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00037
FEAR, PREPAREDNESS AND PANIC CREATED IN COAST TOWN BY FEVER CASE
September 21, 1878 Dally Picayune - Tuesday, September 2k, I878 - p 6 c 6
THF. DREAD OF THE FEVER AT PEARLINGTON
To the Editor of the Picayune:—
Pearlington, Miss., Sept. 21, 1878
Seeing that you are kept posted from all parts of the country,
I concluded to pen you a few lines of information from here as to how we are getting along, and feeling about the epidemic
Dally Dread
Seeing the daily report of the death rate and new cases resulting from the prevalent epidemic through your valuable paper, has left those places which have so far escaped, in a state of perfect dread and completely awe-stricken.
We here, for instance, almost entirely encircled by the fearful pestilance, are in a very peculiar attitude, expecting every day for it to break out in our midst through some refugee, despite our efforts to the contrary, though by the combined efforts of the citizens and Board of Health of Hancock County, we have succeeded in establishing a guarantine, as you have already been informed.
We now have all the public ways guarded, thereby preventing any ingress from infected places, the mails (except first class matter) not excepted, every person or article laying in wait at the Quarantine Ststion has to undergo a due process of fumigation.
This method of protection has to a certain extent allayed the fears of th^t dreadful visitor, "yellow fever."
Preparations 10 Evacuate
Nevertheless, every day or two, we see a cart loaded with the necessary household goods for camp life, moving out of town back into the country in order to avoid the prevailing scourge.
Every vacant house five miles out of town is engaged, and every old hut is repaired and held in readiness for a retreat.
Every old cart and wheelbarrow has been to the wheelwright and is now backed up to the door ready to receive its load of trunks, provisions, etc. Those who are so unfortunate in life as to not afford a trunk, have their valises packed and hanging on a nail by the front door, in order to join in the evacuation when that disconsolate sound "yellow fever" is being spread upon the streets.