Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-26
Over 100000 Persons Fled From the
Russian Oil City to Avoid
THE DREAD ASIATIC SCOURGE.
Bodies Of Many Victims Buried Beneath
Dwelling HouseA
PUTTING A PREMIUM ON CONTAGION

not be entirely nnlshed here before the END
of December, as the weather will be warm
till that time. am glad to be able to say
that we consider the city already quite free
from the dread disease. There are yet q
few cases. but they are isolated from the
city, and are reported as nearly recovered.
LAS the papers say little about the
cholera in Baku, will tell you the history
of it since it began here. 1t first broke out
about June and by the 9th there had been
dozen cases, nearly all fatal On the 10th
about 40 cases were reported. From the
time the first case was reported, there COM
menced general stampede from the city.
Everyone who could get away, including
your humble servant, seemed to have press
Ing business out of town. In the first two
weeks A, 900 had gone by rail toward Tiflis
and Batoum and 80, 600 by the Caspian Sea,
while some 10, 900 more went by carriages,
On horseback and on foot to neighboring
villages Many carried the germs of the
disease with them and gave it such a start
that it soon spread over all Europe and
threatened America You will observe that
have noted the departures from here for
only the first two weeks
Only 10000 Persons Repained.
'NThe next two weeks increased the num-
Der largely, so that out of q population of
I25, 900 for Baku and its suburbs, it is esti-
mated that at one time, deducting deaths
and departures, not over 10000 people re-
mained. The official report gives 5000 as
the number of deaths resulting from the
disease, but all know that one-half,
or perhaps much less, was all that was
reported.
1.-THE city contains some 80, 900 Tsrtars
who live in holes, back alleys and filthy
places The mortality was greatest among
this class and as their religious views for
bid that a Christian should touch their
dead bodies, they never reported their
cases, but did the best they could among
misunderstanding their dead at night in
obscure places and frequently in their own
1ooryards, under the floors or in the eel
lars. In one house 16 bodies were discov-
cred buried under the floor, while the
family occupied it as usual The authori-
ties as soon as they found this out satur-
ated the house with petroleum and burned
the whole structure with all its contents
During the last OF July and the first of
August the deaths averaged $50 per day
and safe estimate of the total number of
deaths may be put at 5000. During the
worst days it was impossible to procure
cofins or even rough boxes so the bodies
were wrapped in mating or something
else, and great numbers thrown together
into large excavations and covered with
lime.
Carrying Away the Dead In Carts.
at was common sight to see carts going
through the streets ladened with dead
bodies without any covering-legs and
arms protruding out from the mass and
loosely dangling with the motion of the
vehicle. Iu some instances Tartars were
discovered going through the streets with
carts loaded with bags of -four, but when
examined closely the inner bags of the pile
were found to contain dead bodies. The
outer ones we're filled with -four which was
frequently sold to unsuspecting people by
the Tartars after they had disposed OF their
CHASTITY cargoe.
1.-THE city has about 500 carriages for
hire, but only 20 remained. Those remain
ing were forcibly detained by the civil
authorities who paid them 21% roubles per
day in addition to what they could earn.
These carriages were used to carry sick peo-
pie to the hospitals, dead bodies to the
cemeteries, and in the interval they were
hired by the living who wanted to use
them. Is it any wonder that cholera
spread?
"When cholera broke out there were
some 80 doctors in the city, but after two
weeks all but four had fed. When this be-
came known the Government sent doctors
and compelled the authorities of the city to
furnish medicines and dislntectants.
Disappointed by Bad Business.
A., a; Il, ! -.
some ten hours west of Baku. At this
point the railroad company established a
hospital, as on every train some were either
sick or dead. At this station the sick were
taken to the hospital from the train and the
dead were removed to be buried. Two Rus
sion laborers were employed to convey to
the sick or the dead from the train. They
received for each sick person one rouble for
their work and for each, dead person two
roubles. Under the doctors instructions to
drink plenty of vodka they did their
gruesome duties most cheerfully. So when
one train arrived both rushed out on the
platform. one singing out: Evan, how
many sick and dead are there to-day?'
"'Not a one,' answered the guard, only
one ndisposed, aud she not very badly
1.-The other fellow yelled out in great dis
appointment, 'D-l take the luck He
was comforted, however, bv his companion,
who said: We'll, never mind, God grant
there will be some tomorrow. Come and
take a vodka with me- 1t is useless to say
he went
Made Mistake in the Patient
"On board the steamer were two Geor-
gian lsdies-sisterS Neither of them could
speak Russian. One of them became quite
ill and the stewsrdess reported the case to
the doctor, who Immediately went to their
cabin. In the meantime, however, the sick
sister stepped out. The doctor upon his ar
rival, finding lady lying down, supposed
it to be the one who was ailing and insisted
upon her taking the medicine which he Of
fered. She not being able to argue with
him, and thinking it was to be some sort of
q preventive, took the Dose The sick
sister got well.
''Of course during the months of June,
July and August business was practically
suspended. Many of the soil works and
wells were stopped for want of men to run
them. Nearly all the refugees have re-
turned now and business begins to assume
its former aspect, although the epidemic
has left its mark, and every one claims to be
hard up. We can hardly expect revival
in business before spring. Oil is a little
better price; crude ct the wells being worth
from one to two kopecks per pood, accord
ing to quality, and refined in bulk on board
cars seven kopecks. Both of these prices
are simply nominal, ss crude cannot be pro-
duced under tlHee kopecks without loss.
However, the producer does not seem
to mind the loss if he can only keep on
going, expecting to make up in the quantity
produced what is lacking in price. In the
end this is very much like throwing benzine
on q fire in order to quench it.