The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-07-28
A SCARE AT HOME.
Investigating a Reported Case oi
Cholera on Mississippi Boat.
How the Death of Baby Created aIs-
tease Excitement-The Latest
Hepurtx-COnttnued Nor
taiity i'm Europe.

ST. LOUIS, July 26-lntense excitement
was created ill the city over the report that
a steamer with II case of Asiatic cholera had
arrived III the city from New Orleans. The
first information was given by DR. Fessen
den Of the United States marine hospital,
who had received a dispatch from a
United States official at Evansville, Ind,
to have the steamer Annie p. Silver
inspected and investigate case of
alleged Asiatic cholera which had been
ON the boat DR. Fessenden turned the dis
patch over to the health department A
week ago last Wednesday the steamer Annie
p. Silver, "a st Louis boat, left New Orleans,
and among the deck passengers who took
passage for this city was Frenchman, his
wife, and three children. 1t vas stated
that he come from Vera Cruz,
Mexico, aud when the family took
possession of their quarters on board
the boat it was noticed that one of the
children, Il months old, was very sick. The
child had all the symptoms of cholera, and
this being observed by some of the passengers,
they made inquiries regarding the family,
and it is alleged that an interpreter was So
cured, who said that they had come direct
from Toulon to Vera Cruz When opposite
GTcenville Miss the child died. and, the
father not having the means to purchase a
casket, the carpenter on the boat made a
box and the child was buried at Port Ander-
son, Miss. A suspicion that 1t was a
genuine case of cholera spread, and the head
of the family was again interrogated. This
time he said he WAS from OportO, and had
kept a saloon for short time in Vera Cruz
IL, la Int 4
not understand a word Of English The
steamer arrived in this city Thursday night,
and the family got off at the wharf boat Of
Market street As the boat steamed north
ward from Port Anderson the rumor was
spread that the case was cholera and in one
OF two cases the boat was prevented from
landing
Capt Bryant of the Silver, being in
terrogated, stated that although the case and
circumstances pointed towards cholera, he
cid not believe that it was one No one else
on the boat was taken sick, though it was
said before the family disembarked the other
child was attacked When panic SCENE,
imminent on the boat the matter was kept
from the cabin passengers and precautions
taken to prevent contagion Private Watch
man Walsh said he was told that although
the family was from Vera Cruz he had heard
that relative from TOulon had arrived and
visited the family.
The family have been found, and the father
has what the physicians call malarial fever
He placed in the hospital, and the
| mother and two children sent to a female
hospital They are all ailmg
The action of the health department in
sending the family, whose name is Piccolito,
to the hospital, is criticised. Gen. Steven
son, the health commissioner, told a cor
| respondent that he did not think it was a
| case of cholera, and says the scare was raised
| by a passenger who got off the boat
| at point on the lower river, and
went Ia Nashville There he told the
health authorities that a case of cholera
had developed on the Silver, and that the
| family was from Toulon, A reporter had an
| interview with Piccolito, the French emi-
| grant and father of the child i'll the city hos
| pital and he said he was from Toulon, but
| left there last March. He has been in Vera
| Cruz since He left Mexico on account of
! sickness, and states that the child who died
on the river has h8eA SEX since they left
| France