Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-09-03
EPIDEMIC IN ATHENS
Smallpox and Cholera Epi-
demic Takes Heavy Toll
Of Human Life.
SHIPS BLAMED FOR IT


= Correspondence of The Associated Press.)
Athens, Greece, Aug. 26.-The cpl
demic Of infantile paralysis in New
York is rivalled by an epidemic OF
smallpox in Athens that is taking a
heavy toll Of both children and adults
in the city proper and in Piraeus, the
port OF Athens. Incidentally, Greek
Ships arriving from Alexandria report
the spread Of the bubonic plague IN
Egypt. and cholera has broken out
in the island OF Castelloriza, due to
the arrival of refugees from Asia
Minor. A quarantine has been estab-
lished between the island and the
ports of Greece.
The epidemic Of smallpox in Ath-
ems has resulted in compulsory vac
cination or re-vaccination, but it Is
difficult to carry out the orders as
the supply OF vaccine is limited, and
the movement OF the demobilized
troops into the interior makes it dill
ficult to combat the spread OF the
disease.
The remarkable feature Of the cpl
demic is the reliance that is being
placed upon the efficacy of one OF
the sacred ikons, or images of Christ.
The ikon Of st. Barbara of income
dia, in Asia Minor, has been brought
with every pomp and circumstance
from the ancient church of the con
vent OF Daphni, near Athens, and set
I'D in the church OF the Chryssospilo-
tissa, in the quarter where the small
pox is taking its heaviest toll.
Seek Aid in Prayer.
All morning, during the transpor-
tation OF the holy ikon the bells OF
every church in Athens and the Pi-
raeus tolled at regular intervals. The
procession crept, afoot. along the
sun-parched road that for five miles
lies shadeless across the Attic plain
the ancient Sacred way" so graph
ically described by Chateaubriand
The black robes OF the priests were
slowly whitened by the dust and lit
tie streams OF sweat made irregular
lines down the gray faces of those
who formed the cortege bearing the
sacred image.
The belief in the efficacy of the ikon
OF St. Barbara is very profound
among the simpler Greeks. Epe-
cially is this true OF the artillerymen
and firemen, St. Barbara, is, not only
in Greece, but in other countries as
we'll, where her day is celebrated De
cember 4. St. Barbara was a virgin
martyrized in 234 A. D., during the
prosecutions which characterized the
brief reign Of the Roman Emperor
Maximin, or, according to another
version, her head was cut off by her
| own father, who had failed to per-
suade her to renounce Christianity, in
the year 500, under the Emperor Ga
lerius.
Blind Faith Is Pathetic.
Still further evidence of the belief
in the power OF ikons is seen in the
preparations for the annual pilgrim
age to the shrine of the virgin Of
Tinos, which will be made on August
%, 1t is belief current among the
ordinary Greeks that the virgin saved
Inc lie Oh hlHB SUHStdlitihC \, idot
year when he lowered between life
and death after an operation at the
hands OF two famous German sur.
geons. At time when hope had
practically been given up it was de-
cided to bring the sacred ikon of the
virgin Of limos to the bedside of the
sovereign. All along the entire route
peasants gathered and knelt at the
roadside as the sacred image passed,
and minister in the antechamber OF
the royal palace marked on a special
map the progress OF the procession,
while outside the palace thousands
of humble Greeks gathered, many
weeping with hysterical emotion.
Finally the image arrived and was
set up in the bed room Of the mon.
arch. According to the Greek peas
LIANT, from that moment the kings life
was saved.
The image Of the virgin Of Tinos
was then returned to its shrine or