by some, thoug
Col. Whitner thinks it an unchaIitabl
/ one, that an officer, since deceased, "
believe, distributed supplies to colore
people not entitled to them and not res
dent of the city, for political purposes.
l 1t is very necessary that any relief
be sent to Fernandina, is needed rlgf
now and it is hoped that our people wi
r not hesitate TO give a little from the
: purses to relieve the suffering and ke;
starvation from the doors of those
whom disease has brought not alone /
, own horrors We ARE sure the cry fC
i help will not go unheeded here Allan
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