The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-03
THE Doom or HTNDosrAx
How a Prospective Metropolis of Indiana
Was Wip-d Out in 100 Days.
Fron ne lrdtaaopoiis Journal


IooGooTEr. Ind. Nov. 25.--The abundant
and valuahl" discoveries Of gas and oil recently
made in his vicinity have revived interest In
several important and In trr-stirg historical stories
that ass0ciatd with TIC hills. rocks and caves
Of Martin county. one IL tho hest Of these mar
rntv's Is that told Of old Hinhostan, the first
county scot and at one time thriving business
city o! $500 inhahitnnta It's location IVES at
the falls Of White River. four miles southeast Of
loogootec and the only reminders Of its former
greatness are m old dilaridated log house and
the cavities hcwn in the big fiat rock that sup
ported tic four Of what was then the largest
erist mill in Indiana
There is a record Of the settlement dating back
as far as l775 II only a small trading post
on the east bank Of the river. and besides tho
/ few French settlers who had como hi,her from
Ninonncs a numbcr Of Indians had pitched their
wigwams there and hunted and trapped In tho
surrounding country
II was not until 100 that the town could boast
Of 100 inhabitants, Its great impetus ,nme
when IN Me year iSto rude ye! ras,snblc road
by ,hr, way OF Iindostnn. II 'lrH became a tort
on hallway place where tray RS gong either
made regular monthly trips. 10 New Albany l., l.,
! dispose Of their valuable collections Of furs and
( could not he obtained in The wilderness A lew
wears later party OF engineers and workman
went over this road and repaired 1t so that ,rnv.
Il ors ARE able 10 make uninterrupted progress
all nlong IN. route.
/ :, In 1912 company Of spoculators opened a
/ Hindoslan and Vincennrs TO ST. Louis The
ll,'i I, town noT grew rapidly and soon became
! once famous road Machin, ~ was transported
| thithcr and a saw mill, grist mill. cardng
machins and milestone factory were soon CON
Gtructed. In $50 Martin county organized
| out Of n part Of Dnv.rss county and Hndos,an
was given ,hc honor Of being the nIst county
! 2,lOO people then residing In the entire county
elected tho few officers necessary to dischorg
s ct H With S1SG SSubs oE Ss jail
The Inilrr lived in the small upper story and
ication with the dungeon below. Tho county seat
remained here I'LL 1925 when the legislature
The removal was made tho next year, but IN,
town continued tn grow and many Of the wealthy
az b q here
Of 1929 the estimate OF the population was 2,5OO;
many OH rcS,utns contend that it Was larger.
'' Nut in he midst Of ali this Prosperity rc doom
ovcIhgng ,he li,te city. tTas in August, 1928,
tants suddenly died from a peculiar inexpiain-
able disease II appeared to be contagious
| Whole families were stricken down within weeks
doctors exercd their hest Efforts to oh, ok it and
even sent to tho cities for assistance. but to no
avail, Within aixty days almost half Of thS peo-
pie were dead, and the terrible scourgo wns con
tinuing iis dcptcdntions without cessation, II
lors ceased TO visit the place and business had como
| 10 standstill, Such fatality could not be en-
| durcd, and the remaining residents left their
effects and ncd in dismay. The few who re-
manned soon died, and in ono hundred days after
left in IIindos,an To this day IL has never been
rebuilt In after years some Of tho buildings
were moved to Mount Pleasant and the old grist
mill was seized and put into service by tho IA
ers Of the nei,hborhood but every vcStigc OF the
| town hns long since disappeared All OF the dead
the river.
The real cause Of this mysterious black plague
waa never known. and no physician can advance
q theory that dUca not resi- on liberal conjecture
Some claim that tho cOntag!on was a miasma
Whlch arose from the rank vegetation In the fer
tile river bottom while others believe thai II came
about from drinking the imrurc river water