The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1879-03-07

would be IN the Sahara. l have couversed
with man who made the journey to Crato
in November; he described howling viii.
derness, whore one sees only deserted hous-
tes and leaie,s trees and crosses by the road.
side. With our genial climate we cannot
understand real drought In Ceara birds
and insects died during the first blazing
summer. Imagine what the plains must
have been with second dry year. The
whole population was gathered in strip
not more--than sercnty.hve miles in its
greatest width running along the coast.-
The people were crowded about the cities
and villages, living in wretched huts and
drawing government rations. At one time
there were 100000 of them at Fortaleza,
$4,000 at Aracaty, and so on for other pla-
ceS.
BREAKING OUT OF SMALLPOX.
The people had food enough, but still the
death rate increased steadily. In Fortaleza
it had reached 200 per day, even as early
as May or June. In Aracaty it was hard
ly less. There were pcrnicious fevers, bori-
beri, little cholera. Yellow fever disap-
peared with the spring months. But above
all other disease the smallpox began to as
sumo terrible pre-cminence. 1t was
worse at Fortalcza. Very few of the pco-
pie were vaccinatcd. Isolation of the sick
was never enforced. The pestilence, con-
fined at first to the refugees, soon spread
to the richer classes. BY October the l5O,.
600 adventitious population had dwiudcd
to 10000 or 10000, including the towns
people ; many had died, many had emigra-
ted. Among those that were left the pes
thence was stalking and marking its vic
Tins. On November l, 80 persons died of
smallpox in Fortaleza; on November 2, 124
and this ont of a population Of only 80, 600
Your yellow fever deaths never reached
such proportion. But the disease went
on increasing rapidly. Two hundred,
three hundred, four hundred deaths a day
toward the end of November the figures
ran above five hundred. On the both
there were STA registered. but this includes
only the interments jns the public grounds,
There were families thsk coplas9fIoM To-
ajhaxE 6sdz sik - 90 e,s.-I -
faiO!0 Rofe peasants Who wore !aid in the
thick forest or carried out to sea on cata-
marans and sunk there.
APPALLING DEATH LISTS.
hO NhoiC VI IcSlSlcTCQ UGatDS
in November for the two cemeteries in
San Joao Baptista and Logoa- funda was
II, ,O75. Of these 9,270 were smallpox ca.
ses. But l think we must add to this at
least one thousand buried in the woods or
sunk at sea. At this time there were 30.
600 sick-morc than a third Of the popu-
lation. Still the death rate increased. On
December 10, SO9 smallpox dead were bur
led ir the cemetery Of Lagoa. funda, at least
75 in San Joao and probably $50 in the
woods and the sca--a total death record of
over 1000 in single day-and this out of
population (now reduccd) Of only $4,000.
The great plague at Loudon reached this
death rate, but that was from population
of 100000. After this the mortuary ratio
decreased, but only because the disease had
nothing more to feed on. A certain per.
ccntage Of Il community arc exempt from
smallpox. A few, no doubt, were saved by
vaccination. by the end of the year the
death rate had gone down to 200 per day.
The entire number Of deaths for the month
was not far from 81 900 In all great epi
denies, it is said, the people become indf.
fcrcnt to their danger. In Fortaleza this
indifference was sufficiently astonishing.-
When reached the place on the 10th of
December the death rate was 400 per day,
but business was going on much as usual
and hardly anybody had been driven out of
tho city by the danger.
APPEARANCE OF THE BLACK PLAGUE.
could write much more of Ceara and
the good and evil saw there; the evil,
alas, too sadly predominant! Only one
thing more | will note, for it may be the
sign of another scourge in the future
When left Fortaleza people were talking
of disease which they called black small,
pox. 1t was utterly unlike the ordinary
smallpox. The patient was seized with a
sudden giddiuess, fever and burning of the
tongue; then dark spots like bruises ap.
peared on the body, and in twenty four
tours all was over. surmised from the first,
and | believe there is now no doubt, that
this is the terrible black plague, the scourge
that has so often swept through Europe and
Asia, but which, so far as | know, has nev.
or appeared before on this side of the At.
lantic The cases were already numerous
at the beginning of this year One Of the
first victims was the wife of the provincial
president: Senior Jose Julio. She died in
q few hours after the disease ottockod bor