The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-09-13
THE BLACK SCOURCE
That Fearful and Mystic Vista.
tion of 0Iden Days.
1T FOLLOWED IN WARS WAKE.


Whole Of Europe, Killing $4,000 900
In Three Years-The PestiIenee In
London.
The plague or pestilence, that myste-
rious and fearful visitation which has
moved It's hosts In the wake of armies
10 slay more than war itself, Is sup
posed to have first originated among
the dense masses Of people who crowd
ed together in the great cities Of Asia
and Egypt or who formed the encamp-
ments Of XerXes, Cyrus and Tanner
lane the Tartar. II probably sprang
from the hnpurity which must have
existed ia the midst of such vast gath
erlugs and In part also from leaving
the unburied dead upon the field Of
battle. At any rate, the germs Of this
fearful human poison have always
been most active where conditions
similar 10 those have prevailed. 1t
has always been war and the march OF
armies that have spread ii broadcast
over the world from time To time and
rs war lcc"mc less frequent and less
worldwide the frequency and extent
of these ravages have lessened also
The first recorded outbreak Of the
plague in Europe occurred in the six
teenth century. II came from lower
Egypt This was the first tapping OF
the wave that reached into the east
again, there TO stay its movements, so
far as the west was concerned, until
544 A. D.. when the returning legtons
Of the Emperor Justinian brought II
again into the western world from the
battehelds OF Persia. Constantinople
was the first place II attacked. Here
in a single day as many as 10000 per
sons are said to have fallen victims to
It. But the plague did not stop with
Constantinople. II had found a too
cOngcnial soil in Europe, which was
little else tnan one great battlefield at
the time. 1t was carried into Gaul,
where il followed close In the wake OF
the FranliSh armies, and from Gaul
II moved into Italy, with the Lom-
bards, and so devastated the country
MS to leave II entirely at the mercy
OF the invaders.
The various crusades, which extend.
cd over n space of about 200 years, no
doubt did much to hold the pestilence
In Europe, for they served to keep
open the channels Of intercourse be-
tween the east and the west. Periodic
epidemics were common during their
continuance and these seem to have
eliminated In the fourteenth century
with what is known In history as the
black death. The black death was
more fatal to human life than any
other single cause since the world be-
gan. The havoc Of war was nothing
In comparison to II. 1t swept the
whole of Europe, leaving In its path
such misery and destitutlon as the
world had never known. II killed in
three years some 25,OOO,0OO people.
Such figures stagger the comprehen-
sion, but the records of the time can
not be doubted. The entire population
OF Europe is estimated TO have been
about 100,OO0,OOO, kept down rs 1t was
by the constant warfare, and of these
at least fourth pcrished.
The ravages of the plague in Italy,
where II came in the track of the war
of the Guelphs and Ghibellines, was
particularly disastrous TO mankind. 1t
ragged with terrible fury In Naples,
where 10000 persons are said to have
died. 1t fell upon Pisa, and seven out
of every ten pcrlshed. II utterly and
forever destroyed the prosperity of
L'lnwnnNn a
while 100000 OF the inhabitants of
Venice were literally wiped off the
face of the earth. From Italy ii moved
into France, where the mortality was
almost as great. In Paris alone $4,000
people died from II. One of the worst
features presented by the history OF
the black death was the cruel persecu-
ton 1t aroused against the Jews. They
were supposed to have infected the air
In some mysterious manner, and they
were accused OF having poisoned the
wells and springs. In Strassburg 1000
of them were buried alive In their own
burial ground.
The order of the Flagellanto arose
mt this time. coming from the belief
brought down the wrath Of heaven. il
was the beginning of the so called
hundred years war that carried the
black death into England. where in
London It's victims numbered 100000.
When at last the plague had worked
its ravages II doubled back over its
course To disappear in the east. Later
on It appeared again In England.
first among the soldiers of Richmond
after the battle Of Bosworth Field.
and when the victorious army marched
TO London the plague went with them
to work its havoc there. AS long as 1t
lasted the mortality was as great AS
that caused by the black death half a
century before. Five thousand people
died In five weeks, and then the plague
left London as suddenly as IL had ap-
peared there TO sweep over the rest OF