The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1878-09-12
GHOSTLY GRENADA.
A Thriving Town Changed iHtO a Char
mel HOuSe-GraPhic Picture Of the
Horrors of the Situation.
[st. Louis Globe-Democrat, sept. 81

[St Louis Globe-DemocTat, sept. 8
Mr.. Alfred il. Sphinx, who left st.
Louis nearly three weeks ago to act as
special correspondent of the New
York Herald at the hot-bed Of fever
and death, Grenada, Miss, returned
to this city yesterday and reports
THE uJ-FATED TowN,
[ was soon in the midst of the sadness
and misery which prevade it. The
houses on all sides were close-barred
and locked, except those containing
the sick, dying and convalescent. No
pen can paint the dark and desolate
look which seems to have taken pos
session Of this once beautiful city. Six
weeks ago Grenada was one of the
mos h0urishing towns on the jackson
route, and had q population Of $500
people. At the breaking out of the
fever there the citizens fed the town
in swarms, only two hundred and forty
whites remaining. OF this number
236 were prOstrated with the fever.
To-day 130 lie in their graves; seventy
are pronounced convalescent, and,
with good treatment and weather, may
recover, while the remaining thirty
are in dying condition. Seventy
seven negroes and unknown whites
were also prostrated with the fever,
Thirty-nine Of these cases have proved
fatal, while
| THF MAJORITY. OF THE REMAINDER
are in a disabled and dying condition.
On arriving at Grenada, | was intro
duced to j. T. Heaberg, the gentle
manly telegraph operator who had vol
unteered to 90 to Grenada and help
Redding, the noble boy who had work
ed the wires night and day since the
breaking out of the fever. In compa-
ny with Heaberg and DIR. Fountain,
of New Orleans, visited the sick,
and dying, and convalescent. Mr..
Heaberg carried a telegraph dispatch
to a Mrs Marshall, who had lost he1
husband and three children by the dire
disease. She was found lying on hel
bed, completely Y exhausted, both Ii
physical and mental strength. The
sight Of this poor woman lying in hel
bed, moaning for husband and chill
dren, all dead in a weeks time, brough
tears to the eyes OF her three visitors
The telegraph message came from alb
sent friends, and breathed words o
sympathy, love and encouragement
She thanked the telegrapher, and, il
response to the question, "Can / d,
anything for you, Mrs. Marshall :?
said: "No, but
GOD BLESS YOU
for your kindness; only God can he'll
me now" Opposite Mrs. Marshal
lay Tom Marshall, the telegraph ope1
atOr, who is a brother-in-law Of Mrs
Marshall. He was found lying ut tn
very point Of death. Three of hi
little children had died within the las
ten days, and now he was almost gone
p On another bed lay his wife, not sic
with the fever, but broken-hearted an
dying from the loss of her little ones
Next to Mrs. Marshall lives Germa
named Heber He stood at his gate
and noticing that | was a stranger, IL
vited me into his house to see his wifi
and three children who were recove,
ing from the fever. Said Mr. Hebel
z "Look at my wife and little one
They are alive, you see, and God Wi
ling, will soon be we'll again. hav
nursed than night and day for ii
; past seventeen days. In that time
have never taken off my clothing {
g gone to sleep" Mr.. Heber was su
e prised at hearing of the death of h
> neighbor's children, and said that !
;: did not know anything about
- THE TERRIBLE HAVOC
n which the plague had committed in q
.e points surrounding him. So taken I
e are all with their own troubles tn
h they find no time to inquire into the
W neighbors' misery. Meeting Mr.. I
l. NJ. Bishop, an estimable citizen
n Grenada, in response to the inquir
" "What good news?' he answere
n ''NO good news to-day" Then brea
al ing down, and the tears filling his ey,
O. he said: ''Pm all alone in the wor
f. now. In six days the terrible scour
e. has deprived me of my wife and thr
ne children" In a house next to \
as Bishops lay an aged couple, both
d. one bed, sick with the fever, while
in an adjoining room was stretched tn,
ed son, also p"ostrated. Whole famil
have been wiped out Of existence
the terrible epidemic. On our retu
to the depot Heaberg complained
being sick, and said: 81 think 1 a
m going to have the fever, and guess
will sit down and rest" Said l
or Fountain, "Don't sit down here,
go to the hotel and lie down and yo;
soon feel all right" This was a
mi o'clock. At I o'clock Dr. Warn
Stone visited Hcaberg, and pronounC
rv it
he A CASE OF FEVER.
its This was the only telegrapher in
TOWN aud rs he Wos DrgStratcl