Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1888-11-01
ON A FEVER TRAIN.
Incidents of a Trip Northward of
Panic stricken Refugees.
[From the Atlanta Constitution. /

[From the Atlanta constitutional
ON THE TRAIN, - Never did man
take ghastlier ride than our cor
respondent when he left the Union de-
pot with the train Of yellow fever refu-
gees from Florida.
The stop in Atlanta, the serving of
lunches, the excitement of the city.
seemed to have infected the crowd, and
from the moment the train pulled out
OF the depot it was apparent that DIR.
Guiteras had lost control of the crowd.
Men and women were nervous to an I'M
comfortable degree. A half dozen
stronger spirits would organize on each
car and practically take charge of it. If
passenger complained of feeling I'M
we'll there was an instant demand for
him to be put off the train. In two
cases this demand would have been en-
forced by main strength but for the de-
termination OF two OF three humane and
determined men. In one car woman
was taken with chill, which in o few
moments was succeeded by fever. She
was Immediately taken from one car in
to another, and the car she was elected
allowed to go out or in. This trick was
soon discovered, and as the rumor
passed that there were sick people on
this CIR, quarantine was Immediately
established i'll every other car The con
sequence was that before the train
reached the Carolina line every car was
practically barricaded against every
other car, and there was quarantine
all along the line. Having been locked
up for nearly two days and nights with
out sleep, excited by fears of the
plague, hungry and thirsty, it is re-
markable that there were not actual
tragedies enacted on the train.
A curious aad ludicrous effect was
produced at almost every station. The
crowd of loafers that usually hang about
depots came peering about the car win
dows to investigate the train. Upon
being informed that it was the yellow
fever train, they fled like sheep, and as
the contaglon spread, one could see
from the car window whole villages
scudding around corners, and taking
for the woods, us the dread train moved
its slow and CHASTITY length along At
Westminster, or near Mestminster, S.
O., four of the passengers on the train
were missing 1t was presumed that in
some way they had escaped from the
car after the train had pulled out, and
took their chances by jump from the
cars and a dash into the woods.
A very strange thing was done upon
the arrival of the refugees at Henderson
vile. DIR. Guiteras removed al re-
straint upon reaching this point. There
was no quarau tine established, and the
excursionists who Ind been so carefully
guarded all the way from Florida to
this point where at liberty to go where
they pleased. There being no quaran-
tine against Hendersonville, aud no
quarantine here, there is nothing to pre-
vent the 400 refugees, seven of whom
are down with the fever, going where
they please. They are scattering widely.
When the train load of yellow-faced,
gaunt, and nervous refugees were dump
ed at Henoersonville's gates scene was
witnessed which rivaled the most affect
ing scenes in war times. Men who, in
the rush at Jacksonville, had been Sc
parated from their families, hustled into
cars and locked up, and who had made
the entire trip without knowing whether
or not their families were ON board, up
on being given their freedom rushed
madly from one group to another in the
too frequent vain search for their loved
ones, until, worn out and c implicitly I'M
done from loss of sleep and nervous
prostration, they sank to the ground I'M
able to go further, and renamed there
until the relief committee which had
been organized by the citizens carried
them to the hospitable homes of some of
the villagers. where they were cared
for. Mothers with babes in their arms,
and children clinging to their knees, as
they cried for food and water and rest
ing place, were vaInly seeking among
the crowd for missing husbands. Chill
dren We're searching for parents, and
parents for children. 1t took the whole
day to get the refugees comfortably
quartered, and this was not accomplished
until long lines of tents had been pitch
ed IN every part of the town.