The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-11-01
THE BLACK SCOURCE
That Fearful and Mystic Vista.
ton Of 0Iden Days.
IT FOLLOWED IN WARS WAKE.

In the Fourteenth Century II Swept IN
1 Whole of Europe, Killing 100000
In Three Years--rhs pestilsnee 4
| London.
The plague or pcstilence, that myste
rlons and fearful visitation which ha
moved its hosts In the wake Of armiel
to slay more than war itself, In sup
posed to have first originated amoni
the dense masses OF people who crowd
cd together In the great cities OF ASH
and Egypt or who formed the encamp
ments OF Xcrxes, Cyrus and Tanner
lane the Tartar. II probably sprant
from the ilnpurity which must hay,
existed in the midst OF such vast gath
crings and In part also from leaving
the unburied dead upon the field oi
battle. Al any rate. the germs Of thii
fearful human poison have always
been most active where conditions
similar 10 those have prevailed. II
has always been war and the march oi
armies that have spread II broadcast
over the world from time to time, and
ns war became less frequent and less
worldwide the frequency and extent
OF these rayages have lessened nlso.
The first recorded outbreak OF the
plague In Europe occurred In the six
ieenth century. II came from lower
Egypt This was the FIRST tapping Of
the wave that reached into the east
again. there 10 stay its movements. 80
fur as the west was concerned, until
Dill A. D., when the returning legions
Of the Emperor Justinian brought 1t
again into the western world from the
battlehelds of Persia. constantinoplc
was the first place II attacked. Here
In n single day ~ many as 10000 per.
sons are said 10 have fallen victims 10
II. But the plague did not stop with
Constantinorle. II had found too
congeuial soil In Europe. which was
little else than one grent battlefield at
the time. II was carried into Gaui,
where Il followed close III the wake of
the Frnnkish armies. and from Gaul
II moved Into Italy. with the Lom-
bards and 80 devastated the country
as TO leave Il entirely at the mercy
Of the invaders.
The various crusades. which extend.
cd over space OF about 200 years, no
doubt did much 10 hold the pestilence
In Europe. for they tcrved TO keep
open the channels OF intercourse be-
tween the east and the west. Periodic
enidemlcs 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 10 1t. II swept the
whole OF Europe. leaving In Its path
such misery and destltution as the
world had never known. II killed In
three years some 25,0o0.000 people.
Such figures stagger the comprehen-
sion. but the records OF the time can.
not be doubted. The entire population
Of Europe IL estimated TO have been
about l0o0o0,0oQ. kept down as 1t was
by the constant warfare, and Of these
at least n fourth perished
The rayages Of the plague In Italy,
where II came In the track OF the war
Of the Guelphs and Ghibellines, was
disastrous TO mankind. 1t
ragged with terrible fury In Naples,
where 10000 persons are said TO have
died. II fell upon Pisa. and seven out
OF every ten perished. II utterly and
forever destroyed the prosperity of
Siena. Florence also suffered severely,
while 100000 Of the inhabitants Of
Venice were literally wiped Off the
face of the earth. From Italy it moved
into France, where the mortality was
almost as great. In Paris alone $1,000
people died from 1t. 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 Srassburg 1000
Of them Were buried alive In their own
burial ground.
The order Of the Flagellanto arose
at this time. coming from the belief
hat the sins OF the world had at last
brought down the wrath OF heaven. II
was the beginning Of the so called
hundred years war that carried the
black death into England, where In
London Its victims numbered 100000.
When at last the plague had worked
ts ravages 1t doubled back over It's
course to disappear In the east. Later
N 1t appeared again In England,
irst among the soldiers Of Richmond
lfter the battle Of Bosworth Field.
md when the victorious army marched |
o London the plague went with them
Q work IT, havoc there. As long as i