The Rugby gazette and east Tennessee news. (Rugby, Morgan Co., Tenn.) 1884-188?, 1885-09-12
A FATAL SCOURGE.
No Remedy Observation-Disclosures Fall
Victims-Sad Scenes.

PARKERsBURG, w. VA, September g.
of a character unknown to the local physi-
clans, has broken out in Clay County, this
State. The greatest fatality is geographic
cally marked thus far by line drawn from
the head of Sycamore Creek across to the
Elk, inclosing the southwestern part Of the
county. Sycamore Creek is small stream
running between steep hills from six hun
dred to a thousand feet high, inclosing
narrow valley of great richness but sparse-
ly settled, owing to the fact that the land
is principally owned in large bodies by
foreign parties. There are about sixty
families on the creek and its tributaries,
nearlysall of whom aren poor farmers or
woodmen. They reside in small log huts or
houses of one or two rooms, seldom more,
and are the possessors of very few or the
comforts of life and none of its luxulies.
Among this primitive but honest and hos.
pitable people a strange and very fatal
disease has broken out, sweeping away
fully two thirds of the people. From the
best accounts received the disease is I'M
known to the physicians. In number of
instances member Of family has been
taken down with it, and before physician
could be reached, generally living alta dis
lance, the unfortunate victim would suffer
torment and die in from one to three
hours; and before the phys would ar
rive others of the family would be down
with it. In several instances while men,
Der of a family was dying another
would be heard crying and moaning
with deadliest pain, only to join the
| long host within a few hours or minutes.
t. e. IoI Iox ,t,1r, similar
! to cholera, excepting an internal hefnor-
rhage which Immediately preceded death.
The fatality became so great that there
were scarcely enough bodied persons
left to care for the sick. Being contagious,
| fear, no doubt, kept many away. OAe
| physician is reported to have been taken
with the disease while attending patients,
and to have succumbed in two hours. 1t is
particularly fatal among the children. A
family named Collins lost two children,
while one named Phelps or Phillips lost
three out of four little ones, Mr.. McGraw,
one; Mr.. Morton, two; Mr.. walker
of the County Commissioners, one
child and grown daugh ter, all in forty
eight hours. Many others, to the number
of twenty seven, were taken with this ter
rible fnalady and died within three or foul
days. This is reported as happening only
on one creek, while number of fatalities
are being heard from at different point
north and south of Sycamore Creek. OWING
! TO s&o secluded position of these people
md me difficulty in reaching them witt
proper medical aid and assistance, the dis
ease will probably prove more fatal thal
otherwise would have been the case. Their
are number of theories and conjecture
regarding it, many ascrlbing 1t to the water
| which is believed to be poisoned VIII
the germs of the disease. Others believe
to be the cholera, but are no doubt mlStake
in their belief, as the symptoms do not Jus
tify that idea. In fact, the disease ap
pears to be of the same nature, to grea
extent, as that which devastated severa
localities in the lower end of the State las
fall. 1t is stated that the scenes along TIL
creek during the prevalence of the diseas
beggared description The means "a. an
shrieks of pain, the terror OF thos
\ vet unstrcken by the fell dis
A ease, and the sad sight of tn
funeral rites of the victims in the lionel
= DEPTHS of the dark woods, wher
often there were scarcely enough left I
dig the shallow grave and consign tn
a dead to their future home, the tears al
d cries Of the friends and relatives Of til
g dead were so sad, so heart-rending, that
Il would bring tears to the eyes of any livin
htimaii being. None Of the physicians al
d pear as vet to have discovered the hatul
:, of the disease or to render any aid in
e single instance. From Sycamore Cret
IS the disease is reported to be rapid
~ spreading Id every direction, and If som
5. thing does not soon occur to stop 1t, 1T W
r. depopulate the southwestern portion OF Il
IL county,, "NiY.ss