Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-11-05
How the Propeller Allegheny, with
a Mysterions Plague on Board,
sailed from Buffalo to milwaukee
In 1850.

shAF uiLNNIA NAANRh NAiAt AeAN NA NaAhNAARs
The Allegheny was one Of the best pro-
pellers Of her day. She piled between Bur-
falo and Milwaukee. Ono day in midsum-
NOR 1850, She left Buffalo harbor on her
regular trip. She was in command Of Cgp-
tain Morrison. The passenger list stincluded
forty cabin aud l5O steerage passengers,
the latter all Swedish immigrants. These
wore going in body TO Milwaukee. where
several hundred Of their countrymen had
preceded them They were being for
watdcd by some colonization society aud
were in charge OF a Swedc named Jansen,
an agcnt OF the society With the cxcep-
tiOn OF Jansen not one Of these people could
speak q word Of English. Their collective
wealth amounted TO 100000 In cash, which
was all in the possession OF Jansen for safe
keeping
The Allegheny always stopped at Beaver
island which was held by King Strang with
his colony of Mormon and frce-l0vG follow
crs. Daring the propeller's stop on this
trip q little girl among the steernge passen-
gers sckened and died. her sickness com
ing suddenly aud death resulting two hours
later This little ones mother had died on
the ocean voyage from Sweden and was
buried ON King Strangs island
TERRIBLE WORK OF THE PLAGUE,
Tho propeller proceeded on her way, but
had got no more than an hours sail from
Little Beaver island when the father Of the
child died To- the same manner that she
had. Before the Allegheny arrived at
South MaultOu island twenty-five Of the
Immigrants luu died Of the same mystic
tious disease, which was spreading rapidly
among them, The sudden appearance Of
the deadly plague caused panic on board.
The cabin passengers were placed IN quar-
nntinc lu thcir quarters and the crew Of the
propeller were Kept busy caring for the
unfortunate Swados. The propeller landed
ut Manitou and buried in one large trench
tho score aud half who were then lying
dead on board the vessel. From Mantou
there was no pl cc where the steamer could
touch before arriving at Milwaukee and
she left that island literally floating char
nsl-house Scarcely an hour passed that
an Immigrant did not fall victim TO the
terrible plague, the origin nf which no one
az that time knew. II at last bacame i'm
possible TO attend TO the wants of all the
sufferers, although the entire crew devoted
every minute, night and day, 10 their SER
vice. There was u, installing those who
were doomed 10 death among the immi-
grants The victim bocpmo hollow-eyed,
and had vacant. far-away look that was
hard for another to meet. When that look
appeared death WAS but an hour or two
away. Death always came with the most
the strirken and count TO a certainty those
who would be dead within tho next hour
The victims were weighted and cast over
board a. scQn as they were dead such a
thing as shrouding or giving a funeral ser.
viro 10 q corpse was an impnsslbllity They
were cast into the water Just as they died
ono poor Swede had saon his wife and
one child thus cast overheard. uo had
four children left The story is told how
tho day aIterward he was seen sitting with
his four chlldrcu, holding two on his lap,
while the 4thor two ciuug weeping to his
knoos, The tears ran down his own checks
os ho pressed his sobbing, motherless little
ones 10 his hrcust aud that in itself was n
heart-brQaklng sight But ~ was not be-
cause Of It's utter sadness and dcsolation
that the eyes of the crew turned from H.
They saw In the fearful eyes Of the father
that awful look OF death. The seal OF doom
was upon him. Hc was sohbiug among his
little ones for his dead wiio with the hand
of death at his own throat Two houYs
latgr he was cast into the lake. Next day
two OF his four children followed him. Tho
other two were taken in charge by u kind
hearted Immigrant and his wife, whose
only child had diedof the plague
ALMOST a RIOTAT MILWAUKEE.
Up to the day before the propeller ar.
rived ut milwaukee, none of the crew or
officers had been attacked by the disease,
but on that uay the cook fell victim to IL
and was east into the Lake as tho others
had been. The 9lerk VI tho steamer, a
Young man named Gardiner about this
time hid found among the store cask of
New T. gland rum Tho story Is that the
engineer, a man named Curtis, soon after
the cooks death was attacked by the dis
case. aud that Gardiner, without any idea
@! the result had caused tho doomed
man TO- drink glass Of the
rum was as u remedy for the disease no ono
cvor knew, but the engineer did not die.
Gardiner then dosod the Immigrants with
n as they fell sick and IN several cases tho
victims were saved Gardiner at the time
he discovered the rum, discovered what he
had reason to believe was the origin OF the
deadly disease II was a barrel OF putrid
fish among the immigrant stores. Of which
poisonous food some OF the poor people had
eaten early Ia the voyage.
Tho propeller reached milwaukee, in the
evening, There We're then twelve dead
Swotlos aboard The captain sent for phy-
soians They decided that the disease was
some kind of fever usual IN ships whore
passengers were closely quartorcd. but its
exact nature they could not determine. The
rows OF the terrible state OF Affairs on
board tho Allegheny was not slow ia gel.
ting abroad Ia the town. No one, not even
tho officers, wcro allowed to 10 ain any
whero In tho city, and were driven buck 10
the melancholy surroundings on board
Next morning the authorities ordered the
propeller 10 move away from the dock aud
out into tho lake This was done
A new element theu appeared 10 the up.
fortunate situation, and u for "A TINA
threatened serious trouble, Tho Swedes
living In and about Milwaukee were made
acquainted with the sad straits their foi-
low counirymen were In on board the Ale.
gheny and they marched to the doclf In a
body 500 strong. They sent word 10 nm
tain Morrison that u he would run his v,,s.
sci hnck to the dock they would prevent
any Interference with his landing. For n
time riot seemed inevitable, but com
promise was effected By the auihorlfies
making an agreement with Capt NInrriso,,
that he might land his passengers on sto,rs
aud have than towed 10 an Old storebopse
that Stood on the outskirts Of the cit,,
Three more deaths had occurred IN tbc
propeller pending this arrangement Tbn
Immigrants, or the siNtv-tivr that rnr,si,,,,
OF the lt0 that left Buffalo were o,ll,ro-
tined in tho storohouso aud the terr,5J
disease was got In hand without anv tsr.
lher deaths.
The wretchedncss Of the immirrants MA,
made siiil greater by the heseness ~ ~
man Jansen whu hal them IN charce AZ
fore the survivors Of tho plague ~, ,t,,
10 lcok after their interests Hansen Siss.'
roared. taking with him the 500 OoA w
longing TO the party. He was never bes,.,
ot afterwark The young clerk car5irs.
o. the Allegheny. whose prcse.rintiors ~
New England rum undoubtedly saved sey.