Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-04-21
For the Journal.

No. 4.
At of the Legislature of North Carolina for Ma
rine Hospital at Vitming ngton-Rat, ,feation of the
by Congress-Th Marine Hospital Association
Of W1tmiagton-Aet Of the Legislature an aid Of
the ASSOCIATION Extraordinary Suferings Of Sea-
men at Bu-=ard's Bay-Appeol to the Secretary Of
the Treasury-Refusal to erpend the surplus Hos
pital Money of our Port-Rcason giren By the
Hon. J. J. Mckay Memorial to Congrsss-Cor-
respondenee 1c,th the Hon. r. Strange-CongreSS
refuses to make Appropriation for Hospital, to
aid the Marine Hospital association, or RdtJy the
Act of the Legislature of North Carolina.
Messrs. EDITORS We think it must be evident
that we need and entitled to a United States Ma
rlne Hospital, and now proceed TO show the efforts,
though Intellectual which have been made to secure
it. We do not know when the attention of Congress
first called 10 this subject, but as Wilmington
was made port of entry in 1893, we suppose il
not long subsequent to that period, at any rate
time prior to 1917 nasmuch during that year The
Legislature of North Carolina, regarding the provis
ion made by Congress for the relief of the sick and
disabled seamen of port as insufficient for the
purposes designed" and desparing of obtaining the
| necessary aid from the Government, rassed law
authorizing the collection of small from pas
sengers and ' for the purpose of aiding in The
erection of Marine Hospital at the port of Whining
ton" This law was ratified by Congress- April q,
1918, and continued IN force FIVE years. The amount
collected under the act paid in 1885 accor
ding 10 resolution of the Legislature by the Treas
urer of the State. to the Marine Hospital Association
of Wilmington, hut being entirely inadequate for
the bect contemplated judicously invested, and
will he appropriated when practicable plan shall
be adopted for establishing Hospital Pest House
for Seamen. The Marine Hospital Association
organized and incorporated in 1885, and continued
lie efforts from that period until l849.
The President of the Association in a letter dated
May o. 1885, and addressed to the Secretary of the
Treasury says "recently this season, several coas-
ting vessels arrived with cases of small pox, and
other diseases which for the protection of the
muniiy, quarantined On board of these vessels,
where much suffering experienced, and several
deaths occurred 1t is probable that this is the Pc
riod referred TO by gentlemen of unmpeachable
racity, when, they state, "there not enough
of the well board of the vessels to throw the dead
cverboard,' and one entire perished for want
of accommodations on shore" He adds, that the
whole community have been aroused from the knowl-
edge OF great suteTngs in the several cases alluded
to, and sufficient secured by private contribu-
tions TO purchase suitable situation, embracing $50
acres of land, with several valuable buildings for
the purposes of Hospital and that he is instructed
to ascertain whether the Hospital money received at
our Custom House could be set apart for the benefit
of this hospital, and if so, there should be faithful
and economical disbursement according to the regu
! latiOns of the Department" The Secretary of the
Treasury answered as follows, g. as the disbursements
in all the ports of North Carolina nearly double
the amount collected therein, cannot sanction any
J arrangement, which will in that State add to the
|
the existing regulations unless Congress shall de-
wise means for more extended provision, which it
is earnestly hoped they will do." To this it was re-
piled in letter to the Hon. J. ], Mckay dated Jan
! 49, 1885, that this, the principal port instead of
being debtor for over expenditures is entitled TO a
credit for over $4,000 of balances sent away in the
last fen years, and added to the general fund.- and
thatits hospital receipts had exceeded the expend-
lures from the beginning until that time"
In memorial TO Congress of the Marine Hospital
R0fIn of thoc ,Iafo nooI SC
made for aid to place the establishment of the AS
socaton upon respectable and permanent footing"
and the memorial says. if the distressed situation
of sick in this port during the past season,
could but be truly represented, the to afford
effectual aid surely would not be withhed-t is OBJ
vous where there is no hospital, and vessels have 10
be quarantined, with their sick seamen on board com
merce must be greatly trammelled, and the sick
possd to much unmitigated suffering" During the
previous year the Legislature of North Carolana
knowledglng again the insufhciency of the provision
made by the Government, 6 and to assist the Marine
Hospital Association OF Wilmington, efectually
to accomplish its benevolent object" revised the
OF 1917, but this act not having been ratified by Con-
gress, up to jan, 1887, the managers of the Assoca
ton then addressed the Hon. R. Strange the sub
ject, stating that before this hospital established
IN of small poX and other contag diseases,
sick seamen not suffered 10 be landed. but sent
down TO BuZzard's Bay, out of reach' we suppose,
as stated IN another communication, of nursing and
medical attendance, and there suffered unto death
on board their vessels that the Association in
dulged the hope that individual munificence had
done SO much they could not fail TO the coop
Grafton OF the Government in so benevolent work
that the practice of sending away the surplus money
of this port at the end of each quarter left number
of seamen unprovded for during the sickly season,
and entirely dependent the resources of the Asso-
| claton-that their funds were wholly inadequate to
the work and without aid they could do Gore
| They desired that the Government would take the
| establishment and to all the
purposes contemplated, or make appropriation of
eight or ten thousand dollars for the use of said Cor
poraton, or authorize the application of the hospital
money OF the port, for the benefit Of seamen or
at least ratify the act of the Legislature of North
Carolina. To this communication the Honorable
Senator promptly answered stating &c that the
goth Jan, 1885, Bill reported by the Committee
of Commerce for the establishment of Marine Hos
pital at Wilmngton--that it not reached, how
ever at the last session. and is therefore still upon
the calendar 10 be acted upon-that he had no doubt
of its passage, and that Gen Mckay and himself
would continue their attention 10 the subject, and
that he sincerely hoped in some way to meet the
wishes of the Association.
Bnt the Government positively refused to extend
aid IN any way, notwithstanding that the Consliiu-
tion OF the Association. and the character of the
Board OF Managers afforded sufficient guaranty for
a Judicous appropriation Of any amount of funds
| which might have been placed at their disposal for
the benefit of sick and disabled seamen" And
thus for the present. says the Record of the Assoc
alton, " ends the hope long and ardently desired
of providing the funds necessary for suitable hos
ptal establishment And thus the rights and inter.
csts of thousands thousands of selfsacrifcng and
| suffering dsregarded, and thus the death
wall of thiunsheered uncared for, may still roll on
and in tones louder than the oceans roar proclaim,
far and wide, the ingratitude, inhumanty, and in
justice of the Government
VIM l. LANGDoN.