The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1884-11-27
rHn yIRaINrA pLAaur.
Further Accounts of the Mystesious
Drought Disease I'm tho Mountains. z

u .
LYNCHBURG, VA, November 90
The counties. suffering from the new
and fatal disease, before reported, are
Lee and Dickenson, and the edge of
Scott, In Virginia, and Harland, Lee
and adjoining counties in Kentucky.
Owing to the isolated position of the
district particulars are hard to obtain.
Hundreds arc said to have died, and,
allowing for exaggcration, it can be
affirmed that the mortality is large.
Postal Clerk Wells, who has lust ar
rived from that section, after having
had the disease, gives a sad account Of
the epidemic. He attributes it to min
eral poison in the waters of the
drought-dried wells, and saws that
strong and disagrceable mineral taste
like that of corperas exists. At the
time he left but few springs were flow
ing freely and the people were COM
PEELED to drink this impregnatcd water.
Although the name of the disease is
unknown the people call it cholera,
and were it so it could not be moro
dreaded Or disastrous. The symptoms
are described as similar to those of
Asiastic cholera, followed by terrible
hemorrhagos III tho bowels, and those
attacked either die ore recover in about
week. 1t is frequently fatal in wcn-
ty-four hours and sometimes even
in much shorter period. In most in.
stances Twists an entire family, and it
is considered SO contagious that i'm
some cases persons die alone, their
friends being afraid to go to them.
There are no figures representing the
actual mortality, but it is estimated
that over three hundred have persisted
III the Virginia counties named, and
considering the sparse population and
the number taken, the percentage is
large. at the late election, the num-
Der OF deaths considerably affected the
maJoritios at various precincts, and
thlrty new graves were counted in a
small cemetery. AS one result the
people arc dcmoraliZed, and local bust
ness interests suffer. A like scourge
visited this section in 1864. The coun-
try, which is extremely mountainous,
is OF high elevation above the level of
the sea. Cattle are also diving in the
same section. General rains have
fallen in this State for two days past,
and it is probable that tho drought i'm
the infected region is now ended.
PrTTsBURG, November 81. "A special
to the Post from Charlcstown, w. Va.
says: Information received here from
Pcrryville, Mcdowell County, in this
State, near the Virginia border, gives
a frlghtful account Of the ravages of
the so-callcd cholera in the extreme
southwestern counties Of Virginia and
adjoining territory of Kentucky.
Making every allowance for exag-
gcration the loss of life has already
been appalling, while the condition of
the survivors is terrible in the extreme.
No rain has fallen in the Cumberland
Mountains, in which the infected dis
tlictis situated, for four months, the
drought cntailing not only the almost
total failure of the crops, but the cut
ting OIL of the supply of water over q
wide area.
Difficulty was experienced in obtain
ing water for the stock as early rs the
middle of August in some localities,
but no actual suffering occurred among
the inhabitants until about the end of
September, when, the ordinary sources
OF supply having for the most part
1alled, The mouutaineers were compcll-
cd In order to sustain life to obtain
water for household purposes from
what were known as "poisun mineral"
springs III the mountain, or from the
small amount remaining in deep holes
in the beds of creeks.
The persistent use of this water soon
developed peculiar disease, as deadly
as Asiatic cholera in its nature, which
has since ragged with terrible fatality
over half dozen counties in Virginia,
West Virginia and Kentucky. The loss
OF life thus far is variously estimated ut
from 400 to 800. Among children and
adults well up in years the mortality
has been greatest, but no class has been
exempt. In n number of instances,
especially among the folks Of McLean's
Creek, tributary of the Big Sandy
River, and in the valley of the Powell
River emptying into the Tennessee
ltlVcr, whole families have pcrishcu,
While i'll numerous other cases but one
or two members Of the household sur
Vlve. Few recover from the disorder,
sixty to eighty per cent. of those at.
tackled DIVING. this being accounted for
by the fact that pure water is still un-
oDtalnabie and that proper food and
medical attendance cannot be had.
The drying up Of the streams has nc
ccssltatcd the stoppagc of numerous
small grist mills along the mountain
valleys, and the population for the
most part appears to be in the most
a1lcct want and misery. The locality
is almost inaccessible to the outside
world, there being no railroad within
many miles.
What the Local Papers Say.
LYNCHBURG, VA, November 21.-
The local papers in the counties visited
with the fatal scourge make only brief
mention of it's ravages, but further in
formation shows that the former re-
ports were not exaggerated. The
Gaysvilie, Wise County, Times says
that $50 deaths have occurred in that
county. The disease has spread over
considerable section, but is worse in
WISE. Lee, Buchanan and Dickinson
counties. Rains have fallen there i'm
the last two days, and the water sup
ply, which, was very foul and which
was supposed to have been the cause of
the trouble, has been rcplenished, and
ne tn, disease Is reported to be abating.
physicians describe il as acute typhoid
dysentery.