Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-10-14
Mrs. Hayward, Nee Case, Tells
Of a Terrible EX-
perience.
Seventeen Days on Board a
Ch0lera-Infected
Vessel.
Burial at Sea- the Yellow FLAG
DR.. Jenkins-Liberty-
Fireworks.
U'rom the Madison Democrat.)


ing across the ocean on a cholera ship
! seventeen days.
Mr.. and MIS-. Hayward spent the
summer in Europe and sailed from
Hamburg Aug. p. Prior to going
aboard they made a tour Of the city,
which Mr.. Hayward says is indescrib-
ably filthy, the air in many places be-
ing heavily laden with noXious odors.
The couple had no suspicion that the
city was infected with cholera, the
terrible truth being kept a dead secret
by the public authorities.
Just think of it," exclaimed Mrs.
Hayward, I'VE drank the Elbe water
and never knew it was the source of
the citys Epidemic
The story of the voyage over as told
by Mrs. Hayward is most interesting
The vessel was the Rugia, which left
Hamburg just after the Moravia, the
latter being the first ship to bring
! cholera to the United States. The
MoraVia had no cabin passengers. The
Rugia had large number, while in
the Storage sixteen nationalities were
represented. There We're, besides Euro
peanS, SyrianS and others from Asia
and Africa. None of the Syrians or
other Mohammedan passengers, whose
religion requires them to wash their
hands before eating, contracted the
disease.
After being out several days two
deaths were reported in the Steerage,
but the ships officers reported them
due to some innocent ailment. Soon
two other deaths were announced. The
pee uliar conduct of the ships officers.
led one of the cabin passengers to re-
main up to witness the burial. That
solemn event occurred at 1 o'clock at
night, the dead being wrapped i'll can
VaSS, weighted and then rolled over
board. The extraordinary care mani
tested by those engaged in the scene
to disiufect their persons and dispose of
the clothing and ether goods of the
dead strengthened the suspicion of the
cabin passengers that some terrible
disease was raging i'll the Storage, but
yet the truth was kept from them.
Finally the Rugia reached New York,
passed through the narr0ws and into
the upper bay. There she was stopped
by DR.. Jenkins. the health officer, who,
on learning of the deaths on board,
said to the captain:
You go back to quarantine and hoist
the yellow flag"
Then we quickly learned the TRUTH
said Mrs Hayward, "but we did not
expect to have to remain long When
was told that we would probably have
to stay three days, it seemed to me as
though l could never stand it. Nv
nerves were already terribly wrought
UP by the awful fear which had grad
u;llly developed as Il result of 50 many
mysterious deaths en- the WAY over.
two more-making six in all-having
occurred before the vessel reached
New York. But l did stand the three,
and fourteen in addition. We were
i'll quarantine bay all the time, and it
was four days after our arrival before
the Steerage passengers were removed.
The horror of those four days! | can
not describe it: no one can realize it.
Men Wept and cursed, and wome1,
nearly became frantic. Scarcely a
soul smiled at any time. There were
then six more people down with ,he
cholera In the Storage. The first day
as we were having lunch men came
aboard and took off the last two vic
TINS for burial-the law forbidding Il
sea burial IL the harbor. 1t was a
loathSOme, q shocking sight which
greatly added to our depression. At
ter severaldayS all the cabin passengers
were taken on board the old man-of-
war New Hampshire, but remained in
quarantine bay, the Rugia and Nora
via, both flying yellow flags, near by.
Two other Hamburgers also came in
and there day in and day out look
where we might yellow flag from
one of the four vessels greeted our Wis
ion. 1t had been the intention to take
us to Fire iSland-and had we gone we
| would have been the first to meet the
wrath of the islandrs-but the plan
was changed and we remained on the
| vessel.
During the long seventeen days we
! could see the statue of liberty in the
! upper bay-liberty while we had none.
What mockery! And the fireworks
at Coney island were plainly visible at
night to taunt US with the pleasures
which others were enjoying.
Those yellow flags. They were al
ways before our eyes. Why 1 never
would wear a yellow dress or anything
| yellow again. exclaimed Mrs. Hay
ward with much animation. ''They
/ SD0ilp6 ono valIOU and uhita na rtv
dress for me in fumigating, but 1 never
should have worn it again anyway,
so l don't care. But they ruined all
my party dresses-one perfectly beau
tiful white cheviOt, too, that l Lad made
| in Paris. And they poured boiling
water on a rare cut glass piece, that
was bringing home as a gift to Mrs
lot of other ware was also ruined.
'At last we were transferred to the
! Cepheus and as we walked down the
| gang plank each of us had to take the
hand of DR.. Jenkins. Just think Of
it, His hand which was in cholera
| most of the time! We all perfectly
hated him and when a heavy woman
rolled against him and nearly knocked
BIN over there were loud shouts of
qualification The Cepheus took us
up to the city aid we were given per
mission to land.
at was a dreadful experience, the
horrors Of which no one can known
Mrs. Hayward will be joined by her
husband soon and together they will
go to Denver for awhile.