Evening star., 1898-10-22
RIsKED THEIR LIVES
Men Who Went South During the
Yellow Fever Epidemic.
CONDITIONS LIKE THOSE OF TODAY
Some Of the Horrors That Attend
Shotgun Quarantine.
ONE MANS EXPERIENCES

Exactly twenty years ago-October, 1873
conditions in many respects similar to
these which now exist prevailed in Missis-
sippi and other southern states as q result
of the outbreak of yellow ever. Then, as
row, the people became frenZed with ter
ror, and as many could do so fed to
the north, leaving those who remained be-
hind to such protection as is afforded by
a shotgun quarantine.
Then. as now, the panic was greatest in
the city of jackson. Trains were not per-
mitted to pass in either direction great
ropes and chains were stretched across ths
railroad tracks and tar barrels were burn
ed between the rails. 1t was probably sup
posed that the fumes of burning tar would
asphyxiate the fever germs.
Nobody who has never passed through
Mississippi, and especially through Jackson,
when shotgun quarantine is in operation
can have a thorough understanding of the
horrible fear that seems to take possession
of the people.
One of the features Of the great epidemic
of 1878 was the frghtful mortality among
telegraphers. So many operators died in
the infected centers that there was a pros
pect at one time that communication be-
tween north and south would be absolutely
cut off. The mails being quarantined the
telegraph furnished the only medium of in
tercourse. Toward the latter part of Sep
tember the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany asked for volunteers to go to Mem
phs and New Orleans to keep communica-
tion open between these important points
and the north, nearly every operator in
both places being down with the fever.
Risked Their Lives.
Seven northern men expressed a willing
ness to risk their lives In the company's
service, four of whom were employed in the
Pittsburg office. Those four, the first to
volunteer. were sent to Memphis, and it is
a melancholy fact that all four died of the
fever within week after they reached the
stricken city. The fifth man started from
Philadelphia, but when he reached ST
Louis, where his mother lived he was ar
rested and sent to Jail on a trumped-up
charge, subterfuge adopted by his parent
u prevent MIN from proceeding on his haZ-
ardous journey
The sixth volunteer was a Bostonian
who went as far south as New York An
accidental discharge of his revolver which
sent bullet through the fieshy part of his
leg, occurred on the night of his arrival.
and of course, he was removed from the
volunteer list.
There yet remained one man, and he 1e-
celVed orders to proceed to New Orleans,
Where nineteen out of a force of twenty
one operators had gone down with the
fever, of which number thirteen died,
That seventh man went to New Orleans.
and '79, and was the only volunteer te,e-
srapher who, durirg the scourge of '7s.
reached the south and returned alive He
Is IN Washington at the present time and
tei.s t' thriiiihg story of his experiences,
but modestly objects to the publication
OF his name. 1t can be said, however, that
tfere are lew expert tefegraphers more
Widely known in the service than he Here
Is ms story, as told to a Star reporter:
Il don't know why L. volunteered /
was only boy at the time, and / suppose
wanted my associates to think that | was
a very brave man. 1t is certain that I did
not realize what l was going into. l
"ouldn 60 through those experiences
again, however, for a controlling interest
in Western Union stock.
GruesOme Journey.
My experiences began at Bowling Green.
ny, which was just within the infected
area AS L was the only passenger bound
southwark, and was a deadhead at that.
the railroad company decided to send no
more trains south. I reported this action
to the Western Union officials in New
YORK, who succeeded in persuadng the rail-
toau hoa people 10 SEND one more train down. ]
had the train to myself, but didn't enjoy
the exclusiveness much There was a
brakeman on that train who when he
learned who | was and why l was going
south, entertained me with stories about
tne refugees who had died of the fever in
lhat very car on the last trip up from the
soutn AS L was nervous ANYWAY those
stories nearly set me wild
The first scenes of horror were encoun-
tered at Paris, Tenn, where almost the en-
tire population had been wiped out Of ex-
lstence by the ravages of the plague. A
score or more Of emacated white people
and negroes were lying on the station
platform. Gaunt and hollow-eyed victims
peered from the windows of hotel on The
opposite side OF the tracks. that had been
turned into hospital.
AT Milan, Tenn, I had my first en-
counter with the shotgun quarantine Ny
tobacco was all gone, and l alighted from
the train with the intention of obtaining
another supply. I had not taken a dozen
steps on the station platform before I
round myself looking into the muzzle Of a
double-barreled gun held by a man who
ordered me to get back on the train quick
l didn't stop to argue but got back as
quickly as anybody could have wished
Then, from the open window of the car. /
tod the man that | was almost dying for
want of tobacco and asked him to get me
some, offering dollar bill In payment He
refused. saying that my money might con-
Vey fever germs, and, besides, he would
not come close enough to risk the leaping
OF few athletic germs from me to him.
He added further that if I made any more
attempts to leave the train 1 would be
filled full Of holes
A Risky Undertaking.
1--WE had to wait several hours at Milan
for a train from ST. Louis over a connect
ing line. Late In the afternoon the cray
ing for tobacco set me to contriving expe-
dents by which to get hold of some. From
the car window l could see sort of a gem
eral store on the top of a hill few hum
dred yards f. ON the station 1 determined
to visit that stCre
Noticing that the half dozen armed
guards had collected together at the end of
the platform nearest the engine 1 went to
the rear of the train and seized favorable
opportunity to sneak behind the depot.
Keeping the DEPOT between the guards and
myself as long as possible, hurried up the
hill toward the store, which had nearly
reached when the men with the guns dis
covered me. Rushing into the store,
threw dollar on the counter and helped
myself to plug of tobacco and half
dozen cigars before the astonished clark
could utter a protest. Meanwhile, tho
shouting guards were approaching the front
or the store, losing their wind by running
SO last up the rather steep hill.
Ine store was long, one-story frame
building, and 1t took one but moment to
reach the rear door. AS the guards entered
at the front ran around and got good
start down the hill. They were soon after
me, but l was quite sprinter in those
days, and men handicapped by carrying
guns had no possible chance to overtake
me, They fired a couple of shots at me-