HISTORY OF ORANGE death is usually delayed from a week to two weeks after the first seizure. Most of those who have been attacked thus far have been children, and the full malignity of the disease is not exhibited in the case of adults. Two children have died in one day, this week, and in some families, three or f our have been stricken down by this strange malady."
We quote from the New Haven Journal-Courier, Monday, April 11, 1859: "More deaths in Orange. Two children, one a daughter of Merwin Andrew, aged seven years; and the other a daughter of Isaac Porter, aged eight years, died in Orange, yesterday, adding two more victims to the malignant throat disease which is now prevailing to an alarming extent in that town. Mr. Andrew, we understand, has lost four and Mr. Porter, three children by the same disease within a short period of time."
Both the Palladium of Tuesday, April 12, and the Journal-Courier of Wednesday, April 13, 1859, carried this article, entitled "The Orange Malady":
''Messrs. Editors,--I send you the following deaths in Orange. April 10, J. Dwight, only child of Merwin and Elizabeth Andrew, aged seven years. This is the fourth and only child of Mr. Andrew; they have all died of the strange disease that is raging in Orange within two weeks. April 10, Charles, son of Isaac and Phebe Porter, aged eight years. April 10, Phebe Porter, wife of Isaac Porter, aged 36 years. This leaves Mr. Porter a widower and childless, having lost his three children and his wife, in one week. April 12, Collin B., son of Dennis B. and Sarah A. Stone, aged 11 years. There are a number sick here, now. All have died that have been sick, thus far. Many have left town; and all the children are taken away that are well enough to go."
Every one was so frightened that it was difficult to find any one who had courage enough to go into the stricken homes to help bury the dead. Alpheus Merwin and Stiles D. Woodruff dared to do it, so they assisted in most of the burials.
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