The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1893-09-14
FAMINE AND DISEASE.
THE TWIN HANGERS WHICH BESeT
THE SEAISLANDS.

tho Provisions 40 far Received.
BEAUFORT, $. g., Sept. 5.--The full
seriousness of the situation here is lust
beginning to dawn upon those IN
charge of the relief funds The Gov
ernment Will be appealed to for mcii-
Cal and pecuniary aid. Something has
to he done and that very quickly too.
There IS no use to wander IN the dizzy
flights of rhetorical figures in talking
about matters hereab)utS. The cold,
stunning facts ought to be looked
square in the face. There is no time to
mediate and ponder over the moment-
Gus question. 1t cannot be solved in
a day or a week. Two possibilities
have to be met-thpre is no avoiding
the issues. First an epidemic then
sCarVatlon. The iirSt is naturally the
more important and serious.
Ladies and Coosaw Islands which |
visited today, are the only places thus
FAR inspected which have any consider.
able number of deaths. There were 81
persons drowned on the Eustice place,
and AZ on COoSaw Island. The dead
nave been given onlya surface burial
and the odor is very offensive, especial.
ly on the .EustiCe place. But matter
or FAR more serious Importance is the
TACT that the dead animals, cows, goats
ana hOrSeS remain unburied, or il un-
der ground not sufficiently deep. WHY
the negroes are so Indifferent to their
own we'll being is hard to explain. 10
day when l walked around COosaw Is
land the the smell Of dead animals was
almost unbCa rable. The negroes have
Deen told OF the danger of not burying
the dead animals. Again, not half Of
the houses on the islands visited are
ha0ltable, either having been DESTROYED
or badly damaged. This has brought
ABOUT an unhealthy crowding of the
people in the surviving houses.
Add TO this the dangers of drinking
pracklsh water, for most of it is in that
condltlon, the recent exposure and the
lack OF food, and it would appear that
the generally recognized factors for the
origin of an epidemic are present. Let
IL be distinctly understood that there is
not now an epidemic of any kind, not
even an Indication of one, but as the
old saying goes, "In time Of peace pre-
pare for war" In the present demon
allied condition of the negroes on the
Islands every precalltiOn should be tax
en-. 1t is related by Col. Elliott that af-
ter the severe gales of 1917, 1851 and
1871 epidemics Of malarial fever fol-
lowed. Can this not he avoided in 1893 ?
that certain portions of the islands had
to be abandoned. The marine hospi-
tal service will probably be requested
by the relief committee to he in readI-
ness to send several competent sur
geons to this pJlnt and at once to for
ward supplies OF disinfectants and
medicines so us to avoid an epidemic
of any sort.
TO think even Of distant people
starvingi is horrible enough. How much
worse IL is to associate the idea with
those around us. People may talk about
encouraging ldleneSS and they may
lind this or that objection to the man.
agtment Of the distribution Of the re.
lief Afforded, but these are stern, hard
relentless facts to look at. There are
1000 people who have been more or
less injured by the storm. Half Of the
houses have been washed away, seven
elghtS OF the crops have been DESTROYED
the provisions Oh hand have been lost.
what Is left? Nothing. a few have
little surplus. Others will get a few
dollars ont of their crops and some can
earn Il livelihood at the phosphate
mines. MT. Lopez, of the C0)saw Com
pany, and the superintendent Of the
Carolina Mining Company have told
me that they are daily turning away
applicants for work. There is but lit.
tle TO dO. The mines are getting rid of
thelr stock, and after that there is no
; telling whether there will be that lirld
open or not. rncre are odd aud end
jobs, bat they are lar from being suni.
cient.
personally have seen no disposition
10 aVOld work. Therr Is the natura |
amount OF ldlencss, but the men Oh the
devastated islands are not inclined TO
I I
OF about twenty who were at work re-
pairing the roads on st. Helena 70.
day party WAS seen putting up u
house on COOSlW Island. The phos.
phate works are getting all labor they
want at usual prices the mechanics are
WORKING for less than regular prices, as
L am told by the Carolina Mining Com
pany. There are OF course, some who
are never willing to work, and If the
cyclone could change their natures IT
would perform something more of a
miracle than it has already done. 1t is
ulSClnctlY not the intention OF the cen
Iral relief &C mmittco TO give any assist.
alce 10 those able TO help themselves
ana dlsinclined to work. The provisions
10 De received will have to last a Iono
Glme-eight mOnths--and will have t0
iced many hungry women ana chill
dren.
10 my mind the question of ration is
not near 80 serious now as it will he.
The negroes now have potatoes ana -
little corn on hand and maybe a fcw
dollars. There Is a long winter ahead
and there is when .he tr0ublei is to come
There Is no actual starvation at pres
ent. The central relief committee has
avery large task ahead of it and fully
realizes It's responsibilities. Today two
prOtracted meetings were held. An in
VltatiOn to be present WAS cXtetdcd to
me, on account of the fact that The
News and Courier has worked TO show
The real condition OF affairs here. The
committee will SystcmatiZe the diStrl-
button OF food and make such rigid
rules as to prevent imposition upon
the charity of the American people.
The first thing doI Q was to locate CEN
tral distributing points.
InlS afternoon l went to COOSaW Is-
land, where there was a quantity of ra-
tions distributed. Ifother distributors
exercise as much discretion and indy
n,n ucl,