The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1894-06-14
THE BLACK DEATH
Chinese Dying By Hundreds War Pos
SiblG in France.
ARBITRATION, LABOR AND RIOT
The President Ill and Advised to
Keep Quiet--congress Should Take
the Same Medicine.
ARBITRATION, LABOR AND RIOT
rhe PIague in China.


VANCOUVER, B. c., June 1.-THE
most important news brought by the
Empress of Japan is of the alarming
spread of the virul6nt plague that first
appeared in Canton at the end of April.
The plague is similar to the great plague
ID London in the 18th century, and is
carrying off la-ge numbers of victims.
1t soon spread 10 Hong Kong, appearing
there in May. 1t is chiefly confined to
Chinese, but two Portuguese have been
afflicted. The plague has paralyzed
business to large extent, as many lead
ing steamship lines refuse to take either
passengers or cargo from Hong Kong.
The symptoms of the disease are as fol-
lows: Without premonitory warning in
the shape of chill, there is sudden
onset of fever, rising to los deg. or over.
There is much headache, accompanied
by stupor. In eighteen or twenty-four
hours glanddlar swelling occurs in the
neck or armpit, increasing to the size of
a fowls egg, being hard and tender.
With or without decline of the fever, the
patient sinks into a condition of coma
and dies at the end of twenty-four or
forty eight hours. If six days is reached,
recovery is possible. The Canton cor
respondent of Hong Kong papers, under
date of May Sth, says:
''There is scarcely house but has
some one dead. The plague commenced
in the Mohammedan quarter, and 100
cases are reported daily. One man sta
toned at the west gate began at 9
o'clock in the morning to drop cash into
box every time coffin passed him.
At 4 p. m. he had counted 40 cash.
Children were put in baskets or were
wrapped in pieces of mating and buried.
From this district, where the dirt is
thickest and the houses more crowded,
it spread to the center portions, and
now has reached the country, and the
people who fed there from the city know
not which way to fee. Idols are being
worshipped in an extravagant and fren-
zied manner"
The new year was begun last Saturday.
All night new year sounds were kept up
and amid SO much ghastliness an attempt
at outward adornment and gaiety was
apparent. It is impossible to ascertain
the number of deaths. Officials try to
suppress the facts. At the largest char
liable (native) dispensary, notice at
the doors states that up to date 2000
coffins have been given away. This is
far below the actual mum ber used, &C, 900
is snearer. A foreign doctor went through
the streets and said he was surprised to
see within the open doors dead body,
while outside there were no white-and-
blue lanterns. Many made no attempt
at the usual noisy mourning. The dead
were silently carried out, with not a
follower. In one house ten lay dead.
May 10, it was found the disease had
reached Hong Kong and energetic steps
were at once taken to cleanse the in
fected localities. However, hospitals
were opened for the sick and the ship;
Hygra was moored in the harbor for the
accommodation of the patients. The
Chinese appeared at first to be inclined
to cooperate with. the authorities in
bringing to light known cases of the
plague, but probably on account of the
heavy mortality, their attitude became
more and more distrustful. The first
determined stand against the authorities
was made May 10, when houses were
barricaded and stones we're thrown at
officers making house to house vista
tions. Up to the latest reports, 393
cases occurred and 800 deaths. The
schools have been closed and panic
exists among the Chinese, many of
whom are fleeing to the mainland.
Denied by the oolonsI.