The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1878-09-28
AN HISTORIC PARALLEL.
SOME "REMINISCENCES on, rms
GREAT H' -IGUE IN LONDON.

A Cal amity that Dwarfs by Contrast
tne present Dreadful Eiod emic in tho
Southwest.
The present epidemic in somo Of
the Southern cities brings to mind
Dcfoo's description Of the epidemic
plague i'll London, known as the
Great Plague. In many features
tho two disorders present points of
resemblance. Both woro imported
and grew by reason Of tho unusual
warmth Of the season acting upon
the filth Of tho streets. In each
case the dosolation and loss OF life
Worc awful, and the most string> Mt
quarantine regulations failed to
operate as effective checks. The
london plague was, However, by
far tho most destructive, not lcs.;
than one hundred thousand persons
having died Of it.
The plague ragged in London dur
ng the spring, summer ana autumn
OF 1868. 1t first appeared during
the previous year in the Parish Of
St Gilos-in- tho Fields, and WAS
believed to have been brought over
from Holland. 1t spread so fast
through tho poorer sections Of The
city that year that the Sravcyt apprc-
hension WAS felt lest it might be-
come general But the cool wealth
or OF autumn and winter checked
and was believed to have killed il.
Upon tho return Of warm Weather
II broke out again, and the season,
like the present one, proving un-
usually hot it spread with alarming
rapldity. Tnc utmost precautions
were takcn to arrest its progress.
The city WAS qllarantincJ-no one
was allowed to leave it having once
entered. An effort Was made to
enforce cleanliness. People were
INJURED in their houses. .I'am:ics
afflicted by the disorder were kept
off tho streets. III May and June it
entered the city proper, and several
fatal cases occurred in tlie best
quarters. in July tho King ana
lis court fed to Salisbury, leaving
the city in charge Of the Duke OF
Albemarlo. The condition OF tho
city from this out is graphically
described by Dofoc: 'Thc face Of
London was strangely a!torod--I
moan tho whole mass of buildings,
city, liberties. suburbs, Wcstmins-
ter, Southwark and all together.
For, as to tho particlar part called
the city, or within tho walls, that
was not yet much Infected; but i'll
the whole, the face OF things, I say,
was much altered. Sorroy and
sadness sat upon every fHco ard
though some parts werc not yc'
overwhelmed, yet all looked deeply
concerned, and as we saw it appar~
entity coming on, SO ovcry one
looked OH himself and his family rs
being in tho utmost danger. x
" Lonlon might we'll be
said to be all in tc,,rs. The mourn.
ers did not go about the streets
indeed, for nobody put Oh black, or
made a formal dress Of mourning,
for their nearest friends. But the
voice of mourning was truly hoard
in the streets; tho shrieks Of women
and children at tho windows and
doors Of their houses, when their
nearest relations wore perhaps
dying or just dead, were SO frequent
to be heard rs we passed the streets,
that it was enough to pierce the
stoutcst heart in tho world to hear
thcm. Tears and lamentations were
secn almost in cvcry house, ospcci.
ally in tho first part of the vista,
ton; for toward the latter end,
mems hearts wero hardened, and
death was so always before their
eyes, that they did not so much
concern themselves for the loss of
their friends, expecting that thom-
selves should be summoned the
next hour"
Soon the streets wero deserted
and business stopped, whereby
thousands were thrown into idleness
and destitution. Grass sproutod in
the principal thoroughfares. In q
little whilo people came out again
from their houses, being driven to
minglo with each other in search of
provisions, which began to be very
scarce. 'EIho necessity of going
out of our houses to buy provis~