Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 June 1881 — THE BLACK DEATH. [ARTICLE]

THE BLACK DEATH.

Came of the Annual Outbreak of the Plague. It is generally supposed, says the Chicago Tribune, that the inundation of the low lands of the Euphrates river is the only cause of the outbreak of the plague, or black death. They are a contributing, but not the only cause. The real cause of the pestilence has bean known for years to the Persian and Turkish Governments, but they have done nothing toward its prevention. The black death is not an uncommon disease in that part of Mesopotamia lying southwest from Bagdad, between the right shore of the Euphrates and the Syrian desert. It has made its regular appearance there ever since the year 1872, between the months of December and June. In Nedjeff, or Medsched Ali, is the grave of Ali, the son-in-law of the Ptophet Mahomet. From there leads a desert road, marked out by the bleached bones of camels and human beings, to the so-called Lake Euphrates, which receives its water through the Hintieh canal. To the northwest of this lake is situated the city of Kerbela, where is to be found the golden mosque and the grave of Hussein, the son of Caliph Ali and the daughter of the Prophet. These two cities are the real breeding-places of the dreadful disease. To Nedjeff and Kerbela the Shiites, or religious followers of Ali and Hussein, chiefly Persians, send the dead bodies of their friends and relatives, because they believe that to be buried near Hussein’s or Ali’s grave will assure their souls certain admission to paradise. Caravan after caravan, each camel loaded with two felt-covered coffins on each side, arrive there daily and deposit their ghastly freight for interment, which, during months of travel from the Persian highlands, has been decomposing and is filling the air with its pestilential odor. The coffins are placed in shallow trenches and covered with about an meh or two of earth. But this is not all. The whole country around Nedjeff has become one vast graveyard, and, in consequence of the frequent floods occurring in the Euphrates, all the lands on both sides of the river are inundated, the light covering of earth is swept from the coffins, which, being made of light material, fall to pieces, and thousands upon thousands of corpses are left rotting under the rays of an Oriental sun. The waters finally recede, or are gradually absorbed by the soil, poisoning all the wells in that country. From 12,000 to 16,000 corpses are sent there annually for interment by the Shiites. The Jews send annually several thousands of their dead to be buried near the grave of their prophet Ezekiel, which is also near Kerbela. Beside these caravans there arrive flotillas of pilgrim boats loaded with corpses on the Euphrates by way of the Semawat branch and the Bar-i-Nedjeff. Not only are they filled with, this pestiferous freight, but the coffins are even hung outside of the boats, loading them down to the water’s edge. The constant arrival of these caravans and flotillas with their freight of decaying human corpses, and added to this the careless burial, must be regarded as the cause of the outbreak of the plague, and the fatalistic negligence of the Persian and Turkish Governments, which do not interfere until the disease has become epidemic; explains why it has not been suppressed during the last ten years. For a long time a special treaty has been in existence between these two Governments relative to the transportation of these corpses, but so far it has been a treaty on paper only. The people of America are in as much danger as the rest of the world. It is about time that the civilized nations of the earth should make this question of the transportation of corpses under an Oriental sun an international question, and force the two Governments directly interested to execute the provisions of their treaty in good faith.

Big Time Over a Foot. The San Francisco Chronicle, in a recent issue, says: “A young lady took a car which brought her to the foot of California street, and there took a seat on the dummy car, which bore her to the vicinity of her home on Octavia street. As she left the car and was crossing the track upon the southern side her foot slipped and turned and was caught fast in the crack where the wire cable passes. Some imperfection in the roadbed had caused the narrow aperture to expand, and the young girl’s narrow foot was entrapped. The engineer of the east-bound dummy saw the obstacle on the road in season to check his swift approaching car, and alighted, with the conductor and several passengers of an investigating mind, who endeavored to release the slender foot, but their efforts were vain. Another car, and another, brought up in funeral row, and constant re-enforcements in the way of passing pedestrians cheered and enlivened the scene. An attempt was made to pry the iron rails forming the cable channel further apart, but they firmly resisted all efforts. Everybody had a suggestion. “Push your foot forward;” “Pull it back;” “Tip it sideways;” “Liftyourheel higher.” The unhappy girl was almost fainting, but she persevered in her efforts to extricate the offending member. By this time travel on the road had virtually ceased. The last car had long ago passed, and was steadily approaching to fall into line at the rear of the singular procession. Down-town passengers fretted and fumed, or. slowly climbed the hill in disgust. On every street corner groups of waiting people berated the laxity of street-car management. Reporters from all the down-town dailies were proceeding westward to learn the meaning of the large crowd reported to have assembled in the Western Addition. From the scene of the accident envoys had been dispatched to the railroad shops to bring appliances for taking up a section of the road. At this juncture a tall, brawny Englishman, in the dress of a mechanic, forced his way through the throng, and in a cheery voice, marked by the Derbyshire dialect, asked: “Ha’ ye tried onfastenin’ the young leddy’sshoe?” Ten buttons flew from as many buttonholes; in the twinkling of an eye the foot was free.

Over $2,300,000 for Champagne. A striking instance of the unparalleled financial condition of the people of the United States is shown in the official reports of the French Government, giving the value of champagne exported from France to the United States. The - consumption of champagne in America has steadily increased for the past three years, but the increase of 1880 is remarkable, showing the largest per cent, of gain of any like period since this wine has been known to commerce. In 1877 the value of this wine exported to the United States was $1,293,398. In 1878 and 1879 the amount was slightly in excess of this, but in 1880 it jumped

up to $2,317,593. These figures are suggestive, as showing increased capacity to purchase luxuries. As a matter of fact, every article of luxury upon the list of imports shows an increase in 1880 over auy previous year. So far as can be judged from this, the American people are becoming what is called full-handed, and arc slinging their money around right royally.