Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1884-11-21
TERRIBLE SUFFERING.
OF PEOPLE In VIE.
GlNIA DYING FROn A 4
SCOU AGE.

biOn ITOm ferryVllle, McDOW0li OOuutys
West Virginia. near tbe Virginia bor-
der, gives frightfnl account Of the 50
called "cholera," in the extreme South
joining territory of Kentucky. Making
every allowance for exaggeration. tho
loss of life has been appalling. while
the condition of the survivors il terrible
in the extreme. No rain has fallen In
the Cum berland mountains, in which
the affected district 10 situated, for four
months.
! The drought has eptailed not only An
almost total failure of crops, but has
cut off the supply of water over wido
area. Difficulty was experienced in
obtaining water for stock In localities
~ early rs the middle Of August, but
no actual suffering among the inhabi.
tants occurred until toward the end of
September, when the ordinary source Of
supply having for the most part failed,
the mountaineers were compelled in,or-
der to sustain life to Obtain water for
household purposesfrom mineral springs
in the mountain or from stagnRnt pools
A persistent use Of this water soon
dev eloped pecu liar disease, as deadly
as Asiatic cholera in its nature, which
has ever since ragged with terrible IA
tality over half dozen counties In the
two States. The loss of life thus far 10
variously estimated at from 400 to 900.
Among chi ldren and adults we'll MP in
years the mortality has been greatest,
but no class has been exempt.
In number of instances, especially
along the forks of McLean's creek, .
tributary of the Big Sandy, and in the
valley of Powell's river, empytyiDg in
to the Tennessee, entire families have
perished, while in numerous other
cases but one or two members Of .
household survive. Few recover from
the disorder, from so to 80 per cent. Of
those attacked dying, which may. be
water is still unobtainable, and proper
had. :.
The drying up of the streams has
necessitated the stoppage ofthe numer.
GUS small grist mills along the noun
tain valleys. and the population, for the
most part, appears to be In the most
abject want and misery. The locality
is almost inaccessible to the outside
world, there being no railroad within
100 miles, and the obtaining of reliable
news is very difficult, but, even should
the matter be greatly magnified, the
calamity is still one of the most serious
nature.
Mr.. Wells, a postal clerk, has recent
ly arrived here from the afflicted Sec
ton. He says that it comprises the
counties of Lee, Dickinson and Scott in
Virginia, and Harland and Lee in
Kentucky. He refuses to make any
more definite statement ofthe mortality
among the people than to say that 1t
extends into the hundreds. There 10
little hope for the better so leng IS they
have to drink the poisonous water,
which tastes,and smells like copperas.
The symptoms of the disease are very
similar to those of Asiatic cholera, fol-
lowed by terrible hemorrhages Of the
bowels. 1t is frequently fatal in twen-
ty-four hours and sometimes in q much
shorter period. 1t is considered 80 CON.
tagious that in some cases persons have
died alone, their friends being afraid to
60 to them.
The region is high above the sea,
mountainous and SO sparsely settled
that even 800 deaths, which Is q low es-
innate, would be a large percentage of
the population.
At the election the pumber of deaths
considerably affected the majorities at
the various precincts, and thirty new
graves were counted in q small ceme-
terry. As one result, the people are de-
moralized. and local business interests
suffer A like scourge visited this Sec
tion in 1854. 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 regions is now ended.