Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1883-08-13
YELLOW FEVER.

summer, followed by an intensely hot
June and July. The yellow fever had
appeared at New Orleans, but no one at
Memphis apprehended immediate dan
ger; while all talked of the dreaded
visitor, and all instnctively feared the
worst, yet all hoped almost against
hope that they would not be called
upon to combat the disease.
One hot, broling day, when the
very heavens seemed turned to molten
fire, a run or ran from house to house,
from mouth to mouth with the speed
of an arrow, that Il case of yellow fever
was on Front street, actually in the
center of the city. Immediately the
house was walled IN by tall wooden
fence and labeled Infected District" "
How futile their efforts to conline the
fever within any bounds after it had
once got a foothold proved.
Then began the exodus The wild
est excitement prevailed everywhere;
business houses we're closed without
the formality of balancing books; sill
yer and Jewels were deposited hurried
ly in the vaults of the banks; trunks
were packed without any regard to ar
tlcles OF necessity; the first things that
came to hand were piled in indiscrim-
nately; residences were closed without
having an article of furniture disturb
ed; block after block, row after row of
houses were untenanted habitatiOns. A
motley group of variously dressed peO-
pie invaded the railway depots, steam
boat offices and all the by-ways that
led from town; some with the latest
summer bonnets and hats, and some
with no head covering; and others with
wells or shawls thrown hastily over
their heads to shield them from the
sun; some ladies were in full evening
costume and others in last winters
dresses, the gentlemen were clad in
an equally mixed array Of summer
and winter clothes. Children cried,
mothers wept, the men stamped impa-
tient at the delay of getting tickets,
which was great indeed, rs the crowd
could not be Accommodated, and the
wrestling tor precedence only increased
the delay. Court square was desert
ed, save by the squirrels, who looked
vainly for their wonted supply of nuts
from the visitors. A panic possessed
the people; all were eager to escape
from the dreaded foe. Pompei could
not have presented wilder spectacle
with the people flying from the burning
lava. Many of the citizens, after send
ing their families away, remained to
aid the stricken; many valuable lives
were given rs hOlocauSts after herOi-
cally struggling to save those around
them.
A requisitiOn was sent for govern
ment tents, which were put up n short
distance from the city; to these as
many rs could not afford to 90 away,
were removed. But the avenger fol-
lowed in the footsteps of the refugees,
and many died without any attention.
Toward the end but few were well
enough to attend the sick, and al, who
could were fleeing horror-strick1 n
from the scenes of death. The stout
est hearts quailed as, one by one, their
ranks were thinned. When one dis
appeared it was thought they had gone
away, until the news of his or her
death awakened the others to sense
of impending death.
A languid feeling, with pains
in the head and back
followed by chill, were the precursors
OF the deadly tiend, high fever, that
lasted from one TO three days, gener-
ally ended the earthly career of the
sufferer, or if he possessed physical
constitution sufficient TO stand the raw
ages of the fever, reaction set in, aud
recovery was only a matter OF time, if
relapse could be avoided.
In the camps a child was often found
wandering around, and in reply to
questions would point to tent, where
the parents were discovered dead os
dying, aud the children, if any, almost