Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-03-22
BLACK DEATH
PEOPLE FLEEING FROM THE MYS-
FERROUS DlsEASE-GREAT En-
CITEMENT AND TEHROR-PilSl.
CTANt pTyTrIfD

CfTEMENT AND TtkRoR-PllSl
CLANS PUZZLED
DIXON, KY- March l5.-ihis
Ittle town, thc center of one Of the
most prosperous agricultural re-
gions OF western Kentucky, is IN a
state of terror Iou thc rayigcs OF
a mysterious and extraordinary
fatal epidemic 10 ueighboIing To-
calities. So general is the alarm
that business has been entirely
suspended here and mass meet
ing was held 10 devise measures OF
relief No cases have appeared
here as yet, but the terror Of the
plague has gradually seized upon
all. Many citizens have left their
homes already, and the first ap'
pearance Of the epidemic here
would dcpopulate the town, as has
happened in the Affected localities,
although The physicians declare,
strange 10 say, that the epidemic
Is not contagious. This town is IN
state of practical quarantine
Piles o. tobacco stems arc banned
every da, on the streets as q dis
infectant, prayers are offered daily
for the sick and subscription lists
for the relief of the suffering are in
circulation. \ large number OF
people have already lcft the town,
and others are going daily.
The local physicians are not
agreed as to the precise nature OF
the disease. They unite in saying,
however. that it Is Identical with the
disease which swept through the
New England States "A few years
ago, killing so many people that IT.
was called 1.-THE black death" 1t
appears To bc an exceedingly
vlrulent form Of cerebTC.spinaI
meningitis, and is accompanied
with most remarkable character
Istics. None Of it, victims has
survived lis attacks, though a few,
blind and helpless, are stu linger
ing on the edge Of the grave.
The epidemic showed itself first
IN its present form on January q,
when the Young son OF Harvey
Ascher, IA farmer living near the
town Of Free Uai0n, four miles
from Dixon, WAS attacked. lie
first had a sligt chill, followed in a
very short time by high fever
This subsidized somewhat III about
Is hours, when the muscles Of the
boys neck became alarmingly
rigid, contracting and drawing
back the head into an agonizing
position. An eruption broke out
on his body, giving tia peculiar
notified appearance. Thrty-six
hours after the disease had begun
the boy died OF collapse and hear;
failure, his neck drawn backward
aud muscles so tense and rigid that
it was with great difficulty that the
body conld I've Strengthened out
sufficiently To- br placed m coffin.
4 few hours aiterward little
sister VAS taken ia with the same
disease. lIei symptoms were all
mos similar io those of her brother.
There was great irritation of the
stomach.
The spine became extremely
rigid and was bent SD Ear back
ward as to form a complete bow
In so hours the little glrl was dead,
! A day or two later another child
also died from the disease.
Mr.. Ascher lives near the { j
Orchard Hat, body Of lowIand
living in Crab Orchard creek
There are rs families In the neigh
| borh God. The following week Il
cases OF plague developed among
them and II soon died. Two Of
the survivors are Stone blind. The
people are very much frightened,
but after a few days the plague
somewhat subsidized.
On February -, however, the
c0ntagiOn again broke out and IN d
/ few days people were dl Ing in large
numbers. A plu.c cusucd and the
people fed 10 this town and else
where on higher ground.
Another iuii thcu occurred but
the disease soon appeared in 4
more yirulcnt inIm than ever. The
flight became so prccipitatc that II
many instances live stock has baer
/ left behind and pedshcd. Ont
man left his wife ana chlldren.-
| The wife became sick and wa'
found IAN extremely wretched con
dition by relief conmlttrc. Tit
neighbors are very excited over The
affair. \ great many poor persons
were unable to get away and II
many cases tell victims.
The physicians have worked hare
bat could do nothing but comfort
the dying. Once a person Is a.
tackled he Is doomed. Doctors art
at a loss to name the nature OF thI
disease, but some call il malignant
inllammatory cercbro-spinal menln
gltiS.
The first symptom is a chill
then either an increase or decrease
OF temperature. \ malignant
type OF hiph fever invariably FOL
lows the chill, then proStration anC
then death-all in the course of z
few hours. When the illness lasts
over 10 hours there is generally al
eruption. The ioIuts eecome very
sensitive and any effort to move
the head will cause great PAIN
The disease Is mainly confined t
women and children, and 80 far a.
known not single negro has beer
attacked The blindness that re
suits from the disease is mos
terrifying feature % the simple
country people.
There are reports that the dis
ease Is spreading and the alarm Is
becoming general. Accounts from
/ the interior of Webster county say
10 to 30 deaths occur daily, buI
this undoubtedly isawild exagger
alton. In this vicinity there aIC
now 90 cases aud the deaths mum
Der nearly 100.