Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-03-11
BLACK DEATHS RAVAGES.
Remarkable Epidemic in a Ken
 lucky District.
CITIZENS FLEE FOR THEIR LIVES.

A Peculiar nyaIady That Puzzles the Phy-
 sici,,ns and Leaves Death and Destruc-
 tion in Its Wake - Whole Families
 Wiped Out of Existence.
 DIxoN Ky. March 1l-This little town, the center of one of the most prosperous agri- cultural regions of Western Kentucky, is ill a state of terror from tae ravages of q mys- terious and extraordinary fatal epidemic in neighboring localities. So general is the alarm that buS las been entirely sus- pended here, and mass meeting was held to devise measures of relief. No cases have ap- peared here yet, but the terror of the plague has gradually seized upon all. Many citizens have left their homes already, and the first appearance of the epidemic here would depopulate the town, as has happened in the affected localities, although the physi- cians declare, strange to say, that the epi- t.mic is not contagious. This town is in a state of practical quarantine Piles of to- bacco stems are burned every day on the streets as a disinfectant, prayers are offered daily for the sick and subscription lists for relief of the suffering are in circulation. A largo number of people have already left the town, and others going daily.
 The local physicians are not agreed as to the precise nature of the disease. They unite ill saying, however. that it is identical with the disease which swept through the New England states few years ago, killing So many people that it was called "the black death." It appears to be an exceedingly viru:ent form Of c4rAbro-spinal meningitis, and is accompanied with most remarkable characteristics. Nono of its victims have survived its attacks, though few blind and helpless, still lingering the edge of the grave.
 The epidemic showed itself first in its present form on Jan. 6, when ths young son of Harvey Ascher, farmer living near the town of Free Union, four miles from Dixon, was attacked. He first had slight chill, followed in very short time by high fever. This subsided somewhat in about sixteen hours, when the muscles of the boys neck be- 1 came alarmingly rigid, contracting and draw ing back the head into agonizing position. An eruption broke out on his body, giving it a peculiar mottled appearance. Thirty-six hours after the disease had begun the boy died of collapse and heart failure his neck drawn backward and the muscles so tense and rigid that it was with great difficulty that the body could be strengthened out suffi- l ciently to be placed in a coffin.
 A few hours afterward little sister was taken ill with the same disease. Her symp- | toms were almost similar to those of her brother. There was great irritation of the stomach. The spine became extremely rigid and was bent so far backward as to form 8 complete bow. In thirty hours the little girl was dead. A day or two later another child | also died from the disease.
 l MT. Ascher lives near the Crab Orchard | Flats, a body of lowlands lying in Crab Or chard creek There are l3S families in the neighborhood. The following week seven teen cases of the plague developed among them and fourteen soon d!ed. Two of the survivors are stone blind and very ill., and the third is at the point of death. The peo- pie grow very much frightened, but after a l few days the plague somewhat subsided. | On Feb. 12 one of Tom Bakers children was attacked, and it died in a few hours with the same symptoms. Another case and an other death followed in the same family, and l in few days there were several cases scat | tering along the lowlaIds on the crock, with in the radius of few miles, Deaths occurred daily, and then the panic began and the peo | pie fled to Dixon and elsewhere on higher ground
 The flight has been precipitate that ir | many instances live stock has been left be- hind and numbers have perished. One man
 Jeff Malone, departed in such a hurry thai
 he forgot to take his wife and children.
 A great many poor families were unable tt
 get away, and their members, ill many cases, fell victims to the disease they wer, soon in a Geplorable condition.
 There are reports that the disease is spread ing and the alarm is general Four or five
 deaths have occurred in twentyfour hours
 Last Wednesday there were 4; Thursday
 5; Friday, ?, and Saturday and Sunday
 each day. About thrty-five more cases ar,
 known to exist, but reports from the interior
 say thirty or forty deaths are occurrin.
 daily.
 II Three Bold Highwaymen.
 ST. JOSEPH, Mo, March 11.-Since the dis