The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1886-08-26
AFLOATING OHIO HORROR.
Experience of Two Fever-Stricken Fnmi.
lies in Il Boat.


lies in II Boat.
An Evansville. Indiana, special of
! Sunday. the 18th inst, tells the following
sad story: Township Trustee Spreget
was notified that his services were wan-
ted at the river. lie was directed to a
small family boat lying near the water
works. The craft was nondcscript
vessel and bore evidences of hard usage.
Its bow was STAYED in and nearly the en-
tire roof was blown of. The cabin Of
the boat was about ten feet long and
twelve tect wide, and in this miserable,
coopcd up box were twelve persons.
whose every appearance was an evidence
of pinching and gaunt poverty. Hol-
lowed eyed, emaciatcd. and with scarcely
req OF covering, they lay upon the
bare, dark floor Of the boat, hu9dlcd to.
gether. and all contending with malarlal
fever In the midst OF them lay the
dead body of a woman, partially de-
composed. Over this piece ofrag carpet
had been thrown, the living occupants
being too Ill to move the body. The
trustee at once sent for patrol wagons
andrcmoved the sufferers to the hospital,
and then an inquest was held, verdict
of death from malarial fever being rem
lered. George Bush, one of the occu-
pants OF the boat: was seen at the hospital
tonight. He was very Ill, but able to
give Il clear narrative Of the terrible and
sickening experience to which they had
been subjected. The story was as
follows:
Until three weeks ago George and
John Bush, brothers. were farmers IN
Meade County, Ky. about twelve miles
from the mouth of the Salt river. Their
land was poor, and it was with much
difficulty that they obtained sufficient
food to keep the wolf from the door.
They finally determined to try to better
their condition further West. TO this
end they constructed Il small boat. and
on Sunday, July 25. both families. con-
sisting of the brothers, their wives and
nine childrell-thirtecn i'll all-with their
few belongings, embarked i'll the boat
and started down the river. They reach
ed the mouth of Salt river late Sunday
night. and hy Monday morning were i'll
the OHIO. Two weeks ago to-day Nancy
Bush. aged lifty-seven, Georges wife,
was taken i'll with malaria. and not being
able to procure necessary medicine, 1t
soon developedinto typhoilmalaria. The
other members were stricken down one
by one, until finally all were helpless.
In this condition they were ovcrtaken
on Thursday night by a heavy storm
which tossed their craft about like an
eggshell, throwing them from one end of
the boat to the other. Their possessions
were all swept away by the waves and
the roof taken of. During this fearful
night. Mrs. Bush suddenly grew worse
and began pleading feebly for water,
which no one could give her, and just as
dawn broke she died in intense suffering
and agony. All day long they drifted
with the cnrrent, the hot sun beating
down upon the little group Of sufferers.
The approach of darkness gave them
some relief, but the overpowering thirst
and hunger nearly deprived them of
reason. This morning they had drifted
nearly opposite the city, when some fish
ermen saw the apparently tenantless boat
and boarded it, discovering the condi-
ton of its occupants. They secured
their lines and ran the boat ashore, after
which the authorities were notified. All
the sick people are being teuderly cared
for tonight, but hopes are only enter.
tanned for six Of them, the fatal and
fetld atmosphere, tainted with the corpse
having had its effect upon the remainder.
Mrs. Bush has been buried and the boat
burned.