New-York daily tribune., 1858-08-31
COMMISSIONERS OF HEALTH.

po,,a met on Monday st the usual hour and
,a P,ss.pt-the MAJOR President Hsswe y and
70 TsowpsON, RocKwELL aud MiLLLE.
pT pT,s s,esmLos. Pnilsdelph!s was ordered imne1
Ss;s.nsSp Empire City ordered to Lighter cargo 81
nrs,s1t,pe the passengers 70 remain a. Qus.n'Ine.
IRE Bosrd resolved tnzt no weasel from Cnsr.es.oo
New Ofssns be hereafter allowed 20 pro 'eeo 10 Jus
S,s Nh ths flYther action Of the Bosrj.
Sssusr Nashville asked to proceed 10 the clty'
n.as.d ,rJ ordered TO take in cargo at Quarant!ne.
Tls fllos rg communicates were received am
.pprop,iaiey disposed Of:
To H.s H1or the Mosor, and Conn ''n"' % hS''" "''
& s1ys; r. r. gard to the petition which was received
by ycur ouorable Bosrd Oh Saturday asst rom sIn
S2v Yesdeais Of S.s.en Islsnd, askDg the neaHh
sutbo,fss the port 70 prohibit the o.aten isItno
fslry bat. ltom stopping at TIE quarantine ah1uSi
and sliegry az resfon therefor that yeHo" teF.
was plevs Z. there, have to report toat, oHioo
tle co cf seventeen and line deats on
Ne ortsds Of Qusrsntns this sssson, on Staten
Lizard sgo especially owing 10 the fact that gIarng
account of tAese cases given ~ the papers 40 m
necessary alarm was thereby created, whicn DaS
driven hurcftes from nc isisho' aou ILL., ~ Ha
many uoe aho are remaining, 20 tnat some oi tden
have ia al earn s nefs pedoneo to have t3e !erY
bos;s oesse ie ding at their whsIf below Qusrenlne
In cttsse5.pg the sub jsc, Of the petition before
,our HfrDfgble Board, two questions nece Sssri'y
.Hss w Frat, do coDsdera,ons connected with
NE pubic leal:h, ~ith the safety Of passengers
vbo ofrsve cn tue ferry Jsis, call tor the prohibition
ID 4
he pubic to the Individuals, If the prayer OF tbe
nst;iiotsrs Be granted.
In sps,sr 10 the first question desire 20 ssy iudg.
ing forn past facts connected with the hetOry Of
O9nsut.,- ard especially from those connected WITH
Ea note -xpeence in 1856 I, at, in my opinion
,b,,s ia r,thiIg more tLsn seeming danger 10 allow
M the eiy bosts to stop at their landing u5t below
Qusrart.re.
Il, the ioe Of this matter theory and fact are at
war vita esch other theoriets, with very good argu
,re,ts ins;t that there must he danger in nearing
Orarsrtits With boat-oad Of passengers and hence
tbey ak foI 4 corresponding prohibition; while those
who sTsyed by fscts who are the old residents OF
he is,aod who have witnessed the ferry y-boats stop
ming at ths Quarantine landing, with perfect immunity
10 pser ge,s demonstrate against the prohibition and
ChsIetgs suy perfon 10 cite an Instance yellow fever
TO the fact that the ferry boats stopped
Al tie lsLc.i below Quarantine.
In answer 70 the second questOD, as go the damsge
and inoCuVer which VIII accrue If the prayer OF
tue petit. Cnels be granted, have only to say that
am not aDted with the location OF the residences
Of oiz, no take the ferry at the landing beloH
Ousrsutne uOr em sufficiently vsrsed in the busi-
pe,s iDtsrssts of the island TO cay how much damage
In this s,spect would arlse IN cese the prohibition
should be teeo.ved upon.
eIn 1886 ard during the months of July and August
Of ths, wear there were Utythree cases of yellow
fever 90 tie east shore OF staten Island, thryone
cases on the outside OF Quarantine, and twenty-five
eases within the walls thereof among the employees
Of tbe Institution. This year. far, there have bsen
ss reported By DR.. Walser SeyeRteeH IN all out
side CT Qusl lsntine uone at oil for seven days past
AID ncse at al within the insttution as endemic, not
nurse oioerly, wssherwoman, or other employee
bad he'd tie slightest attack Of the disease. la 1886
the QuarsJt;ne grounds were imperfect in al most
every rock ard corner, and cases OF yellow fever &C.
CURED imIcegisely outside thereof, IN almost every
drecNOt sad yet the ferry boats continued TO ply
AID lard So usual at the wbsrf below Quarantine
without producing the less alarm, and without as the
result prCve5 any danger or cetiment to passengers
Mto tne slaDo. This year, go far, the limits ofQasr
sntiDe havs rot been at oil infected, and the number
Of cases or the island outside have been comparative
y fsw and htnce if the ferry boats could AXE their
regular a1oings in 1856 with impun;ty il follows that
there mps, be, at least, as little dagger now
Ii is urged ~ those who seek the prohibition, tina
the dsrgsr of landing a. the wharf below narantins
has tetr Increased that Of 1885, by the fact that
cgoes from vessels not having had sickness on board
ntttr port Il cel arturo, nor on their passage are
oichalge1 a. a wearf In QGaTsntiLe This argument
would fsys much weight il there were evidence tina
the dscssig ng Of such cargoes was followed by daa
ger TO Iess sho constantly live and breathe IN the
atmospteIe next iacsnt TO wnere such dischsigiug
IL goipg co. With large family, L occupy dwelling
within a etCUss throw of the wharf mentioned, and
duiirg eNty cay and night hundreds OF persons pass
ard repa,S stil nearer the wbarf-and yet no member
0imy family has suffered from yellow fever, nor have
he inmates OF the grounds other than those steve
dores who have come directly in contact with the
cargo ard yeafes.
II the eischargipg OF those vessels, upon which
there has been no sickness 10 thus proved not 70 bs
phefs surrounding them II is stretch Of the msgins-
ton to tpfpcso that passengers the ferry boats
enoargsreo thereby Dy landing at the wharf below
QuarsuEle. II is only when localities are infected,
that becomes dangerous 10 visit them. For six
Sets past there have been an average thrty csses
Of yellow fever in the wards of the Marine Hospital,
snc yet s.iict attention having been paid to all things
ard ir every respect, rot ward has been injected,
nor has al attendant sickened therefore unless the
cugoes bsi, taken out within Quarantine, infect the
anospbee where the work is goifg on, locality dis
tleIefrom cannot be endangered, nor can psssen-
ars ca the teny boats suffer from landing at the
vsa,f below Quarantine.
But there IS another view to be taken Of the petition
IL question. great alarm has been created in the
nnos @. Staten islanders, especially with those VINO
are tmrorsy residents, by the publication OF an ex-
sseated account OF the existence OF yellow lever on
the issrS snd il must be admitted that the victims
Of that alarm are very much exercised are made very
miserable trom the fact that to reach their homes
from Nes-York they sIe obliged to pass through the
Vuarsni anchorage and 70 land at the Jerry wnar
neIt below Quarantine.
II tss been charged that this alarm has been gotten
upior twoiod purpose std by two classes 0i lne'
vdIs viz, by persons who have large real-esiste
risfest auo who thought that the excitement would
std tie removal Of Quarsntine and also by persons
sho 6esne 10 purchase property on the island, ana
| who thoush at that an alarm cry would add to the
ehaece OF getting II al lower figure. make no such
| charge ana 1 cannot n6eIstsnd how the motive,
which t,ousht about the alarm, can have any
weight in dsposipg of the prayer OF the petitioner.
TIE ssm ,xists and many OF the ferry travellers from
Tie elatd 70 NewYoIk are worried constantly q, be-
ns 90 eed to stop just below Qusrantinei ana II 10
pcbbt the terry boats from landing there would aay
as slan ard such prohibition would net be serious
inccnv sriebce to tire citizens OF the i:lsnd,
you'd Recommend that the prayer OF the petltloner'
Ngan,sd. Respectfully, Your obedlent servant
r. H. THOMPSON, Health Oh'eT
| Vsa'anfse A. gust 80, 1853
l'HHtNs ot NYw. w.BRIGHToN-CASTIErON BOARD OF
MAt1H- BEALTH OFFlCrR, AND THE IRON sCoW'
DO u, hoao- ne Mayor AID C0ami..i0Re'' @ Hed!m me
.CtB q AfcflOrA. ,
sRs: Ihs iolLosing document. emansting iron tn