CHAMBERS'S JOURNAL
OF
POPULAR
LITERATURE, SCIENCE, AND ART.
CONTENTS
A STRANGE FAMILY HISTORY.
A LADY'S ASCENT OF THE BREITHORN.
ECCENTRIC PEOPLE.
SNAKE-INCUBATION.
PLAYTIME AT OXFORD.
THE MONTH: SCIENCE AND ARTS.
| No. 713. | SATURDAY, AUGUST 25, 1877. | Price 1½d. |
A STRANGE FAMILY HISTORY.
For the following curious episode of familyhistory we are indebted to a descendant of one ofthe chief personages involved; his story runs asfollows.
Somewhat less than one hundred years ago, alarge schooner, laden with oranges from Spain,and bound for Liverpool, was driven by stress ofweather into the Solway Firth, and after beatingabout for some time, ran at last into the small portof Workington, on the Cumberland coast. Forseveral previous days some of the crew had feltthemselves strangely 'out of sorts,' as they termedit; were depressed and languid, and greatlyinclined to sleep; but the excitement of the stormand the instinct of self-preservation had kept themto their duties on deck. No sooner, however, hadthe vessel been safely moored in the harbour thana reaction set in; the disease which had lurkedwithin them proclaimed its power, and three ofthem betook themselves to their hammocks moredead than alive. The working-power of the shipbeing thus reduced and the storm continuing, themaster determined to discharge and sell his cargoon the spot. This was done. But his men didnot recover; he too was seized with the samedisease; and before many days were past mostof them were in the grave. Ere long several ofthe inhabitants of the village were similarlyaffected, and some died; by-and-by others weresmitten down; and in less than three weeks afterthe arrival of the schooner it became evident thata fatal fever or plague had broken out amongstthe inhabitants of the village.
The authorities of the township took alarm;and under the guidance of Squire Curwen ofWorkington Hall, all likely measures were takento arrest or mitigate the fatal malady. Amongother arrangements, a band of men was formedwhose duties were to wait upon the sick, to visitsuch houses as were reported or supposed to containvictims of the malady, and to carry the deadto their last home.
Among the first who fell under this visitationwas a man named John Pearson, who, with hiswife and a daughter, lived in a cottage in theoutskirts of the village. He was employed asa labourer in an iron foundry close by. Forsome weeks his widow and child escaped thecontagion; but ere long it was observed thattheir cot