Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-10-05
Diary in a Fever Stricken CITY.
THE LIFE AND SCENES IN
JACKSON VILLE

THE EFFORTS TO BREAK THE FEVER UP
SCENES IN THE CITY-HOW IT ATTACKS
THE PATIENT-HOW ACCUSTOMED
PEOPLE BECOME TO IT-PARTICULARs
OF THE DEATH OF DR.. r. C. BOWMAN.
&C, &C.,. sc.
Last week we published the fact that
Mr.. and Mrs. J. w. Morrison, of jack
sonvllle, Fla, had arrived in this city.
They have not been to Jacksonville since
early Spring, but their son, Mr.. Will
Morrison, well known here, and their SON.
n-law, Mr.. A. Fries his business partner
in three drug stores there, have been there
frou the beginning OF the epidemic.
the two gentlemen named which would be
interesting in view of the wide spread in.
I terest felt in that unhappy city, a repre-
sentative of the VINDICAToR called on
them. They courteously furnished him
several, and we give extracts from them
below-they are from Mr.. Morrison, ex-
cept where it is stated that the writer is
Mr.. Fries:
Aug. 2th.-There have been only IL cases
of yellow fever here SO far and three
deaths. Oae was an ex-policeman at st
Luke's hospital; another, Capt. j.. r.
Tuttie at Murray Hall; and the third the
wife of a gentleman who is running the
Lafayette Tor DR.. Berry during his alb
sence. There is another case at the Lafa-
yette. Mr.. Fries came up from Murray
Hall night before last, and hearing of the
disease at the Lafayette went to the
Tognl. We have been handling disin-
fectants constantly and the stores are full
of the odor. Everybody is buying them
and we have never done such business
as for the first four days. People are not
only buying disinfectants, but preventive
medicines. 1 never saw such a panic.
Every train and boat has gone out loaded.
The streets have a deserted appearance,
and only at the drug stores is any life to
be seen and at the Togni-the one hotel
open. We all carry d1sinfectants in our
pockets and are taking quinine. tonics,
liver N, dicine, &c. Every means are being
used to stamp out the disease. Fifty men
and plenty Of teams are going over tie
city cleaning it up. Pitch and tar are
burned all night. The infected houses and
all bediing and clothing are burned. To-
morrow cannon are to be fired IN hope of
destroying the fever microbes by concus-
sion.
We are perfectly cool and undisturbsd
by the situation around u.s. l believe that,
trusting in God and asking his protection,
we will pull through. We are all in the
hands of God and we know that HE
doeth all things well'
dug 18th. i From Mr. Fries I cannot
leave here. Suppose all druggists should
think alike and should desire to leave the
stricken city, what would become of the
victims. My own conscience tells me
, ought to stay. can truthfully say am
not afraid to face danger. and as We must
die some time, | should feel proud of dying
at my post. They are now firing the
large cannon at each street corner, making
tremendous report and breaking panes
! Of glass every where. All the street curb
ings and part Of the sidewalk are whit e-
washed, giving everything CHASTITY APP
pearance. A large barrel of tar is burning
ateach street opening, sending up immense
volumes of dark smoke which fill the air
and houses. In the side streets every
house is deserted. Bay street might be
cannonaded after 6 2. NJ without killing
a soul.
AuJ. 18th wrote about withdrawing
the sidewalks, lamp posts, telegraph posts,
&C., and now they are whitewashing the
trees. all along our pretty residence streets
and in the park. AT night it seems like
. war times. with the fires lighted in all
directions and the terrific cannonading
They have seven cannon, and they 60 in
different directions through the city dur
l ing the evening from about to 9 O'Clock
and at every corner they stop and fire.
With that going on all over the city at
once, you can imagine what noise they
make. The paper says they can bear it
in st. Augustine. To-day they are sprink-
ling corrosive sublimate On the streets.
Jacksonville has been swept and cleaned,
until to-day it must ba the cleAnest city
in the country.
Hug 25M.-I5 will surprise you to know
that SINCE my last letter l have been
through an attack of the fever. l am at
my desk now, the first day [ have been
down stairs since Sunday. l was feeling
perfectly we'll all day Sunday until star
ted to close the store that night. l then
felt little weak. Soon after getting
into bed, | found [ was having chill. 1t
passed off quickly and was followed by II
raging fever with temperature 1861. Tten
a terrific headache with 1t and my bones
sched so | could not lie STILL That WAS
the worst night l ever experienced.l In
the morning my fever had gone down, my
temperature fell to 102 ard the headache
left me. By afternoon the aching in my
bones had gone. The fever left me the
thiid day. l am entirely we'll but the
fever left me very weak. Freeman, Ga
porter at one of the stores), was taken
sick about the same time, but is not out
yet. Miss Dora, "a CLERK at one of the
stores), Was taken few days after L was
and has been very sick. feel thankful
that | got through so quickly.
Sept. 5th.-The authorities are now try
ing to depopulate the city, and furnishing
free transportation to any part of the
country to all who are not able to pay
their way. If they succeed in getting the
people away, of course there will be no use
for US here and we shall leave. We are
,, very busy now; so many are sick and SO
many prescriptions to Gil. The other
prominent drug stores are crippled by sick
ness \ their fnrca H.. RATES. who a.