St. Paul daily globe., 1884-11-30
DEATHS DEVASTATION.
A Drummer's Experience in the Plague
Stricken District of Eastern
Kentucky.
Whole NeighborhOOds Dying, With no One
to Bury the Last Victim Of the
Dreadful Seourge.
Droves or Cattle and sheep Lay Dead and
hotting-The Country Nothing but
aParched. barren Wilderness.

Louisville. KY, Nov. 2s.-Arthur Fl.
LOOMS, travelling representative OF New
York firm, was in the city to-day. having
just returned from trip through the plague
stricken district OF eastern Kentucky. Mr.
Loomis said:
I'll was four days in Martin county with
out disp0sing ot single article. The peO-
are absolutely crazy; they have no use for
anything but eUffins. A great deal las been
printed in the newspapers about the situa-
ton in Martin and adjoining counties, but
II has been but imperfect reflex Of the exist
ing deplorable condition. | know Of in
sIances where whole families have died
within a week; where neighborhOOds have
been swallowed up in the grave; where one
man has survived 10 bury his family and
his friends ud then been found dead with
no living creature near him, except in
some cases faithful dog. Floeks OF sheep
aud droves Of cattle that used To browse on
the hillsides aud along the range OF the
Cumberlsnds, now lay dead and rotting
White pebbles glisten on the bottom Of the
creek beds; wells aud cisterns have been
drained to the bottom, aud springs are no
longer to be relied upon for a supply Of
water The ground is literally parched.
Where vegetation formerly bioomrd luxuri-
antiy there is nothing but decay. Thousands
are said 10 have died within the last two
weeks"
''What, IN the opinion of the natives, is
the cause Of this fatal caiamityi'
at is very evident that the chief agent of
death Is starvation. People in those dis
/ tricts are almost without communication
with the outside world. An occasional drum
mer, like myself, strays among them once a
year, aud few OF the most prosperous visit
some large cities once in a life time. a
good season brings with II bOuntiful crops.
Wool. and other na tive products, are rudely
manufactured into clothing. But when their
crops fail them the order of things Is reversed.
/ am speaking now of the backwoOds neigh
hoods, where the plague has ragged with the
greatest fatality. learned, while In Martin
county. that the crop yield for two suceessi, e
seasons had been failure. The natives are
without money aud without means, 10 pur-
chase bread. Tue shutting of of the wa ter
supply has brought 10 the surface
poisonous liquid. Famished for ater,
the people drank, and the consequence was
/ death. The first symptoms are violent grip
ings, and after this raging headache. A
hot fever ensues, aud .he patient usually
fingers two days, suffering mental agony,
/ before death. | understand several physic-
iaDs have been commissioned by the state II
make careful analysis OF the water. and
describe the poisonous ingredients. Relief
has recently been despatched to Martin from
neighboring counties. Before l left there
was light rainfall, aud prospects Of eontin-
ued falling weather. The opinion prevails
that the plague has passed through its most
dangerous stages and is now on the wane.
During the last few days of my stay 1 heard
OF very few deaths"