The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-12-07
WORSE THAN THE CHOLERA.
TIE STORY OF THE PLAGUE IN THE
CUMBERLAND MOUNTAINS.

Il Originated .. the Use Or Contaminated
Water After = LsnG Drosght-The Deaths
Numb-r 1900 n . Population Of Less
thaa Ss.0OO-The Heroism OF . Preacher
PIKEroN, Pike County, KY, Dec 2.-Pike.
fletcher, Harlan. and Bell are the four coun-
ties in the extreme southeastern part Of Ken.
tucky which border on the State OF Virginia
where 1t forms O big v between them and the
State Of Tennessee to the south. The border
counties In Virginia are Buchanan. Dickinson.
Wise. and Loo. These eight counties form the
district In which most fatal plague has ragged
for worry nearly two months. carrying of moro
people In proportion to the number OF inhab-
itants than the cholera in It's worst stages in
France during tho past year. The centre OF
this district is near the junction OF Lctchor
and Harlan counties in Kentucky with Wise
county Virginia, q point that is about $50
miles southeast OF Cincinnati 1t Is In this re-
gion that the feuds between families becomo
known to the public through the extern ina
ton OF one Of the families and the subsequent
acuuittal Of tho oxterminators by jury OF
their peers.
The Cumberland range Of mountains forms
the dividing limo between the two States, and
1t IL here that tho humorous crooks rise that
form the Cumberland River which flows to the
west; the Kentucky. which flows to tho north
west. and tho Big Sandy. that flows away TO the
north and empties into the Ohio at Catletts-
burg. on the line between Kentucky and Wcst
Virginia. Perched on lodges on the mountain
sides. or Nesting in wooded hollows between
tho mountain tons or standing close under big
precipices are the log cabins OF the inhabitants.
There is always piece OF cleared ground. on
closed by fence Of brush and brlars, nepr
each house. In 1t are raised patch
OF corn. another OF potatoes. and some stalks
of tobacco. small drove OF half-wlld hogs
ranges for mast" In the woods around and
aSW ESs their yng in the same
stays OF life. and chewing tobacco is its solaco
Game abounds in the woods. Such water as
springs, and occasionally whore family is less
Iayornby situated than its neghbors, from II
The Cumberland is only ono OF many Ugh
Tiidkes thnt trend from southwest to northeast
IN hent,1ck Ky and virginia md in consequence
the Mississippi valley arc intercepted. and
droughts are not uncommon In summer But
NneD, In last S"ptember II WAS noticed that 10
rain had fallen for six weeks. the peopls who
Occasionally lounge In tho fow country stores
the way the wells had all gone dry and to say
That thny had never soon the water SO low
ei,'s creeks. No rolef came With octoGer.
ABOUT the h,o, middle Ct the month Joseph
couny While oo his Sua 1o Wetes
burg Court House to his home on Poor Fork, in
the southeastern part OF the county. was taken
men, In. less tnan an hour his limbs became
paralyzed, and friends carried him to his home.
thirst and a swelling, Of tho. throat. Then he
was was taken with bloody nux: followed by yomit
twenty four hours he was dead. He was st the
h hrst VIC ylGtm Ia Of tho plague Before he had
him home were taken mix ike s" 1a ann e and
from this point the disease spread by Jumps
y the resion and il form
Tho progress Of tho disease was not rapid at
first. and little attention was paid to it. The
houses were scattered along the streams, some-
times milos apart. and to pass from one settle.
to ,b anGSr ,6s tedious trip foot
eighty miles as the S@a dies rom tho the house. %a Of
nsishbborhood might be wiped out and the next
But the o aiHs
stronger daily. Springs which had meyer failed
10 9y a th of mpa Water hsinn to
The water hardly flowed through the north
n md the middie forks of the Hoiston. Louisa
foul ,ppddles. and the bed of Maiden Spring
C or E became ,a dusty gnleh The leaves fen
rs IN midwinter. and the grass was burned up
by the sun; People who had depended on wells
some instances MS much as ten miles, and even
then good water was hard to get. few por
settle to tho bottom Of tho kettle.
hS y of Ge hs
OF Pineville. the county seat OF Boil county
were ws lo by the Of
ali came to, lind Dr. Bnrehdeid, tho only Ply y:
new amonK her which
This almost produced panic. Thereafter tho
reports. OF the spread of tho disease seemed to
sd % Asa # nr e fs sp wG ha
mountains, OF Eastern Kentucky.
Tas MSf q the assso has yet Be
high up on the mountains that divide the two
states. II He county and the eastern town
Ssd. We e%antS yss1is R| ss S%ots fSs
Times has reported $50 deaths Including the
entire g, Clark iamy Of Ave who lived at ne
q deaths have been reported along Colds
Camp Greek including an entire family Of
died Six people were buried in one graveyard
there In one day; Cranes Nest is a tour,cor-
enson COUNTY ne 0t t Ssntsma saF who rode
overland orn from that place to Eryinton dis:
sheTs s% mo1s Gan
people lived during the month OF Septe mber.
6 6u, 10 the Inst TIVE months ll6 OF them had
Is about ICY: or these Al have died OF the
somo families has been much greater than in
others. At Poor Fork Post Ofllco there are %
now graves. although the population is less
families numbering in all 1870 people, and OF
these but 80 are loft. In the Moccasin valley the
the plague. There was not a we'll person In
the community and although there was
1t to mill. There, was no ono able to
cook It Il 4 had boon ground, and there
have been obtained. Abraham Smaiey lived in
this valley with his wife and three children.
older children followed during the day. When
neighbor called few days later he found the
man dead in one corner OF the room with his
corner was tho dead body Of the wife. and the
third child, baby years old. lay by her side.
torn the breasts Of its mother with its teeth.
Gladesvills and Lebanon, two Kentucky vii
there lived Methodist circuit rider tho Rev.
Joseph Emmons. who received 1850 for his