Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-09-15
First Heard Of the scourge.

White Heat.
First Heard Of the scourRe.
Six deaths from cholera occurred on
the quarantined pest-laden feet off New
York harbor Sunday among the steer
age passengers.
Whether there had been any deaths
among the cabin passengers has not
been reported. Confusion and panic
reign supreme on the Normannia. The
1000 odd passengers were kept in
densest ignorance OF the true state of
affairs during the entire voyage. They
were told that the deaths which had oc-
CURED were from natural causes. Satur-
day and early Sunday morning they
were laughing and joking at the mis-
chance which detained them in quaran-
tine and sure of being shortly released.
At noon they learned better. News
| papers and letters were brought on
board. They discovered that they were
| prisoners for an indefinite length Of
| time, cheek by jowl with the terrible
| scourge. The scene that transpired is
indescribable. Women We're crying and
wailing, men were cursing, and all were
terroe-strlcken. One passenger offered
the health officers $4,000 in cash to take
him ashore. others frantically laid
their entire fortunes at the feet Of the
visitors, and begged that they be al
lowed TO hide in the boat on the return
trip. The health officers were over
come by the pitiable scene, and made
haste to depart.
The panic on board the Norm annia
was somewhat quelled when the steer
age passengers and the sick had been
removed. The steerage passengers were
transferred to Hoffman Island, which
had been made ready for them, and the
six patients were sent to the hospital
pavilions on Swinburne Island. On
board the Rugia and Moravia
the imprisoned emlgrants were
given very little knowledge as to
what was going on, and they made cor
respondingly little trouble. But the air
of gayety which formerly prevailed on
the Moravia, the original pest ship, had
departed. Sullenly the emigrants were
massed against the sails, watching the
pleasant panorama which is always un-
folding at this busy gateway Of the sea,
and wondering how long their banish-
ment would last.
The crematory retort on Swinburne
Island has been kept at a white heat
night and day since the first pest ship,
the Moravia, arrived. At midnight
Saturday it received its first dead, the
three who died during the day. The
bodies of all who die in quarantine will
be cremated, unless friends are prompt
in making other arrangements. II is
possible to embalm the bodies in such a
way as to Kill all cholera germs. and
conveniencles for this process are at
hand.
The four black hulls-oR the cholera
fleet swung lazily at anchor with the
tide Sunday. Nearest the city was the
Rugia. A few hundred yards away lay
the Moravia. Alongside it was the
and nearest the Jersey
shore rode the big express steamer Nor |
MAMMA. When tugs carrying newspa-
per men approached the latter steamer |
was before the passengers had |
learned of the danger they were in. |
Lottie Collins, of "Ta-ra-ra, Boom
decay" fame, restless and irritated, |
stood tapping her toe on the polished |
deck. Beside her was the venerable
John r. Mcpherson, United States SEN
ator from New Jersey; on the other side,
A. NJ. Palmer, the theatrical manager.
Clustered around the Senator were q
half-dozen soubrettes, gay, careless,
fiippant, frivolous. Beside them was
IN Episcopal clergyman-white tie,
round collar on, waistcoat buttoned
close 10 the chin, and blue glasses on
nose.
One of the reporters hailed Senator
and asked him II he would
ike to say anything TO the country.
Bidding the reporter wait a few min
ties, he retired to the cabin, reappear-
ng again with the following message:
We are here In the lower bay quaran-
ined. with 500 cabin passengers and 500
teerage We have had FIVE deaths on the
hip since leaving Hamburg, but none from
'holera or anything like IL, so the surgeon
Informs me. We are much In fear. how
'ver. that with 800 passengers and crew
onfned In narrow space in hot climate
isease may show itself 1t would seem 20
ne that 1t would be Infinitely safer ED
'etter IL the passengers were allowed TO 20
n shore, not as a remedy for any existing
lis, but rather as a preventive. l send
his short note to correct an impression ,
hat we have had cholera on BOARD the /
during the trip.
Thez some one suggested sending !
elegrams ashore. There was a
cramble for the cabin. Pens and ink. :
aper and pencils were hurriedly used.
lot only the first cabin. but the second
Gbin passengers as well, hastened to 9
end remembrances to their loved ones
nd assurances that everything was well {
nth them. Fluttering in the air like q |
bird came the first letter from
fair prisoner. 1t was large, square c
nvelope and 1t fell in the water G
way back near the stern. One, two. l
lree, and ten more followed-a whirl-
ind OF letters and unsealed notes,
visited, to give them weight for propul-
on. The small boat that the tug car 4
ed astern was manned by two oarsmen
nd all that had been thrown overheard o
ere soon safe aboard the tug, and the p
dollhouse of the tug soon had a large
of pfennigs, marks and silver .
larters thrown to pay for the sending =
the missives. The mail was oil fumi-