The Portland daily press., 1884-11-21
DYING BY HUNDREDS.
More Concerning ihe Fatal Disease Pre-
vailing in the sOufh,

LYNCHBURG, Nov. 20.-The counties suffer
ing from the new and fatal disease before re-
ported are Lee and Dickenson, and the edge of
Scott in Virginia and Harand, Lee and ad-
joining counties in Kentucky Owing to the
isolated position of the district particulars are
hard to obtain. Hundreds are said to have
died and allowing for exaggeration it can be
affirmed that the mortality is large. A postal
clerk who has just arrived from that section,
after having had the disease gives q sad &C.
count of the epidemic He attributes it to
mineral poison in the drought which dried up
the water. The water, ne says, has a strong
and dlsagreesble mineral taste like that of cop
peras. AT the time he left few springs were
flowing freely and people were cmpelled to
drink this impregnated water. Although the
name of the disease is unknown people call il
cholera and we're it so it could not be more
dreaded or disastrous. The symptoms are de-
scribed as similar to those of Asiatic cholera,
followed by terrible hemorrhages of the bow
els, and these attacked either dio or recover in
about week. 1t is frequently fatal in twenty
four hours and sometimes ever in q much
sho rter time, and it is considered so contagious
that IN some cases persons died alone, their
ftlonos being afraid TO go to them. 1t is esti-
mated that over 800 have pershed in the Vir-
ginla counties named and considering the
sparse population aud number taken the per
=
cd In small cemetery as one result The peo-
pie are demoraliZed and local business interests
snffer. A like scourge visited this section in
1904. The country which is extremely moup-
famous is OF high elevation above the level
of the sea. Cattle are also dying in some sec
tions. General rains have fallen in this State
for two days past, and it is probable that the
drought III the infected districts is now ended.
Another Account.
CHARLEsTowN, W. Va, Nov. 20.-Informa-
tien received here from Perryville, Mcdowell
county, in this State near the Virginia border,
gives frightful account of the ravagss of &C.
called cholera in the extreme southwestern
counties OF Virginia and the adjoining terri
tory OF Kentucky. Making every allowance
Tor exsggeration, the loss of life has been ap-
palling while the condition of the survivors
are terrible in the extreme. No rain has fallen
IN the infected district for four months. Diff
hculty was experienced in obtaining water for
stock as early as the middle of August in some
localities, but no actual suffering occurred
among the inhabitants until about the end OF
September when the mountaineers were COM
PEELED in order to slstain life to obtain water
Tram what were known as "poson' springs
ana the persistent use Of the water soon devel-
oped peculiar disease as deadly as Asiatic
cholera in its nature which has since ragged
with terrible fatality over half dozen coun.
tlesain Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky.
The loss OF life TINS far is variously estimated
at from 400 to 800. Among children and
aoults well up In years the mortality has been
the greatest, but no class has been exempt.
The drying up Of streams has necessitated the
stoppage of numerous small grist mills along
the mountain 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 out
side world, there being no railroad within 100
miles, aud it is very difficult to obtain reliable
news, but even If only one-half OF what is al
legged be true the calamity is one of most
serious nature and calls for action by the su-
thorities and the public.