Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1885-03-21
"'MyG God 7 I exclaimed. You've go.

that death look in your eyes!
He pressed his hands to his head and
turned deadly pale, and then, pointing
~ nv eyes, almost yelled:
"'And so have yo"p
~ must have flown up the steps. ]
r!shei without ceremony to the Cap
aims room, and looked in q small mirror
hat hung there. That Was enough.
he hollow, vacant stare that | had seer
u many Of the poor Swedes was now IN
~ own. At tie most. I had two hours
and a half 10 live. | walked tothe deck.
The men all star.ed "a I met than !
sat down by she vessels side, and looked
INTO the water that / felt soon must be
nay grave. I am not sure, but / believe
I was On the point Of s%pringing over t
escape the agony of tie death that I
knew was certain, when some one cangh'
nv arm. 1t was a young man named
Gardner, who was the clerk Of tbs pro
peller. He tad a glass filed with some
sort of Liquor. It was New England
rum, a small cask of which he had acct
dentalI mefound among the stores. H
told niche had gigen the engineer some,
and asked me to drink il. He said be
hadn't the least idea that it would do rs
any good, but it could be no worse if We
Tried it. Gardner went around through
the steerage aud dealt out rum to all
who were sick. What the virtues Of the
Liquor were and why they counteracte5
the deadly effects of the disease I nor nc
one else ever knew. I did not o.e. the
engineer-Bllly Curtis was his name
did not die, and there were sever |
among the emigraats who were saved by
using the rum. About the same time
that the rum came into service Gardner
discovered what the probable origi Of
Tie fatal maIady was. He found among
.he stores Of the ~emlgrants a barrel Of
fish which they had been using The
fish were putrid.
"We reached Milwaukee in the evan
lng. and there were ten or twelva dead
er:igtants on board at the time. Tn
Captain sent for physicians. Tn ply =
cans decided that the disease was som
80 cies Of fever common to sh ps VI.
,~a>scngers were closely quart@Tr!, IL
S exact nature they could not de- r
.,ur. Tno n-ws or the 1e-rlDfe ST He o.
t1ac, GA board the propeller was not
z in getting abroad, an no one, not
even the officers, would be given quar-
n.-a anywhere III the city, and ali were
.'r,y. lack to the melancholy surround
ings on board. Mkt morning the
authorities ordered the vessel to be
moved far out from the dock. This was
done. A new element then appeared III
the unfortunate situation, when for a
time Threatened serious trouble. Tie
Swedes living in and about Milwaukee,
were md acquainted with aft ,irs. and
they came to the dock 800 strong. They
eat word to the Captain OF the propeller
that if he would run his vessel in to The
lock they would prevent any interior
ence with his landing. For a while
riot seemed inevitable, but it was finally
agreed between the Captain and the
authorities that he might land his pas
sangers on scows, which Were towed tc
IN old storehouse on the outskirts of the
city. Three other deaths occurred
among the emigrants before they wera
finally penn tied to have Their freedom.
Out of the $50 Swedes that LETT Buffalo
only s. reached their destination. The
wretchedness of the unfortunate emf
grants was made still greater by Tx
hoseness of Jansen, the agent havinG
them in charge. Before the Survivors
we're able to look after their Interests
Jansen disappeared, taking with HIN tht
100000 belonging to the party. H.
was never heard of afterward that
ever learned"