Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-10-06
-Four Thousand Victims Of tho Small
Pox In the City.
SCENES OF DISTRESS AND HoRRoF
Ia the Infected Dlstricts---The Ignorant
Populace In Revolt Against the
Board Of Health.
A DREADFUL STATE OF AFFAIRS.

cases of smallpox IN, that city. If old
Jacques Carrier co6id cone bsrkto the spot
that he discovered hewould zee great city
laid low with shame, grief and suffering, q
city in which the plague is rampant and
which is given ovsr to disssnsions, in which
race prejudices are at white heat, requir-
ing only stror g breath to blow the latent
FIRE 10 a fierce blaze. Before one aights
from the train in the low, dingy, toulsmell'
ing terminus of Bonsventure he has seen
60 many smallpox notices pasted on the
doors Of houses along the line as to cause
him to ask if he has Just passed through
the worst part OF the infection. When the
answer comes that only about per cent Of
the disease is in the districts through which
the train has passed, the conclusion is quick
lyreached that Montreal is greatly afflicted
city. And 60 it is.
The worst portion is bounded by Mont
calm street on the west, ST. Cstharine street
on The north, Champion street on the East
ard Craig street on the South. Beaudry,
Visitation, Plessis, Mignonne and St. lgnsc
str, cts are long thoroughfares, fauked BY
houses mostly one story in height. The
majority Of the dai'y deaths occur on them,
and several OF the short connecting alley.
ways crossing the above mentioned streets
ct ght angles TEEN with the pestilence.
Yet the correspondent failed to discover
mere than hall dozen plscsrds on all the
houses in The district This is good ex'
snt tle Of the influence Of the sanitary law
on the French people and Of the total ig'
roIing OF tie foul disease by the people
Snallpox tas prevailed here more or less
ever since the settlement OF the country,
al d the mslady has been looked upon from
yenerstion to generation as one OF the
curses inflicted by the fall of Adam. Their
faith has always buoyed them up, and when
rhc destroyer assumed epidemic proportions
the afflicted people bowed 10 ths will of God
and implored intercession through St.
Roch, the ssint Of contagious disease.
Sanitary Laws Densd.
This is the sitnation at present. Lave
ard sanitary regulations are not only dis.
OBJ yed, but openly defed. Nine.tenths OF
The people look 20 relief through prayer rath-
RI than their own exertions and accept the
coming of smallpox as an Inevitable yisita-
tion from God They take no pains TO
avoid it. No one knows how many have
succumbed TO the dead disease, for the
Board Of Health keeps no record Of deaths,
and the people here would think no more OF
reporting the presence of case of con-
tapious disease to the Board of Health than
an American would case of mumps. The
correspondent visited number OF houses in
which the disease existed in order to witness
the state of affairs The first was a cottage
on Panel street, outside of which crowd Of
boys we're hooting at notice OF smallpox
Just posted on the door. There was only
ore case of the disease-a girl Of TO- who
was taken four days previous. The mother
was strenuous in her denunciation of the
Beard of Health and the city authorities.
She did not believe in vaccination. Her
child would probably recover through her
prayers and the French doctor in attend.
auce, and she would get up from the disease
turified" and in better health than ever be
fore. Fit was the will Of lie Bon Dieu that
she died her soul would be safe.
4 younger child was playing about the
adjoining room, the connecting door being
ri G oren. The window in the sick room
Sts shut and the air was close
AID fetid. AS regards The plscard
!hs woman was indignant. Would she not
E compelled to wash it Off Would the
Beard OF Health take it down. Oh, no!
:! would have TO do it unless the gsrcons
ou,sidr sayed her the tronbe. At this
UC nr If the ccnversation, a little boy found
NJ wap into ,te room from neighbers g.
s. attempt wss made to drive him out and
a IN ihe writer took his departure the ur
lbn was standing in the doer OF the sick
room looking at his delirious little acquaint
~ &C on the bed.
Scenes of Horror.
A darker side OF the picture is afforded BY
yisit to the dwelling Of poor laundres9 in
he neighborhoodo OF Cham psign street. The
eIemr Mt consisted Of three rooms-ons q
tcuntn living room and bed room open.
iDg out of it. The odor Of the place was
perfectly nauseating. The moment the
writer reached the door Of the house, sf!er
HI virg passed through group Of children
L tie front area, there became apparent o
Il culiar, sickish, sweet smell which nau.
,eaies an unfamiliar stomach, and which is
so characteristic in its nature IS TO be IN
mistakable. In the small bedroom open
ing from the living room there were
three beds packed closely together. One
Of the beds vas double one and the other
Two were childreD's sizes. On the large
hd wss little sufferer in the last stages Of
tbe disease. The entire face was solid
mass cf pastulation and the eyes were
closed. The secondary fever was at is
height and TIE vretched object breaEhsd
,hort in gasping Efforts in It's profound de-
irium. The child rad bat fs~ holrs 10
i've. On ore of the small beds was sao.her
child. cpLvaltscebr, Dos very weak from
sevsre attack A chii ot fonr 'h- sister
,frie tao sick chi ldren, was playing about
re tocr Of the hv ng rom. Her face was
fee irCm the signs Of cisesse, and an ex-
snir alton revealed the fact that both her
rms xere free from the marks Of yscsina-
riop.
"Why don't you have that child vaccin-
sttdT' exclaimed the reporter. "Ahl non,
rob I" said the mother, aAd she snatched up
the little one in An involuntary fear that
he Objectionable virus might be surepti-
iorslj introduced beneath the cuticle Of her
oftDr;ug. "HAve the Board Of Health been
arcundF "Yes, some one came and put
sd 8 10 ice. who pulled IT DOWN. "Ah,
is ne ssis pas" replied the lAundress. do
you kroE the child is doingP "Ah, Yes
but ! have TO do the washing for A4dsmes
s6eers." "You don't mean TO say that yoa
srf Wishing the clothes Of an outsiie fsni-
iyT "Oui, oBi, certainemeni.
Isb any wonder, asks the correspondent,
hst TIE epidemic is rapidly increasing in
Montreal, when such ignorance Irevailsf
The s,ttsm Of fumigation is mere sham
ard amounts to nothing, and unless some