The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-09-21
AS|AT|C CHOLERA
RAPIDLY SPREADS
Situation in Russia Is Critical
And Hundreds Have
Died. =
GOVERNMENTS ACTION.
BRINGS PRESSURE TO BEAR ON
CITY OFFICIALS FOR PRECAU-
TIoN- FURTHER GAINS ARE
FEARED.

ST. Petersburg, Sept. 21.--Worse
than the epidemic of 1903 is the Asia
tic cholera contagion now prevailing.
The disease is more virulent in char
acter, and the number of deaths great
er.
The plague is increasing daily at an
alarming rate, and unless the author
tiles show in thc future much great
or degree c1 ability to cope with the
situation than they have in the past,
there is every reason to fear that it
will get beyond control.
The government has threatened to
apply the provisions Of martial law,
and this threat has driven the munich
pality officials to bend all their ener-
gies to the campaign of clearing the
city of the scourge. The Aldermanic
council has voted a preliminary sum
of $250,000 to enlarge the hospital
space, to purchase and distribute dis
infectants, the supply of which in St
Petersburg is well nigh exhausted and
to expedite the interment of bodies
which has been notoriously slow. The
deadhouses are overcrowded and many
corpses lie unburied.
Under his authority as Prefect OF
ST. Petersburg. General Dracheffsky
has prohibited the sale of liquor
throughout the city, including the gov.
ernment vodka shops, until September
%.
This action has been taken in order
to diminish alcoholic excesses, which
materially increase the liability oi
cholera infection.
Schools as Hospitals.
Public schools have been transform
ed into hospital wards. A number oi
the grammar schools were closel
The department of war has opened
stores to supply immediate needs, ant
army field kitchens have been dis
patched to the poorer quarters to dis
pense free food.
AS announced by the official bulle
4 tins, the cases number $40 and the
deaths 12S during the "a hours be
tween Friday noon and Saturday
noon. This was a considerable de
crease from the preceding day, bu
there is doubt of the accuracy of the
official statement The record for the
same "a hours ascertained from reli
able sources shows the actual mum
ber to have been for in excess of that
! Whether or not. however, there wa.
an actual decrease, the disease re
sumed its march on Saturday, tn,
statistics posted showing that from
/ Saturday noon until Sunday nool
there were 398 cases and 141 deaths
/ this being the largest number so ia
officially announced.
| 1t is feared that the cholera vii
make further gains for at least anoth
er fortnight, this being figured on tn
basis of former epidemics.
/ Nineteen Die in Manila.
Manila. Sept. 21.-Fffty-eight new
cases of cholera and nineteen death
are reported for the twenty.four hour
ending at s o'clock this MONDAY
morning
The infected areas in the city an
/ suburbs are spreading but the healtI
authorities are still confident tha
they will be able speedily to gain cor
troll of the situation.
| Federal troops are at present guard
ing the sources of the city's water sur
| ply to prevent the throwing of any in
fected matter into the water, and |
is probable that the force thus er
gagged will be largely reinforced.