Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1878-09-19


at the railroad depots that it wasn't oil
carried out for . week. My family re-
mained there until about two weeks ago,
when | sent them away.
"Then there was calm for day or so,
but as soon as q few moro people died there
vds another panic, and almost everybody
that could getaway and they went in hurry;
tdoso who left by railroad had already bought
their tickets. The roads out Of town wore
full--some Of the people in wagons and
some on horseback, and good many afoot
---any woy to get out of Memphis. Then
the oity began to look empty. BY the goth
or the 22d good many of tho business
houses closed up, and then it began to look
like desolation. You could 20 along block
aud for all the signs Of life you would 500
you might Us we'll be in that old dead Mem.
phis in Egypt.
"The infected district at first was around
the Memphis and Charleston and the
Louisville aud Nashville depots. Thore
aro worry few houses with living people in
them there now, almost all dead, and some of
them rottiug to pieces in the houses. All
the railroads but the Littlo Rock arc run.
ming thoir day trains now, but they havo
taken off thoir night trains. People stay
in after dark, beoauso tho night air is too
dangerous to be out in.
81 tell you, it was awful to 20 down town
every day, and 500 md hear what was
going on. One day it would be: well,
Hamilton went last night, and I've just
heard Carson has got the black vomit.'
Then somebody would come along with tho
ncws of some other acquaintance dying or
dead, and it seemed as if you could soc
death in the air. And tho noxt day tho
first thing you would hear would be that
the man you wero talking with the day
before was down with it, and bad oaso.
Most of tho doctors stood up nobly to their
duty, but there wero few that skulkcd out
almost on the first sign"
"Can you give mo the names of any Of
the medical gontloncn who deserted7'
eyes, there were Drs. Malcolm, Hewitt,
Herming and Morrison. DR.. Morrison wus
the Jail physician, and when the fever
broke out there ho ran away, and DR.. Abor.
orombie was appointed in his place. In
1873 thc worst infected district was in the
noighborhood Of the Jail, but thore was no
fever among the prisoners. This time whom
it mado it's appearance there, the prisoners
confined for slight oftenses were discharged
and all the other we'll ones wero taken to
Presidents Island, about four miles down
the river. The clorgymon of all dcnomiua.
tions stayed at their posts, and, as they have
no congregations, they have nothing to do
but attend tho sick.
IL tell you, there are some awful sights
in Memphis now. There are only about
thirty five hundred people thoro now, and
something like thirtcon hundred Of thoni
arc down. You know tho societies havo
80 much to do that thoy can't hunt out
every oaeo. People who want assistance
have to apply to somo one of tho agencies
for it, and there is 80 much ground to be
covered that very often the patient is dead
before tho doctor can get there. Last week
when DIR. Aborcrombie was takon, made
an application at 10 o'clock in tho morning,
and couldn't get a physician till 6 in tho
afternoon. A doctor will 60 out in tho
morning with enough GASES on his list to
keep him busy all day, so he has to refuse
all appeals. have soon a doctor with
women and children on their knees, beg
ging him to como to their husbands aud
fathers and mothcrs-somo of thom trying
to drag him in. When you 60 into some
of the houses you soc horrible sights. III
never forgot one place[ saw On Jefferson street
Tho whole family-fathor, mother and
seven ohldrcn-al wcrc in ono room. Tho
father was dead, and his body hung across
tho bed with his head hanging down and
the black vomit spattored all over tho bod
and tho room. The mother was dyiug, aud
that horrible black vomit-it looks like
cofcc grouuds-was running out of her
mouth into the face and breast of one of
the children that lay on tho floor by the
bed. Ugh! it makes me sick to think of it.
All the children but one wore down with
tho fever, and they rolled around on the
floor and screamed and groancd 80 it
acomed as if hell had becn moved up on
earth.
"Thore is no telling tho amount of suf-
fering thore is thero. Many man has
been taken whilo away from homo, and tho
poor follow has crawled into some hole, where
his body hos beon found days after, twisted
out of all shape, and found only by tho borri.
bic smell of tho dccaying flesh. A number
OF houses havo boon broken into, and whole
families have been found with tho bodies
falling to pieces. Ono of the most horrible
things that occurred there was tho death of
MRS. Aonano. Sho lived on Jefferson street
Tho doctor who attended her didn't lot hor
family know that it was tho yellow feyor
until just before she died. Thon no told
them, md the five children, ranging from
ten to twenty years old, camo to cay goodbye
Sho had the black vomit. and they woro told
they had bctter not kiss her but thoy did, and
rs they camo up ono after tho other and gave
Dor the last kiss on earth, thoir lpa Iero
stained with that horrible etream of death,
And, what is almost miraculous, mono of thom
have caught tho feyor yet.
NNovu n1k kh oil n;l 10