Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-03-01

when twenty.four hours had gone
BY and no signs Of the plague were
apparent, We congratulated ourselves
and set about digging q well. You
nave seen the great iron pipes wnicn
In those days carried water to all the
city dwellers. We feared that the
fires in the city would hurst the pipes
and empty the reservoirs. SO we tore
up the cement floor of the central
court Of the Chemistry building and
dug a well. There were many young
men, undergraduates, with us. and we
worked night and day on the we'll.
And our fears were confirmed. Three
hours before We reached water, the
pipes went dry.
"A second twenty-four hours passed.
and still the plague did not appear
among US. We thought we were
saved. But we did not know what l
afterward decided to be true. namely.
that the period OF the incubation Of
the plague germs In q human body
was . matter Of . number Of days. It
slew 30 swiftly when once It mani.
tested itself that we we're led to be-
lieve that the period OF incubation was
equally swift. So. when two days had
left us unscathed. We were elated with
the idea that we were free of the con-
tagion.
'But the third day disillusioned US.
can never forget the night preceding
1t. had charge Of the night guards
from eight to twelve, and from the
roof of the building watched the
passing OF all mans glorious works.
So terrible were the local conflagra-
tons that all the sky was lighted up.
One could read the finest print In the
red glare. All the world seemed
wrapped in flames. San Francisco
spouted smoke and fire from a score
OF vatt CONGREGATIONS that were like
SO many active volcanoes. Oakland,
San Leandro, Haywards-all were
burning; and to the northward, clear
to Point Richmond. other fires we're at
work. It was an awe-inspiring spec
tacle. Civilization, my grandsons, CIV
ilization was passing in a sheet of
fame and breath of death. At ten
O'Clock that night, the great powder
magazines at Point Pinole exploded In
rapid succession. So terrific were the
conclusions that the strong building
rocked as In an earthquake, while ev-
cry pane Of glass was broken. It was
then that left the roof and went
down the long corridors, from room to
room, guieting the alarmed women and
telling them what had happened.
IAN hour later, at window on the
ground floor. heard pandemonium
break out III the camps or the prowi.
ers. There were cries and screams,
and shots from many pistols. AS we
afterwArd conjectured, this fight had
been precipitated by an attempt on
the part Of those that were well to
drive out those that we're sick. At
any rate, a number OF the plague
stricken providers escaped across the
campus and drifted against our doors.
We warned them back, but they
cursed us and discharged fusillade
from their pistols. Professor Merry
weather. at one Of the windows. was
instantly killed, the bullet striking
MIN squarely between the eyes. We
opened fire In turn. and all the prowl-
ars fed away with the exception of
three. One was woman. The
plague was on them and they were
reckless. Like foul dends, there in the
red glare from the skies. with faces
blazing, they continued to curse US
and fire at US. One Of the men shot
with my own hand. After that the
other man and the woman. still ours
ing us, lay down under our windows,
where we were compelled to watch
them die Of the plague.
"The situation was critical. The ex-
plosions Of the powder magazines had
broken all the windows Of the Chem.
istry building. 30 that we were ex-
posed to the germs from the corpses.
The sanitary committee was called up
on to act, and It responded nobly.
Two men were required to 60 out and
remove the corpses, and this meant
the probable sacrifice Of their own
lives, for, having performed the task.
they were not to be permitted to fs-
enter the building. One Of the pro-
fessors, who was . bachelor. and one
Of the undergraduates volunteered.
They bade good-by to NJ and went
forth. They were heroes. They gave
up their lives that four hundred 9th
erS might live. After they had per.
formed their work. they stood for q
moment, ct distance. looking at
~ wistfully. They they waved their
hands In farewell and went away
slowly across the campus toward the
burning city.
sAnd yet IL vas al useless. The
next morning the first one Of US was
snitten with the plague little nurse
girl in the family Of Professor Stout.
L was no time for weakened. senti-
mental policies. On the chance that
she might be the only one. we thrust
her forth from the building and com.
manded her to be gone. She went away
ssloWly across. the campus .wringing
her hands and crying pitifully. We
felt like brutes, but what were we
70 dot There were four hundred Of
NJ. ana individuals had to be sacri.
feed.
I'm one Of the laboratories three
families had domiciled themselves.
and that afternoon we found among