The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1926-08-12
FOUR CHILDREN OF GREEN
FAMILY DIE MYSTERIOUSLY
Seven Others Are In a Critical
COnditiOn-POlluted Water
Probably the Cause

+ our QeaInS nave occurred IN
the family Of Mr.. and Mrs. Will
liam Green, who live few miles
west of Homecoming, in Garrett
county, within the past week,
and the rest of the family of
eleven still remain in a critical
condition, suffering from a rare
disease which physicians believe
is bacillary dysentery.
The death toll reached four on
Tuesday, when Resale, aged Is
years, died in the Miners Hospi-
tai at Frostburg at four o'clock
in the afternoon. Other chilSren
in the family who died are :.Bes-
sic Marie, aged 2 years,8 months
and II days; Charles, aged 4,
and Catherine, aged 4 years, II
months and 10 days.
Water Blamed
Cistern water, which the family
used for drinking purposes, is be-
lieved to be the carrier of the dis
ease which is very rare. Recently
Mr.. Green had a new composition roof
placed upon the building from which
water is carried to the cistern in
question, but it is not known that the
disease had its origin from this cause.
At the time the first child was
taken i'll and until few days ago
every effort was made by the attend
ing physician, DR.. E. Don Taylor, of
Homecoming, to diagnose the case, but
it was not until a test of the water
was made at the Cumberland city lab
oratory that any clue to the malady
was found. From the tests it was
ascertained that the water was badly
polluted and contained germs, which
the children contracted, causing them
to become weak and practically help
less.
At present three of the children
are in the Miners Hospital with their
grandfather, William Henry Green,
aged 81 years, who was also stricken,
while the father and four other chill
dren are i'll at the Garrett county
home. The most recent cases at the
home was that of the father and the
twin infants, boy and girl, only one
week old, who were admitted to the
hospital yesterday, along with the
mother, who, however, has not been
attacked by the disease.
Since the first case in the Green
family developed early this month ex-
perts in the health department of the
State have been working on it. These
experts include medical men from
Baltimore, and everything to reduce
the suffering of the children has been
done
To Administer Serum
The Cumberland Chapter, Amer
lean Red Cross, hearing Of the plight
of the Green children, offered their
assistance, and through their efforts
costly serum was administered to
the sufferers yesterday morning.
The attending physician, the county
health nurse and the members of the
Cumberland city laboratory staff have
given much of their time and atten-
ton to the cases and it is hoped that
the serum will rid the sufferers of the
disease.
The bodies of the little victims of
the disease lie side by side in GEM
etery not far from the home and to-
morrow the remains of the fourth vic
tim will be placed there also.
The mother, the only member of the
once overly large family, who has not
been stricken with the disease, is
heart-broken and is mourning the loss
of her children. She, too, is weak,
and is being cared for by her neigh
bors, or was until admitted to the hos
pital. Her neighbors are kind and
generous and have given much of
their time and attention to the sorely
afflicted family.