Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-11-21
DEATHS VISITATIONS.
THE PLAGUE IN VIRGINIA AND
KENTUCKY LIKE CHOLERA.

Political MajOrities Decreased on Ac-
count of the Fatalities-The Streams
Believed to be ImpreRnated With a
Poisonous Mineral-PrOgress of the
ScOurge Sweeping Europe.
LYNCHBURG, VA, Nov. 20.-The cOun-
ties suffering from the new and fatal dis
ease, before reported, are Lee and Dickin-
son and the edge of Scott, in Virginia, and
Harland, Lee and adjoining counties, in
Kentucky. Owing to the isolated posi-
tiOn of the district particulars are hard to
obtain. Hundreds are said to have died.
and, allowing for exaggeration, it can be
affirmed that the mortality is large. Pos
tai Clerk Wells, who has Just arrived
from that section, after having had the
disease, gives sad account of the epi-
demic. He attributes it to mineral poison
in the drought dried waters, and says that
strong and disagreeable mineral taste like
that of copperas exists. At the time he
left few springs were flowing freely, and
the people were compelled to drink this
infected water. Although the name of
the disease is unknown, the people call
1t cholera, and were it so it could not be
more dreaded or disastrous.
SYMPTOMS OF THE DISEASE.
The symptoms are described as similar
to those of Asiatic cholera, followed bv
terrible hemOrrhages in the bowels. and
those attacked either die or recover in
about week. 1t is frequently fatal in
"a hours, and sometimes even in a much
shorter period. In most instances it Wis
its an entire family, and it is considered
so contagious that in some cases persons
are alone, their friends being afraid to 90
to them. There are no figures represent
ing actual mortality, but it is estimated
that over 300 have perished in
the virginia counties named,
and, considering the sparse pop
ulatiOn and the number taken, the per-
centage is large. At the late election
the number of deaths considerably af-
fected the majOrities at various precincts,
and thirty new graves were counted in
small cemetery as one result. The peo-
pie are demoralized and local business in
terests suffer. A like scOurge visited this
section in 1854. The county, which is ex-
tremely mountainous, is of high elevation
above the level of the sea. Cattle are
also dying in the same section. General
rains have fallen in this State for two
days past, and it is probable that the
drought in the infected region is now
ended.
HISTORY OF THE DROUGHT.
CHARLEsTOwN, W. VA, Nov. 2O.-In-
formation received here from PerryvilIe
Mcdowell county, this State, near the
Virginia border, gives frightful account
of the ravages of the so-called cholera in
the extreme southwestern counties of
Virginia and the adjoining territory of
Kentucky. Making every allowance for
eXaggeratiOn, the loss of life has already
been appalling, while the condition of the
survivors is terriblein the extreme.
No rain has fallen in the Cumberland
mountains, in which the infected district
is situated, for four months the drought
entailing not only almost total failure
of the crops, but the cutting off of the sup
ply of water over wide area. Difficulty
was experienced in obtaining water for
stock as early as the middle OF August in
some localities, but no actual suffering
occurred among the inhabitants until
about the end of September, when the Or
binary sources of supply having tor the
most part failed, mountaineers
were compelled in order to
sustain life to obtain water
for household purposes from what were
known as ''pOisOn" (mlneral) springs in
the mountains, or from a small amount
remaining in deep holes in the beds of
creeks. A persistent use of the bad water
soon developed a peculiar disease as dead
ly as Asiatic cholera in it's nature, which
has since ragged with terrible fatality over
half dozen counties in Virginia, West
Virginia and Kentucky.
THE TERRIBLE LOSS OF LIFE.
The loss of life thus far is Variously es-
timated at from AGO to 800. Among chill
dren, and adults well up in years, the
mortality has been greatest, but no class
has been exempt. In a number of in
stances, especially along the forks of Nc
Leans creek, a tributary of the Big Sandy
river, and in the valley of the Powell
river, emptying into the Tennessee river,
whole families have perished, while in
numerous other cases but one or two
members of the household survive. Few
recovered from the disorder-60 to
80 per cent. of those attacked dy-
ing-this being accounted fOI
by the fact that pure water is still unob-
tainable, and that proper food and medi-
cal attendance cannot be had. The dry
ing up of the streams has necessitated
the stOppage of numerous small grIst
mills along the mountain valleys, and
the population for the most part appears
to be IN most abject want and misery.
The locality is almost inaccessible to the
outside world, there being no railroad
within 100 miles, and it is very difficult to
obtain reliable news, but even if only half
what is alleged be true the calamity is
one of a most serious nature, and calls
for action by the authorities and the pub
lie.