Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-07-20
THE Gil OLERA.

The people OF Hindostan have the cholera
always with them, as we have the poor, aud
give it away to other people with great gen.
erosity. The disease now seems to be on its
way West by way Of Egypt. The United
States was first visited by the epidemic
in 1882, it hlving travelled from Northern
India BY way of Russia aud Great Britain
1t started at Hurdwar. the great resort Of
pilgrims at the source of the Gauges, in 1926,
whence it advanced slowly over the grea,
caravan route to Orcnburg in Russia, occu-
plying three yeats in the journey. From
Orenburg 1t went t, Moscow and from
thence to Riga On the Baltic, whence Eng
lish coal vessels took it up and carried it to
Polish revolut ion Of 153O3l Russian troops
took it to Warsaw, aud from there it trav-
eled due West to Posen and Berlin, and
thence to Hamburg and over TO London.
England, Scotlan and Ireland were smltten
with the scourge, and in the Spring of 1882
the disease was brought to Quebec in several
Irish emigrant ships, aud from that city it
soon made its way up the 81, Lawrence
and across the lakes to Detroit which was
the first point where it touched the soil of
the United States. Thence it went by the
old chain of military forts to Fort Crawford
near Prairie du Chen, and to Fort Arm
strong at Rock Island, and from there it had
by October extended down the river to New
Orleans where G0O0 persons died out of q
population of $4,000. 1t first reached New
York on the eth Of June, and caused nearly
$500 deaths in two months. 1t attacked
Albany, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washing
ton, Cincinnati, the cities along the great
lakes and the great Southern cities with
fearful results Business was almost sus-
pended and the land was filled with fear
over this strange and remorseless plague.
Seventeen years later-in 1S49 -our coun-
try was for the second time visited by the
cholera. 1t came in German emigrant ships
from Havre. and rapidly spread to all the
river towns and landings on the Mississippi
and Ohio as far as Cincinnati, where there
5000 deaths. From st. Louis, where there
were also about 5000 deaths, it followe the
overland trail to California, whittier crowds of
gold-seekers were on their way, and more
than 1000 emigrants persisted on the road.
In 1868 came the third severe visitation of
cholera to this country, which carried of
$500 victims in New York city alone. 1t
was especially malignant in Chicago, where
great numbers of people, including many
prominent citizens, died of it.
The next great epidemic began in India in
April, 1865, and reached the Red Sea at the
beginning OF May and Alexandria in Egypt
the first of June. whence it was carried 10y
steamship to Southampton early in July. |
also spread from the Mediterranean port Of
Marsciles through France to Paris and
Hsvre, and in the next year emigrant ships
transported it to New York from which city
it went in every direction along the lines of
travel through the United States. 1t is esti-
mated that as many as $4,000 lives were lost
in the course Of September, October and
November
In 1878 the cholera prevailed again to an
alarming extent through the southern cities
of the United States, aud there have been u
few sporadic cases since but for ten yeari
now there has been nothing in this country
that could be called cholera epidemic.