The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-07-30
LABRADOR COAST
SWEPT BY DEATH
Smallpox and Spanish Influenza
Play Havoc With
ESkimcS.
BODIES DEv0URED BY Dogs
Moravian Missionary Tells Almost IN
b~cIievabIe Story of Sufferings in
Northern Labrador-Mode OF
Living Is Fatal.

ST. Johns, N. F.-Spanish FLU"
smallpox and measles wiped out more
than one-third of the Eskimo popula-
ton of Labrador during the months of
November and December of last year.
The Rev. w. w. Perrett of the Mora
Wan mission at Hopedale, where he
has spent 27 years, reached the New
foundland shores a few days ago. He
told an almost unbelievable story of
the sufferings of the Eskimos of north
ern Labrador.
Shortly after the mission ship Har-
mony had left the coast at the begin
ming of November "f1u" broke out at
Hebron and spread rapidly among the
inhabitants. That the disease was
| contagious was unknown to he Es-
k;mo, who were living in small huts,
and whole families were affected and
died off. Bishop Martin and those at
the mission did what was possible I'M
der the circumstances, but they, too,
were stricken, and When the epidemic
had passed its course only eight chill
dren, five women and n a of the
native population of 100 were living.
Mad Dogs Eat Human Flesh.
AT the outbreak the dead were
buried almost as oOn as they passed
away but when the entire settlement
became i'll, the victims were left where
they died, those who had recovered in
the meantime being too weak to lay
them under the ground. Households
who had succumbed one by one were
left unburied, and the dogs, who were
unable to procure food because the
hunters had been all ill, became mad
and entered the cabins, consuming the
flesh from the bodies of the dead.
When it became known that the cpl
denic was raging, some outside assist
arrived. and an effort was made
to give the dead Christian burial. The
dogs, however, after consuming the
human flesh, became wild, and it was
impossible to undertake putting the
corpses in the frozen ground. The
next best thing was to bury the corpses
at sea. Before even this could be at
tempted the few remaining at Hebron
were compelled to shoot the dogs, as
even the living were not safe from
them.
While this horror of death and suf-
fering was going on at Hebron, a like
epidemic was raging at Okak. The
Eskimos, as in Hebron, huddled to-
gether in their small huts, quickly be-
came affected, until the whole pOpula- /;
ion was either stricken or dead. The
iaily death rate was appalling, whole |
dying within q few hours. The i
all the while was ~unceasing in
is work for the afflicted, but they also (:
victims to the disease, which 4
meant that the Eskimos were left help /
ess. When the new year dawned only !
few emaciated Eskimos were found :
0 be alive. Y
Mode of Living is Fatal. I
Mr.. Perrett said that when the Eski- +
were stricken, their mode of liv- :
ng and environment was against their 7
u%rviving. AS soon as the illness fell [
pom them they were obliged to take +
in the small, stuffy huts, where :
here was neither fresh air nor sun :
hine, and here they remained until (
hey died. They were also without "
cal meat and fats, which are neces- .
airy for sustenance in cold chimes,
aving been overtaken by the epidemic
list as the hunting season opened.
nd. their constitutions thus weak
ned, they became easy prey to the
.ourge. Many who had recovered
-om their illness died later for want
f nourishment.