Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-12-04
vlRG1NrA's PLAGUE.
TERRIBLE RAVAGEs OF THE
CHoLERAIC EPIDEMIC IN RE-
MOTE PARTS.
Whole villages DcpopuIated.
Testimony as to the Spread of the Dis
ease in Kentucky.

LYNCHBURG, Nov. 20, 1S84.-There
have been so many conflicting state
ments concerning the scourge prevail
ing in the back counties of this State
that 1t is difficult to understand the ma
tiIre of the plague or the extent of its
devastation. The Scott County BAN
aer, published at Estillville, in the very
heart of the infected region, and con-
Quoted by a reliable and cautious journ-
alist, says in its issue of Thursday, the
first received here, that $50 deaths have
occurred i'm Wise, the adjoining coun-
ty, within the past few days. "In
Dickenson and Buchanan countless" it
says, "the disease has ragged with equal
violence. There have been numerous
deaths in Scott county, though the dis
ease here is now abating."
THE SYMPTOMS.
Although the nature of the disease is
as yet underlined the people call it chol-
era, and were it so it could not be more
dreaded or disastrous. The symptoms
are described as those of Asiatic chol-
era, followed by terrible hemorrhages
of the bowels, and those attacked either
die or recover in aweek. 1t is ifequeot-
ly fatal ia six hours and sometimes even
in much shorter period. In most
cases the disease visits an entire fami-
ly, and is so contagious that in some in
stances persons have been left by theic
friends to die alone. 1t is estimated
that five hundred persons have died
from the disease in the four Virginia
counties named. The more intelligent
of the people believe that the disease
NJ y.io tho n .pt,phf I'D I'M
waters, and that it will require heavy
rains to check its progress.
RAvAGEs OF THE DISEASE IN KEN
TUCKY.
LOUISVILLE, Nov. 20, 1884.-Arthrr
H. Loomis, travelling representative
of New York firm, was in the city a
| few hours this morning on his way
southwark, afte- short tip through
Eastern Kentucky. What he saw and
heard while passing though Msrtin
County, the centre of the plague sorick-
el district, is desolate pictu.e of mis-
cry and death.
| POOR PLACE FOR DRUMMING.
To reporter he said:-'.I was four
days In Martin county without dis
posing of single article. The people
up there are absolutely crazy. They
have no use for any thing but coffins.
A great deal has been p!;nted in the
tin and the adjoining counties, but it
has been but an impe; feet reflex of the
existing eplocable condition. I Know
of instances where whole families have
died within week, where neighbor-
hoods have been swallowed up in the
grave, where one man has survived to
bury his family and his friends, and
then been found dead with no Ewing
creature near him except, in some
cases, faithful dog. The fiocks of
sheep and droves of cattle that used to
browse on the hi!lsides and along the
range of the Cumberlands now lie dead
and rojting. White pebbles glisten on
the bottom of the creek beds; wells and
cisteils have been drained to- the bot
tom and springs are no longer to be re-
lied upon for a supply of water. The
ground is literally parched, and where
vegetation formerly bloomed there is
nothing butdecay. Thousands are said
to have died within the past two
weeks"
SLOW STARNIAIION.
"What, in the opinion of the inhabi-
tants, is the cause of this fatal calam-
ity?"
lit is very evident that the chief
agent of death is starvation. The peo-
pie in those districts are almost without
communication with the outside
world. An occasional drummer like
myself strays among them once year,
and a few of the most prosperous visit
some large. city once in Lifetime. A
good season brings with it bountiful
crops. Wool ald other native products
are rudely manufactured into clothing
but when the crops fail then the order
of things is reversed. | am speaking
now of the backwoods neighborhoods,
where the plaque has ragged with geat-
est fatality. learned while IN Martin
county that the crop for two successive
seasons had been u failure. The i'll
habitants were without money and
without the meaos to purchase bread.
In this way the wolf came nea-e.' and
nearer the door, until finally the last
crust of bread and mo'sel OF meat has
PASSED from sight. Herbs-anything
/ that could be substituted for sustenance
was eagerly sought for and greedily
devoured. The shutting off of the wa.
ter supply has brought TO the surface a
poisonous mineral liquid. Famished
/ for water the people drank, and the con-
sequence was death.
A TERRIBLE DEATH.
"The first symptoms are violent
gripings, and after this raging head
ache. A hot fever ensues, and the pa
tient usually fingers Two days, suffering
mental agony, before death brings re-
lief from pain. understand that sew
eral physicians have been commissioned
by the State to make a careful analysis
Of the water and describe the poisonous
ingredients. Relief has recently been
despatched to Martin from the neigh
boring country. Before LETT there was
a light rainfall, with prospects of con-
tinued wet weather. The opinion pre-
walls that the plague has passed through
its most dangerous stages and is now
on the wane. During the last two days
of my stay heard of very few deaths.
While in Martain county it was my for
tune to stop at a hotel in Paintsville.
Paintsville represents all the rusticity
there is in a country village. 1t con-
tains Baptist and Methodist church
and a dilapidated schoolhouse. The
brag of the Paintsvillean is that he
lives in town with one thousand in
habitats, but il reduced to o close count