The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-12-01
W0RSETHANClI0LERA
A MYSTERIOUS VIRGINIA PLAGUE
rhat is Making n EriEhtfuit Harvest Of
D"ath-Whoio Families Swept Away,
}V Tio Earth parohcd and the Cat Ito rr!
/ {Ps Dying by tho Hundred. M 5{l5

LOUISVILLE, KY, Nov. 20.-Arthur a.
Loomis, travelling representative Of New
York iirm, is in the city to-day, having
Just returned from u trip torousl, the
plasue.stricken district Of Eastern Ken.
tucky.,5lG 70 44igj8 3&a 'b4'yGFtF2fiT
u was four days in Martin county With
out dlsposing of u single article. People
are absolutely crazy; they have no use for
anything but collins. A great deal has
been printed In tho newspapers about tic
situation in hlartin and adjoining counties,
but 1t has been All imperfect reflex OF the!
existing dcplorable condition know Of
instances where whole families have died
within week, where whole neiehbor.
hoods have been swallowed up in graves;
where ono man has survived TO bury lis
fahil and his friends, aad then be found
dead himself with no living creature near
ilim except in some cases faithful dog.
flocks OF sheep anu droves Of cattle that
used to browse on hilsides aud along the
range oil tho Cumberlands now Law dcnd
and rotting. White pebbles gisien on 4
the bottom OF creek beds. Wells and
cisierhs have been drnined to The bottom,
ana springs are no longer to be relied
upon lor supply Of water. The ground .
Is literally parchcd, and .wheru vegetation.
formerly bloomed luxuriantly there IL
nothing but decay =. Thousands are suil
to have died within the past two wceks.n
What, in the opinion of the natives. ia
tho cause Of this iatal calamitys".
ut IL very evident that the chief ucent
Q! ueath Is starvation. People in those
uisifcis are almost without comlnunica. z
WIN The outside world. An occasional
drummer, like myself, strays among them 3
once year, and few Of the most prosper
GUS visit some large cities once in tife. i
tune. A good season brings with it bol,in.. :,
tiful crops. Wool and other native pro. :
ducts are rudely manufactured into cloth. j
ing; hut when crops fail them the order
OF things is reversed. am speaking now
Of oackwoods neighbofhoode, where the :
plague has ragged with the greatest fatality. r
learned While in Martin county that tho
crop yield Tor two successive Seasons had
been a failure. The natives are without
money and without means to pur-
chase bread. The shutting OF OF
the water supply has brought 10
the surface poisonous liquid.
ran'slled y, Tor water the people drank, and
the consequence was death. The symp. (,
toms are violent gripings, and after this <
raging headache. Hot fever ensues and
the patient usually lingerst two days,sufTcr-
ing mental agony before death. 1 under
stand several physicians have been com.
missloned hy the State to make careful I.
analysis o. the water and describe its
" been dispatched to Martin from neigh.
boring counties. Before left there was
light rainfall with prospects Of continued
falling weather. Tho opinion prevails
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 ofvery few dpaihs. ,'s -
~ kSoSvl!Lr, TESS., Nov.s o1:M@Thc first !,
min in 'ninn weeks has just fallenT in
southwest Virginia. n. = tl5'f9'el s.f.r4t