The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1905-08-18

there were three plaguestrlCheh men
on board. Two of these were put
ashore. The other was declared al
most well by physician who visited
the Porter, but he died 60 miles
above Vicksburg after having had the
black vomlt. and was buried by his
startled shlpmates on the riNer bank.
The steamer should have been stop
ped at this point. taken to a secluded
bank and her crew put into quaran-
tine.
Memphis was passed July 20. and.
in spite of her infected condition. tho
message, All well on board was
flashed north. Three other members
Of the crew were taken down but re
covered before the boat reached the
mouth Of the Ohio river. July 81. The
trip TO st. Louis was made without
further attacks, but on the return
the captain. second mate and cham
bermaid took the fever and were set
ashore at Cairo. H.. August 4.
II is iaoompFeheHsibie that NO mo-
tice OF the Porter's. condition vas
taken at this port, after five sufferers
from yellow fever were taken from
her and one had died on board but
new captain was put in command
and she was allowed to proceed for
the journey up the Ohio In a day
or two a deckhand was seized aud
persisted after frightful sufferings of
the pestilenee. His body was buried
on the shore opposite Caseyville Ky.
shortly before Louisville was sighted
one of The pilots and the head engln-
GER contracted the contagion and
were left in that city on August ~.
THE boat was allowed to pass that
port without single protest or an
effort to better her infected condi-
tlOn. The news was. however. tele-
graphed all over the country and she
became known as a floating menace
TO northern ports.
"Cincinnati's health authorities
sent Dr. |. c. Carr with force of
officers down TO meet her to investi-
gate her condition. He found only
half a dozen well men in crew of
% The plague boat reached Gin
cinnati August / g. She was compell-
de 10 stay in midstream. The ma
rine officials at Cincinnati allowed
her to proceed upstream without pro-
test. At Cincinnati Or. w. NJ Slough
Joined Dr. Carr on board
above Cincinnati Bronze John
claimed another Of the crew, who was
buried on the shore. and az Ports
mouth the boat was not allowed to
land. She continued up the river.
"At Gallipolis the steamer Bril-
liant had exploded her boilers August
3. Her wreck obstructed the chan
mel to some extent and the Porter
reaching Gallipolis after nightfall,
was Obliged to go to the shore and
await daylight before proceeding on
her voyage. Her doctors, Carr and
Slough took the opportunity for rec
reation, entered the city and enjoyed
themselves for while in a saloon on
the public square. playing billiards
and drinking
when the Gallipolis authorities
learned that the now famous plague
boat was tied to the shore within
their jurisdiction they were greatly
alarmed and detailed a guard to pre-
vent Unauthorized communication
between the steamer and the city.
The health authorities ordered the
boat to leave the port at once. Visit
ing doctors found the condition OF
the crew to be shocking. Her on
GERS declared that they intended to
depart the next morning as soon as
daylight would permit the pilot to
steer her safely past the wreck of the
Brilliant. and the doctors said ali
they wanted was tobacco and news
papers. declaring that they had been |
treated more like beasts of prey than
like human beings. The interview
between the Gallipols authorities
and the steamers crew took place at
midnight Saturday, August II.
That night two of the crew died
The bodies were buried on the bank"