Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-09-04
r..,,..,rs Egisnio Of iS3s-S5-Epidsmics
lA s.-.,--od Citizens Tel Of the Ravagas Ofthe
disease When Hundreds Died gift

Cos' .gsrv day. The epidemic started In
, ~ ,s3 aud lasted all summer.
80. tbe winter Of '32-33, the raya-
''-' tre disease were checked some
$50 only 20 break out with renewed
49, with the advent OF warm weather.
MI. rrtmer of '33 witnessed probably
most disastrous epidemic In the his
,--r OF the city. 49,.
i.r1ss the river in Bridgeport, which
+rsD thriving little town, the
ICES of the disease were even more
I..rrI than In Wheeling, aud there
80 .evsra. times, twenty deaths 10
,,-.ra dav. A second visitation OF
op..sra came Ia May, 1919, and con-
.-r@s4 rrtil September. The cases were
~, nearly as numerous as In the cpl
Fsr., Of 1882, butmany deaths occurred
+--.rg the TWO or three years following.
t+,b,s time the B. q O. railroad was In
-,.-ss of construction, and "the mar
-5v,. about five miles below Wheeling,
s,raared 10 be q choice locality for the
disease, and many railroad laborers
died.
THE THIRD VISIT
was i1 the sumner Of 1873. DR.. Jep-
s,~ who was health officer al that time,
tf1ryht the disease was brought from
C-oeInpati. During the summer IS
cases were officially reported, and OF
those % proved fatal, a mortality OF 63
per cent. All possible sanitary precau-
lions were taken 10 the time TO prevent
s1read Of the disease. This epidemic
viii be recalled by 3 large proportion OF
Wheeliug's population, but the first
visit of Asiatlc cholera will be remem-
bsred by but few people now living.
Among the limited number are Capt.
WIN. Dillon and his estimable wife, who
talked entertainlngly on the subject TO
aRrGIsTER reporter yesterday:
OF we'll remember the visit OF Asiatic
cholera in 80" said Capt. Dillon. THE
disease was brought by the winds, l
think, 1t reached Wheeling in the
summer Of '32, aud there were quite a
number OF deaths. When cold weather
ser in the epidemic abated, but IL broke
ont with renewed fury In the summer
and fall OF 80. / think the first Wheel
Ing man who died was Alex. Hall. a
wel-kuoWn citizen. Noah Zane was
one Of the early victims, and many 9TH
er men prominent In the early history
Of the city, were stricken down. l well
remember that coal fires were kept
burning continually all along the
streets, to purify the atmosphere and
fI 10 with sulphur and smoke.
EVERYBODY WAS SCARED
and fright probably had something to
ID with the number OF deaths. IL was
then that the late General B. +. Kelly
lost his first wife. They were leaving
the city, and had stopped over night az
sam Carter's tavern, DOW Stamm's
p'ace. ont the National Road. During
the night Mrs. Kelly was stricken down
and died within "A hours.
people were stricken down, and the
crisis usually came within six hours,
many people dying within that period
of time. The deaths occurred at the
rate OF thirty a day during several
months, and / remember that on one
Sunday there were SiXty-four
isaths. That was the largest
number In any one day, and
IcannOt say how many deaths resulted
turing the epidemic. In some houses
theEe were two and three deaths in one
day. Many large families Of children
were left orphans. People were almost
afraid 10 venture beyond their doors.
Business was practically suspended.
The disease prevailed also in the vlcin-
ity Of this city, and a great number OF
deaths were reported.
"Tle physicians were kept busy, and
could not attend 90 all the patients. We
used 20 wear a sack filed with camphOr
about the neck, which was regarded as
representative, aud l believe now that
campL0r Is the only thing that will kill
the germ. A very popular remedy was
known Is
"NUMBER SIX"
which was prescribed by a Wheeling
physician. This stuff was like liquid
lire, aud was combination Of the hot
Ingredients known TO the medical
science"
Eyes" said Mrs. Dillon, 81 took
dose Of Number g, and some camphor
one evening, and next morning l was
nearer death door than at any time In
my Tie. / was young girl at the time,
and lived opposite the present City
Building, which was then the site OF
tlt City cCmeter / well remember
looking OUT OF my window would not
Venture out OF the dOors-and seeing the
collins formulating az the cemetery.
1le sexton and his assistants could not
e.s Che graves fast S1ough, and the sad
funeral parties often stood by, while
,le earth was being turned TO make
ma. resting place FOR those nearest and
dearest 90 them. A cousin OF mine,
oos. Pool, came from the East 10 visit
U.s. and while here, be died"
Among the other early pioneers OF
Wheeling who are still living is Mr..
011o *. B0tsf0rd, now IN his seth year,
ana retaining his faculties TO a remark
ao.e eAtelt besides showing more vital
Ivy than many men of half his age. Mr..
DoS.oft vas also seen by the REGISTER
MIR. J. X. BOTSFORD.
VI vas running on the river at that
Une, be said, "aud I think Asiatic
.1o.era was first introduced through
U ,-e packets plying along the Upper
Oll2. IL had gained firm fOothOld in
.'lcanati, and from there was brought
~ lls city. IL was worse in the sum-
-e' OF '33 than at any other time, aud
y1'es OF people we're carried off every
week. Among the early pioneers who
SS.tcumbed TO the dread disease were
No-1 Zane, and q Mr.. McLean-I do
10y recall his first name. Alex. Neon
-sd prominent citizen who kept
4ayard, was another victim.
Inc epidemic vas worse in Bridge
pO1i than on this side OF the river. 1
s member that at one time there were
-leen dead bodies, and no person to