The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1905-11-04
FATHER QU|NN'S
Recollections of Battles With
Dread Yellow Jack.
Labors in Three Epidemics
1873, 1878 and 1879.

To answer 100 sick calls in a day;
to see thrice that number of agonized
patients pass away within twenty-four
hours and be carried off unceremon-
iously to common and unmarked
grave or their corpses consigned to
the river bed of the Father Of Wa
tiers" as last resting place; in short,
to escape unscathed from three cpl
denies Of yellow fever is an expert
ence terrible in the extreme and a
grim distinction that almost defies a
parallel.
And yet this is the true, thrilling
and tersely told record Of Rev. D. A.
Quinn, who now resides with Rev. E.
f. Carrigan, rector Of st. Edwards
church, Pawtucket, R.. L. Father Quinn
was born i'll Ireland October 10, 1916,
but he completed his education and
made his theological studies in the
seminary at CINCINNATI. Ohio, where
he was ordained to the priesthood by
the late Archbishop Purcell, June 21,
1871, being only in his 25th year. He
was at once assigned to Memphis,
Tenn. where two years later, the
dreaded and deadly yellow fever made
its first appearance in the United
States, having been brought here from
Brazil or some other country in the
torrid zone.
Father Quinn is not only remark
able man himself, but he comes Of a
remarkable family that has given two
of his brothers as priests to the
Church, while third, who died re-
Gently, was forty-two years a; monk
of the Trappist order in the Dubuque,
Iowa, diocese.
He has seven nieces in various Sis
terhoods. Four are in st. Paul, one
in France, one in South Africa, and
the seventh is Sister Bernardin" con-
nected with the convent Of st. Joseph's
parish, Pawtucket, r. I.
Talking Of some Of his personal ex-
periences in the yellow fever cpl
denies in Memphis in 1873, 1873 and
1879, Father Quinn said:
Cholera preceded the fever in! 1873,
md we also had visit. but not so
severe, from smallpox. The fever be-
gan about the middle Of September
md lasted more than a month, for it
sure to wane with the appearance
If frost. About a. half-dozen priests
lied, but Rev. William Walsh and my
self survived. He, with Rev. Alloy
;ius weifer and myself, went through
he fearful epidemics Of 1878 and 1879.
r. Weifer died at Los Angeles, Cal,
n 1900, and FIR. Walsh at Knoxville,
,enn., January Fl, 1902, so that your
tumble servant is the only immune
urviving today.
"After a five-years' interim the fever
appeared about the middle of July,
S7S, and for month almost every
IAN, woman and child attacked died
within anywhere from nine to forty
light hours. In the second month
bout half the patients passed away
Us manv as 800 a day-and in the
bird month majority survived. The
ourth month saw us pushing into
rosty November, and then there was
i. suspension until the next year.
ay suspension, for 1 am inclined to
he theory that the 1873 attack was
I prolongation of that of 1873, while
1any classify them as three epidemics
1873, 1873 and 1879.
BE that as it may, no less than
$1,000 souls persisted in 1878 and 1879,
including forty doctors, while nearly
90 physicians scurried off to- safer
lelds to health. In theic dying agony
minfstered to upwards of 1000 souls,
ind Fathers Walsh and Weifar from,
1909 to 1000 more. There were two
amps, each about four miles outside
he city, Camp FIR. Mathew, I'M charge
# FIR. Walsh, with as many as 800
lfHtcted, and Camp Howard, with L.
700 patients. Undertaken John. Walsh
buried 1000 paupers at his own ex-
pense. OF the entire Protestant min
istry, only two Episcopalian. clergy
men and six Episcopalian Sisters re-
NAMED behind, but to their credit let
it be told that like the Catholic priests
more than a score and dpuble. as
many of the good Sisters-they obeyed
the call of the Master, fearlessly faced
and fought the pestil7nce and sacri-
feed their lives like true martyrs i'm
the cause of afflicted humanity.
Il believe 1 said score Of Catholsc
priests died Of the plague.. Well, the
record shows twenty-five including
Vicar General Reardon himself. Rev
James J. Mooney was sent from Nash
Vile, and he made his wiz before leav-
ing. He said he could smell the fever
fifty miles outside Of Memphis, and he
survived but short time after his ar
rival.
1.-The symptoms are similar to those
of typhoid fever, starting with high
temperature, intense thirst and gen.
orally delirium. II It Is the genuine