The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-03-18
CHINA IN GRIP
Its the Plague, and Tens Of Thousands
Are Now Dead.
MYSTERIOUS HORROR


Awful Disease is Spreading in Spite
of Efforts to Check 1t, and Fears
Are Entertained That 1t May Get
Out of the Stricken County-Rats
Common Medium of Spreading 1t.
All the vast far East from Siberia 8
frigid wilds to the equator Is terri
fed by the pneumatic plague, the
scourge that is killing Thousands a
day in Manchuria and China, and
which threatens to sweep not only
over Asia and the islands Of the Pa
cifc, but, it is now feared, Europe
and America as well.
While many acts Of herolsm and
noble self-sacrifice are recorded In
the plague-ridden districts, the for
eign doctors and scientists who have
arrived from Europe, America, Japan
and India, and are working night
and day at the risk Of their lives to
prevent the spread Of the disease,
are the great heroes.
They are seen everywhere, angels
of mercy dressed in the garb of
ogres. The germ attacks the lungs
and destroys the victims with amaz-
ing swiftness. The patients breath
is poison-and the doctors dressed
in armor-like suits with medically
treated masks covering the face ami
showing only the eyes.
Dreadful scenes have been report
ed from Fuchlaten, where the cpl
demic first showed itself. The Chi
nese have thrown their dead into the
street, and, panic-stricken, they have
been known to throw out even living
plague victims. The deaths In that
town at the beginning Of the plague
averaged $50 a day. increasing daily
until nearly $1,000 succumbed.
From Fuchlaten the plague spread
with the swiftness of the wind to
other cities In NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
being the first, where 16O deaths
have been reported in one day, In
Guiding a number of European resi-
dents.
In the midst of it the weather be-
came intensely cold, and with the
Thermometer registering 40 degrees
below zero it was Impossible to use
the disinfecting apparatus. Euro
pean hospital attendants have been
stricken by hundreds. Crematories
are being constructed in many places
for it IS impossible to bury the thou
sands Of victims.
The Japanese and Chinese authori,
ties, more particularly the former
are doing all In their power to stor
the progress Of the plague. The Jap
anese residents Of Shihchienfang
Mukden, bought the houses in which
the plague had appeared and burned
them to the ground. This is not BY
any means an isolated case, anC
where the Chinese hesitate to destroy
pest-infested houses the Japanese dc
so without hesitation.
Some Of the smaller towns are as
deserted as a graveyard, for the peo
pie fled from them as the scourge
appeared. There are to-. Ms in which
the entire population have died. One
Of these Is on an island In the Sun
gari river, near Fuchlaten, where MOI
one person remains alive of the near
ly 400 who lived there. The author
tiles made one great fire Of house:
and bodies.
When the South Manchuria Rail
way Company stopped selling low
class tickets 1t was found that thu
coolies raised the money for first clas:
tickets and thus carried the epidemic
into the interior. Traffic was entire
ly suspended for time, but wa!
resumed under reasonable restric
tions. Passengers are detained a.
stations for medical examination ant
only those who nave passed the tes
are admitted to such cities as Por
Arthur, Dairen and others Of equa
Importance.
Meanwhile experienced rat catch
ers are being engaged by the authori
ties of all the cities at salaries which
they can name themselves. At Dai
in one day. The contagion is spread
so the physicians agree, through
fleas, which becoming infected, are
carried by rats from house to house
where fresh victims are bitten by the
little insects. The neas can only
be killed by killing the rats and I'M
mersing them in liquid acids.
The Russo-AsiatiC bank at Har'
hin has temnorarily suspended bust
ness, while the Yokohama specie bank
at Darien keeps deadline outside It's
doors, admitting only those custom
ers who can show a clean bill oi
health. New business is refused anc
all the currency received in the bank
is disinfected. Other banks ale
adopting this course.
The japanese are especially active
in the construction Of hospitals. One