New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-06-22
ONLY ONE RETURNED ALIVE
VOLUNTEER TELEGRAPHERS IN A YELLOW
FEVER EPIDEMIC.
HOW ONE OF THEM RAN TRAIN THROUGH A
QUARANTINE BLOCKADE AT THE
RISK OF HIS OWN AND
OTHERS LIVES.

The lives Of the telegraph operators of few years
ago were full Of thrilling experience, few of when
have been told in print excepting in their craft pub
lcatons which the readers daily newspapers never
see AT the Telegraph Club the other night number
Of old time" operators entertained each other for
hours with tales Of their early adventures. one OF
them as told by the operator himself is of peculiar
interest The narrator one OF the best known
experts in the service of the Wstcrn Union Telegraph
Company in 1873, when he employed in the Phil
adelphia office. He is modest and at this late
day will not consent 10 the publication of his name
in connection with the story, which, as he related
1t, is as follows
You all remember how the yellow fever ragged in
the south In the summer Of 1873, and how terribly
fatal 1t was among the operators The mails to the
North were all Quarantined and the only communi-
cation between the two sections OF the country was
by wire. When The operators began to die there
were grave fears that communication would be shut
off altogether, leaving the South without means Of
indicating It's needs to the generous North such
event would have been like lowering II black curtain
between two sections. leaving the South struggle
alone in darkness with the plague. The scOurgc
at its height in september, when the deaths in Mem
phis and NewOrlcans up into the hundreds daily
Every day operator would die. and every day the
wires became more crowded with urgent appeals for
relief. Early in September all Northern operators
were informed that the company would like few
volunteers 10 60 south. No appeal made 10y the
company, bat hints thrown out that volunteers
were badly needed.
In response to these hints seven men formally
offered their services. Two operators in Pitts
burg, two in Cincinnati, two in Philadelphia and
In Boston. The Pttsburg and Cincinnati men were
first called upon and were sent to Memphis All
four fell victims 10 the fever and died within week
after reaching their destination. The rest Of the
volunteers were badly scared. At least. ! know
that was, and glad that was the last on the
list. The other Philadelphia ordered TO
New Orleans, and went his way far -. Louis
where he was arrested on rumpcd up charge by his
mother and sent 10 jail to keep him from carrying
out his dangerous mission. The sixth man then
ordered from Boston. He came as far As New.Yorl
and at Frcnch's Hotel the night he arrived he met
some southern people who told him some blood
curdllng tales OF the horrors OF the plague. pistol
accidentally discharged In his room that night and
the flesh wound made in his leg by the bullet rendered
II impossible for him 10 travel further General
supcrint endent John G. Hnchman tclegraphed to me
IN Philadelphia asking II | ready 20 proceed
New Orleans. Nobody knew how tempted wa,
TO back ont The cold absolutely dropped
from my head ! considered my reply. Finally
determined to co. let the result be a. IT might and
replied Mr.. Hnchman that I would star, the fol
lowing night l took train out into the country
that night and bid my parents cooi.by. The next
said he hoped but did not expect TO see me again on
earth.
BIDDING HIS FAMILY FAREWELL.
Returning TO Philadelphia found awaiting me Tho
passes made in the % the Eos'on nan. which
according 70 my Instruction, would carry NE as far A.
Milan Tenn, whore other passes in my own
would be handed me. a lot Of my friend, went
the station To- me OF. but IT was m extremely
melancholy party. and the result was that dd not
star, IN ;hc best Of spirits Nothing unusual occurred
until reached Bowling Green. Ky. which was then
the northern limit 81 the fever line We had passed
any number OF refugees the nclehborhool Of Louis
vile, but there was no ono travelling toward the
south | alone in the train south Of Louisville.
and when u reached Bowling Green ! ordered OF
the train which Wa then PM under The sheds
abandoned. When / learned what had been done /
hunted mp the dispatcher showed him my passes ami
insisted That the train schedules 20 south should
proceed II not until hcadluar'cr, had been
appealed 20 That be would send train ont and only
then when he got pcrcmpiory Orders 20 d. So. Tn
train va, soon made ready, and ! got on board. III"
only passenger bound into the foyer country We
had besides an engine. combination baggage and
smoking car and two Ordinary DAY coaches. ! was
as hungry As bear but nothing could be- bought a,
Bowling Green and although had had nothing ~ eat
since leaving Cincinnati the day before. there was
lirtle prospect that would be able to secure ANYTHING
for another day, because. The train told ne
no hotels or restaurants on the WAY south open
We started south. therefore. with my mind in not
very pleasant condition. and / began earnestly -
regret having started a. all
The day left Bowling Green was afro lorsy
hot, and suffered intensely. At first opened the
windows bu, a brakeman told me how the fever
germs would rush IN II the windows were allowed 10
remain OPEN and The impulse II the moment
closed most Of them. This brakeman was a delight
fuI companion. Knowing that vas going South,
with big chances II dying. he consolci the weary
hours Of the journey by telling me how many case.
Of fever had occurred among the refugees in that
very in the lat uptrp. When lie told me that a
sick had died IN the seat in which were,
opened the windows once moro. prcfcrring 10 take
the chances Of letting germs ont at least equal
10 those Of letting others in. The trainmcn all took
a hand at telling horrible stories Of the suffering
from fever the last up.trp. and when they saw
that would not be discouraged. they confessed that
they had tried brighten away from the terrible
country into which plunelng.
NOTHING But CRACKERS TO EAT
"The first town We reached where there was much
suffering was Paris Tenn. As the train pulled into
the station the only people there TO meet it half
a dozen cadavcrous negroes. almost famishcd
and had 70 have food OF some kind at once. The
only things that could obtain which nc D.
cat were few CRACKERS. We passed through town
after town without seeing more than dozen human
beings in all and they negrd,s. The whites
were all dead had fed 10 the North. We ran
into shotgun quarantine at Milan, and had heap
of trouble 10 get food and new passes. A. vet
that town had escaped the fever. and quarantine
had been established against both the North and
south a. the fever was then raging both sides.
When | stepped from the train at Milan. fellow
lcvclkd hi gun at me and ordered me back into the
car. ! got back quickly, went 10 the rear Of the
train and got off on the opposite side When the
guards were not looking dashed into the telegraph
Office at the depot presented my credentials and re
cclvcd my passc-. There country store
little hill about a furOng from the depot, where
Thought cracker, and cheese might be procured. No
one Wa guarding the road toward the store, and
made run for IT, mad almost reached the store
when heard shout. and turning, saw that the
guards coming for me ] grabbed paper bag
lnmmed craclcra INTO II out Of harr.l -.Izcd