Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1892-09-30
On a Cholera Ship in 1853.
(J. E. EMERSON IN Scientific 4meriedH.)


lived in Bangor, Maine, in 1S49 and
1850, when the Asistie cholera visited
that city had q contract for large lot
of doors and sash for the United States
government to be shipped to California for
some government building, l then being
in that business.
/ had but fairly commenced on the work
wien the scourge broke out. Ny partner,
Mr.. Wing, fed with his family to the
country. Deaths we're soon rated at one
to two daily. People there were general
ly panic stricken, and the city was deserted.
Many of my workman left, so / mustered
all of the pluck and courage that nature
gave me and determined to live or die at
nv work bench. Ny family, then only
wife and one child, lived little out of the
city. At o'clock every morning was in
my workshop, and 10 to IL o'clock at
night often found me there. Cofins could
not be supplied in sufficient quantity to
bury the dead, and was besought to make
eoffins. but my government contract pre-
vented my doing so.
While at nv work bench / saw one man
die in dirty cellar kitchen. There were
few if any regular funerals, but daily, cof-
fins or boxes with the dead wera seen go
ing with the poor victims to their final
rest. 1t commenced there in the lowest,
filthy localities of the place, ard from
there went among the richest localities. l
could form no other verdict than it being a
seourge of ntemperaHce, dirt, and .fth
and of rery high irers. did not change
my method or style of living; ate fresh veg
etables, fruit, meat and melons. had
never poisoned myself with tobacco beer,
or spirituous liquors of any kind, took my
baths regularly, and lived as cleanly as
possible.
There was a medical fraternity called
the Hot Crops, ard they had what was then
called Hot Crop hospital. The very first
thing that they did was to give cholera
patient a dose so hot that it would almost
burn his vital organs. | tasted the stuff,
and it was like eating red peppers, that
would make the tears run, and it was ad-
mitted that they were the most successful
of any class of practitioners. 1t died out
with the fall frosts, and there ended the
most terrible scOurge that | was ever wit
ness of or ever hope to see again. lost
money on my contract, but got out alive.
December. 9TH, 1852, I sailed from New
York CITY on the steamer Uncle Sam for
California via the Isthmus of Panama
We were seven days in that filthy malar-
ia and turkey buzZard region, with rail
road TO the Chagres river only, where we
were boated by natives in almost nude
state uD the river TO Cruises, and from there
ON mule back or on foot (the latter chose)
until we reached Panama. There we took
the steamer Cortez, with as stern an old
sea captian us ever stood before mast.
had a second cabin ticket. Imagine GO
inp from the State of Main in midwinter,
with the system and blood prepared for
100 below zorro, and in few days in trop-
ieal climate at 100 to ITO in the shade, and
one imagines the change and contrast!
No sooner had we left land than high
fever set in, and such headache | never
bore in nv life. NV first thought was ice
water. but ice could not be bought. The
small amount was used only at the bar,
watched where the bartender came to get
IT ont of O small room. | stood there with
nv blanket, and as his back was turned l
grabbed piece quite the size of water
bucket. rolled it up and slipped around the
corner and off, rolling it up and hiding it,
and the last I heard of the bartender was,
9.stop that mani" but did rot stop until
I had my prize hid safely in the bow oi
the ship / then got lady to sew q piece
of oil silk together and make me bag. l.
slept three days and nights by my ice,
punching off small pieces, and swallowing
them and keeping a little in my oil silk
bag on INV forehead. When my ice was
gone my fever went with it and ] was on
deck again.
The second day out from Panama death
commenced from Panama fever, as it was
called. and such condition as there was
among the poor steerage passengers can
not be described, and myself one of very
few who WAS able to render any assistance.
| went to the old captain and begged him
to allow me To take a lew dalntes from
the cabin to the poor steerage passengers.
At first he refused, but | pleaded so hard
that he finally yielded and took me to the
head steward and gave directions to only
allow me to take anything out of the cab
in, and cautioned me to be extremely pru-
dent and cautious, which l was. Soon the
Asiastic cholera broke out, and poor VIC
tim would die in terrible agony inside OF
an hour They would be apparently well,
and all at once in terrible agony, 90 that
they could not stand, and then in short
time all vas over and the body sewed up
in a blanket and the feet weighted, and
they were slid of board behind the wheel
after reading the Episcopal burial service.
The mighty deep was their grave.
finally persuaded the mate and ship
physician to make beds in clear weather
on the bow deck, and all that were possib-
ly able to he got there were taken. This
ave them fresh sea air, and, | think,
saved many lives. But as near as | could
keep count about 70 ont of 700 passengers
died IN II at cholera stricken ship. 1t was
said to be the most fatal trip to The Golden
State up to that time.