The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1879-03-06
PLAQUES IN RUSSIA.
The Moscow Visitation in 1TTO-'7I.

The appearance of the plague in the
Astrakhan Government has revived the
memory of the terrible outbreak in
Moscow during part of the years ITO
and 1771. The first victims were the
soldiers. whom shot and steel had spared
during the war Waged against Turkey
1t then made it's way into Russia from
the southwest, extending as far north as
Serpukhof. It first began to declare
itselfin December, ITO, but it was for
some time ignored or denied, the En-
press Catherine II. writing to say that
if any one said there was plague in
Moscow he lied; nothing but fever was
to be feared. But, after being kept IN
der by the winters frost and officially
protested against during the summer,
the pest burst forth in the autumn with
fury which even ukases could not con-
troll By the middle of September,
1771, the condition of Moscow was ter
rible. From 800 to 1000 deaths took
place every day. The upper classes
fed from the plague-stricken town, and
the populace took to rioting. On the
10Th (27th) of September broke out
what is generally known as the "tchum-
ny bunt," or plague riot. The populace
assembled in crowds before one of the
gates Of the kremlin, wishing to avail
themselves of the good Offices of the
Bogolyubof miraculous Madonna. The
Archbishop Ambrose Zertis-Kamensky
prudently ordered the picture to be re-
moved from its usual locality to a more
open spot, in order to avoid the danger
likely to rise from the. thronging- to-
gether of so many plague fearing wor-
shippers. A cry was raised that he was
stealing the holy portrait, and that he
must be put to death. He fed in dis
gIlise from the kremlin, and took refuge
in the Donskoi monastery. Thither,
however, he was pursued, and there
he was torn from behind the
altar. For two hours" according to
the evidence of an eyewitness, he was
beaten with a cudgel. Then he was
left for dead. But after time his
right hand was seen to move; where
upon the rioters again attacked him,
beating him on the head till he died.
Only by grapeshot was the riot sup
pressed. A few days later arrived in
Moscow Count Gregory Orlof, sent ex-
pressly by the Empress to put down
the plague. The city, so long deprived
Of guidance, received him with rapt-
ure. And, in truth, he deserved to be
hailed with reclamation for he attacked
the plague with such vigor that he
overcame it. Drawing a number of
sanitary cordons round Moscow, he
maintained SO strict quarantine that
even the dogs which ran across his lines
and the crows which few over them
were shot. All popular gatherings were
prohibited; no burials were allowed
within the city; and the faithful were
even prevented from entering the
churches. being obliged to listen to di-
vine service from without. Before Count
Orlof's arrival the common people had
shown decided aversion toward the
hospitals, in which they were roughly
treated and badly fed by coarse and ig-
norant medical practitioners. Orlof in
spected the buildings set apart for the
sufferers, visited them frequently, and
soon brought about a change greatly
for the better in the treatment of the
patients. The number of daily deaths
soon fell to 300, and then became small
er and smaller until the plague was
stayed Count Orlof was enabled on
Nov. % 60. s. to leave Moscow reioic-
ing over clean bill of health. On his
return to ST. Petersburg the Count was
received with many manifestations of
joy and triumph. A medal was struck
in his honor, bearing on one side his
portrait, and on the other representa-
ton of Curtius leaping into the gulf;
with an inscription that Russia, too,
possesses such sons" Hercules Staying
the Lensen hydra would have formed,
perhaps, more appropriate image.