Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1884-12-06
VICTIMS OF THE PLAGUE.

LOUISVILLE, KY, Dec. IA stall
correspondent of the Courtes-Jour-
nal, who is in the mountains OF East
ern Kentucky investigating the
plague in that section, sent the fol-
lowing last night from Barb0ursvllle,
KY: The disease spread with great
rapidity and it now extends over
territory embracing about one half OF
the northern portion OF Wise county,
Va; the northeastern portion OF Lee
county, Va; the eastern part Of
Letcher county, Ky; the upper edge
of Harlan county; the southwestern
part of Knott county 4; the southwest
ern part of Pike county and the
southwestern portion of Leslie
county. This embraces a strip
about seventy miles wide by eighty
miles long. Invariably it is most
widespread closest to the highest
mountains. 1t generally takes the
disease about two days to run its
course and it generally proves fatal.
In many instances those attacked
died IN few hours. The feeling
of intense thirst satisfies me that
mineral poisoning is the real cause
OF the epidemic. 1t is well-knOwn
fact that the streams along which
the disease prevails find their begin
ming in the mountains among rocks
containing alkali, arsenites and other
poisonous minerals. Until recently
no rain had fallen for many weeks
and the streams had nearly dried
up. The water remaining, and
which these people we're forced to
use, was powerfully charged with
these poisonous substances, and con
tinued use of it resulted in the cpl
demic. One peculiar feature of the
disease is that 1t IS certainly cOnta-
gious, for if it once enters a family
1T lets none escape. Light rains fell
IN the infected region last week, but
| do not think they were sufficient
to purify the water and check the
disease. The people raise little be
side com, and while the crop was
not heavy this year they are about
as well off, as far as the food is con-
cerned, as they were last year. OF
course, there may have been indi
vidnal cases Of suffering from lack of
food, but if there were any | have
not heard Of them. lean give no re-
liable estimate as to the number Of
victims of the plague, but there pro-
badly were from 800 to 1000. l
base my conjectures solely upon the
death average in the particular
neighborhoods which / have visited.
There have been many pitiable cases
in Harlan county. Seven people
were buried in one night last week.
In the family of Judge Day, the
death of whose brother / mentioned,
there were five deaths-his wife and
tour little ones falling prey to the
awful plague. In the same locality
the deaths have been very numer-
Gus. At the head of Glover Fork, in
Harlan county, and just at the foot
of the Garrison's Gap crossing, in
the Black Mountains, lived family
by the name of Clark. The husband
md father Is now serving out sen
tence at Frankfort for murder l be
lieve. The wife and four children,
who are as poor as the poorest you
can find in the mountains, eked out
livelihood as best they could from
the arid land on which they had
their abode. Tue disease attacked
them and in few days they were
Ill dead. In Wise county, Virginia,
l was told that those bnrying the
dead were two days behind in Their
work and could not begin to catch
up and coffin the victims as fast as
they fell.