National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-09-27
THE SWINE PLAGUE.
OFFICIALLY INVESTIGATING THE RAvAGEs
OF HOG CHOLERA IN MARYLAND.
A Report From the Bureau or Agriculture
Showing the Localities In which the Dis.
ease Is Prevalent In Maryland aud Virginia
and the Losses.

Cllyt hS MoiA ho many
land who have sustained heavy losses by
swine plague, Gen. L. A. Csrman, acting
commissioner Of agriculture, some days
age directed DIR. Rose, of the bureau Of
animal industry, to visit those counties
bordering on the Potomac and make a
report Of tho results Of his investigations
to the department.. The report of DIR.
Rose has just been submitted, and is as
follows:
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, BU-
REAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY, WASHING
TON, ID. g., Sept. go, 1SSi-HoN. L. CAR
MAN, ACTING COMMISSIONER OF AGRI-
CULTuRE.-Sir: In compliance with your
request left this city on tho morning of
the 21st instant for the purpose Of inves-
tigating and determining the extent to
which swine plague exists among hogs
in tho counties bordering on the upper
Potomac river. / did not find any dead
hogs In tho river near Harpers Ferry,
nor could l hear of any suffering with
tho disease in this vicinity on the morn
ing OF my arrival. At this point it was
q matter Of doubt with mo whether l
should go up the Shenandoah river,
which joins tho Potomac here, or con-
tinue up the last named stream. How
ever, after diligent inquiry | thought 1t
best to follow up the Potomac. From
Harper's Ferry | travelled northerly
course on foot for three miles to Engle's
Switch, on the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road. Here l learned that many hogs
had died Of the disease during the months
Of June, July, and August.
Throughout Jefferson county, w. Va, q
large number of animals had succumbed
to the disease, some farmers having lost
almost their entire herds. During tho
three days of my investigations at about
all the points | visited | found that tho
disease had abated but in many cases this
was owing to the lack of victims. After
my first days experience / found il i'm
possible to keep anything like an accurate
record of the losses, but it is safe to say
that thousands of hogs of all ages, but
moro especially shoats or young animals,
have persisted during the prevalence of
this epidemic in the counties bordering
the Potomac river.
From Engles Switch continued my
journey on foot through Jefferson to Duff
field, in the same county, and from there
on to Shenandoah Junction. i had no
trouble in getting information as to the
extent and destructiveness of the cpl
oCmiCs lSNCEy pOug bCCHlCu W uhNB SUI
fered to greater or less extont, and all
were anxious to furnish whatever in
formation they possessed.
On the 22d instant made an inspection
Of the Potomac river OF Shepherdstown,
Jefferson county, w. Va, a locality about
twelve miles above Harper's Ferry. In
this locality the farmers have lost heavily,
some of them as high as 100 head. Mr..
Wrench, the keeper Of the bridge which
crosses the river here, informed me that
many of the people dumped their hogs
into the Chesapeake and Ohio canal
until the canal men made complaint of
the terrible stencil. After this they
threw them into the river. crossed tho
bridge and walked along the canal on the
Maryland side for about mile in the
direction Of Harper's Ferry. Here, at q
dam near the cement works, found q
number of dead hogs. 1t has been tho
practice here to remove the dead hogs
after they had drifted down in large
numbers-and allow them to pass below.
Person have admitted that they had
thrown their dead hogs into the canal,
and stated that they had seen dead mules
in the same stream at all seasons of the
year. .1,
1 am informed by reliable parties that
stream between Shepherdstown and An
tietam creek distance Of some three
miles. No one seems to have objected
or thought the matter worthy of investi.
cation. 1t is true but very few dead hog
are to be found at the present time pol.
luting tho streams, but this is due more
for lack of hogs for the plague t
work upon than the disposition of tn,
people to burn or properly bury the car
cases.
From Shepherdstown l walked Il
Sharpsburg, Nd, whore l learned tina
the disease, though it had prevailed il
that vicinity, had not been so destructiv,
as elsewhere. A Mr.. Reefe, who live:
two miles north of this place, had lost
twenty head. 1 here learned that the
disease was prevailing quite extensively
in the vicinity Of Charlestown, Jefferson
county, w. Va, but on visiting thai
locality found it had very much abated
l was told by the people Of this county
that their losses had been very heavy
that tho disease had been very destructiv,
to the farmers along the line Of the rail
road to Harper's Ferry on the one side
and to Winchester on the other.
On the 23d instant l visited Point OF
Rocks. Frederick county, Md. Tn,
greatest number of hogs seem to have
died in this vicinity during August and
early part Of this month. Hundreds arc
reported to have died in the county. The
disease is said to have been very destruc-
tive in the vicinity of Frederick City.
In Loudoun county. Virginia, the
disease had been as destructive as else
where along tho borders of the Potomac
Many of the animals that died in thi.
county were thrown into the river oppo
site Point of Rocks. But the large ma
jority of the carcasses that have been seen
in the river here were thrown into the
canal and river in the vicinity of Shop
herdstown and Antietam creek, and wer,
drifted down by the current. Since tn,
visit of DIR. Townshend, who posted bills
between Washington and Harper's Ferry
no dead carcasses have been thrown into
the canal or river between those points.
At Germantown, Montgomery county
Nd, and vicinity, l learned that tn,
disease had been very destructive, bu
had about spent its force for the lack o.
material to work upon. All the farmers
west of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
had lost almost all their hogs. TIL,
disease made its appearance in this
as high as eighty head, and before the
disease abated it was estimated that al
least thirds of all the animals in the
vicinity had died.
did not visit Rockville and Sandy
Springs, but learned that the plague had
made its appearance in the vicinity o.
of those places.
To conclue The results of my investi
CATION lead me to believe that thousand.
of hogs have died within tho past two OIL
three months of swine plague in the
territory embraced within the counties O
Montgomery, Frederick, and Washington
in Maryland, and in Jefferson and Lou
doun. in Virginia. Respectfully sub
mitted, W. IL. ROSE, V. S.
Remove the Iron Fences.
To he Editor.
notice in your issue of yesterday
morning that Col. Rockwell Is engaged