The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-12-03
DEALING OUT DEATH.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES PLAGUE
In the Countie. Of Kentucky md Virginia.
z Tho suddcnnea VI tho lscnper's
sickle-The Pathetic siir-Ths N
4gF Causes of tile Mortality. !.

1t LOUISVILLE, KY, December "a cor
II respondent Of tho Courier Journal writin;
J. ifom Barboursville, KY, gives the follow
, Ing interview with Mr.. Davidson, o
!. Harlan county, about tho strange scoury,
's raging there and in other counties OF Ken
9 tucly and Virginia. ,t4
). II returned last Friday" said Mr.
Davidson, from l4arlau county and inter.
$ mediate points, and consequently am
pretty fairly informed as to the epidemic
= now devasting the section embracing Dor.
r tons Of several counties In the western
part OF Virginia and eastern portion Of
Kentucky. The disease, which is mn
aggravated and very fatal form Of llux, &C:
cordlnS to my information, began about
. SIX weeks ago in fletcher county, Joseph
Day, brother OF tho County Judge, being
, tho first victim. lie lived on Poor ForE
about fifteen miles from Whilcsburg, and
was taken Ill when short distance from
home. lie was first seized with eripiny
pains, and in iewmoments was paralyzcd
50 completely that he had to be carried 10
tho house. The griping was followed
~ bloody and Weakening diarrhea, and
IL a few hours he wac a dead man. From
this point the disease spread will, great
npidity, and it now extends over terri.
Tory. embracing about one.balf OF the
north portion OF Wise county, Va, the
northeastern portion OF Lee COUNTY. Va /
the entire county Of I.etcher, in Kentucky.
the upper edge Of Harlan county, he
southwestern part OF Knott, the south.
wettern part OF Pike and tho southwest.
esn portion OF Leslie. This embraces
territory about seventy miles wide by
eighty miles in length. q,
In what particular ncighl,orhoods. Mr.
Davidson, Is the disease the worst ~ WINS
asked. - a 80 ""'
"Well, so far as I am, informed. II Il
most violent at the head waters of Strai,ht
creek, Clover fork and other small streams
Which rise on he notti, side of Pine
mountains and on roor fork. in Harlan.
at the head Of PoweIis creek and other
streams rising in the Cumberland noun
laiils IN Wise county, Va, at the heads OF
those streams which rise in Knott and
empty in the Big Sandy; at the head Of
North Fork and another branch Of Powell
creek, IN Lee county, Va; at the heads OF
shelby and Eikllorn creeks, in Pike, and
nc scattered points OH tho streams in
l;etclitr and Leslie In Letcher 1t is worst
along Poor Fork. II is safe for YOU to saw
that 1t prevails at the head dwaters of al
most every stream in the district named
that empties into the Cumberland. Bic
sandy, Kentucky, Powell's and Licking
rirer. Invariably it is most widespread
closest to the highest mountains"
;. How long does it generally take for the
liseasc to run its course, and what are the
exact symptoms?' .sG..
CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS.
TO your first question Will answer
about two days, and it generally proves
fatal. In many instances those attacked
have died in n few hours. The .ymp.oms
are as related inthc case OF Joseph bay.
Gripping pains in the stomach, violent
lux and hemorrl'age of the bowels, often
times total or partial paralysis and an in.
tense thirst. The latter satisfies me that
mineral poisoning is the real cause OF the
epidemic. It isa well known fact that
the streams along which the disease pre-.
walls lind their beginning in the noun
talns, among rocks containing alkal, ar.
senltes, and other poisonous minerals.
Until recently no rain las fallen for many
weeks, and the streams had naturally |
dried up. The wa.errrmaininr, and which |
these people arc forced to use, was. there.
tore, powerfully charged with these pois.
ons, and continued use OF it resulted N
the epidemic. One peculiar feature Of il
IS ibat it is certainly contagious. for II a
once entered a family it let none escane
and | have been told OF instances where
those who have visited afflicted persons
and have not themselves used the water
have contracted the discase."' Z i5'1
:" Has any rain fallen recently in tha in.
lected region ?" H. FL
Yes, light rains fell last week, but l do
not think they were sufficient to purify
the water, and check the disease. y ,5''5sjj.:t
"how about the reported famine ~
The people raise little beside corn, and
while the crop was not heavy this year
they are about rs well Off as last. OF [
course there may have been individual
cases OF suffering, for instance, when an
entire fa,nily was down with the diseasc:
but il there were any have not heard Of
them" So, 80 =,
"liave you any idea Of the number who
have fallen victims to the plague?" 'il,s
Il can give no reliable estimate. but
from 500 to 1000 would probably cover it.
J base lny conjectires solely upon The
death average in the Particular nejyb);or.
hoods which ! have visited, and will moi,
therefore, vouch for its reliability"
THE PICTURES PATHETIC SIDE,
ble cases. Z. e Is Isl 'is,., -
"ies; some very shocking. In one |
graveyard at APPOINT on Straight Greek, in
tiarlan county, seven people were buried
in ono day last week, In the family Of
Judge Day, the death of whose brother /
mentioned, there. wero five deaths his
wife and four little ones falling prey to the
awful plague. In the same locality the
deaths hsve been very numerous, Az
the heal Of Clown Fork, in Harlan county.
and Just at the loo. OF Garrisun's Gan
crossing, in the Hack mountains, lived n
family by the name OF Clark. The husband
and lnther is now Serving out " sentence
at Frankfort ior murder. | believe. q Tic
wife and four children, who arc as poor MS
the poorest you can find i'll the mountains,
cked oEt livelihood us best they might
from the arid land on which they Ind
their abode. The disease attacked them
and in few days they were lll dead. In
Wise county, Vlgihia, | was told that
those hNrying the dead were two days le-
hind their work, and conll no, herin I'll
gather mp and collin the vio.:tns as !ast as
they fell. | vas told by a most reliable
gentleman living at poorfork postotllce,
IN Harlan county, that twenty-five new
graves have been filed in cemetery on
the banks Of Pooriork, In l.etcl,er cd,;aty
near the Harlan line. alany other in.
Stances Of Tue same nature were either
told me or came under my observation.
but can not inst NOW rac,,ji ,La,,, ,, 49,