The New York herald., 1869-05-27
QUARANTINE.

MituIu the walls OF c0nVent ior VcfJ oHoi 'n'nS
QUARANTINE.
~~~~~~>>~o~->~~~~~~~-r~
The Season I'm Full Dlast-Over -Four Thou'
sand Dollars Day Made by Vaccination
A Glorious Harvest for the Health Oncer-
vaccinating Tugboats and Pilots--Thc
Quarantine BOntmcn.
The quarantine season opened this year with .
grander show Of profit for the Health Ocer than he
has ever had before. Emigration, 1t seems, Is
immensely on the Increase and has been, In great
measure, transferred Iom sailing ships TO steamers.
In oden times, when few emigrants came to this
port in other than sailing vessels, the Health
Oficer charged vaccination fee OF twen-
ty-fve cents, as his patients were not
alone poor. but the owners OF ships in those
days were not such wealthy people that
they could stand long the heavy extortons OF qua
rantine. Then the passage money was cut down to
such low figure, and the voyages were oftentimes
so long that only small margin OF profit was left
for expenses In port. Tho Health Oflcer neverthe-
less made o snug fortune on his TWENTY-FIVE cent
fee But now that the charge is dollar, emigration
larger than ever the steamship corporations wealthy
and willing to cash all the Health O1cer's bills, the
prospect for making money looks boundless in its
very extent. Think Of quarter million emigrants
at q dollar q head, and then realize how
high on the waves Of fortune six years.
enjoyment OF such an income would leave o
man. The mines Of Golconda could never DO relied
upon 10 furnish such . steady and imperial yield.
The season has opened brilliantly. On the mild,
ripping waters OF the harbor in front OF the Quaran-
tine station, at the first landing OF Staten Island
there lay throughout yesterday four emigrant
steamers, two Of which were noble specimens Of
naval architecture and one emigrant bark. They
comprised the Kedar, from Liverpool with e7O pas
sengers; the City Of Antwerp, from Liverpool and
Queenstown, with 1,072; the Nebraska also from
Liverpool and Queenstown, with 1895; the Anton
from Bremen with 7So, and the bark Cedar, from
Bremen, with 265 passengers total 4032 max
ing with the total complement OF sailors, about
4.SOO, which, multiplied by one dollar makes as
heavy haul as ever man made In q few hours Of
medical practice.
On board the Anton, which arrived on Tuesday,
were twenty nine cases Of smallpox, with two excep
tions, among natives OF Sweden. The passengers Of
the Kedar had two cases In their midst. On board
the City of Antwerp were six, on board the Nebraska
taken by the GovernOrlFent0n tugboat TO the Small
pox Hospital at Blackweps Island. No deaths had
latng them from the rest OF the passengers had been
adopted by the surgeons OF the ships the disease did
not extend itself IN any alarming measure OF course
at o dollar head, including the crew, from
the captain to the cook, ard the bills were duly for
warded for payment on the very heels OF the per.
formance Five dollars a head for carrying each
afflicted emigrant to the hospital at Blackwell's
Island, ana anything you please above twenty-five
most capricious and depend altogether upon how
much the captain or owner can be calculated on to
pay makes q more profitable days work than any
business in the country can show.
But then, the income OF Quarantine does not end
exactly at this point Here, for instance, may be
n an
the owners a3 many thousand dollars II she were at
her pier In the city. All the sick passengers have
gated and yet four, five, six or ten days after she
may have to lie In the waters OF the upper or lower
on sr as decp through Of s
day to see II smallpox or fever can be
developed among them. There is no earthly
ion Of making them contribute to the revenue of
quarantine. II is alleged that in many Instances the
,iiciai has been allowed to pull up his anchor and
tart after seasonable delay for tho city The boat
men OF Quarantine are favored race of men II
business yesterday taking people who had friends
BOARD out to the various vessels at anchor. Every
staten Island brought down Irish and German men
and women anxious to see or TO learn something
loctor's boatmcn were on hand to accommodate ct
} dollar head anybody desirous Of going out.
Some OF the natives from the Emerald Isle NUT.
tered loud and deep against the institution of
quarantine what the divil are they doin', keeping
people out there that haven't q sign Of sickness
ust thrick TO make money" replied another;
''Swinburne, with his id vaccination, pzens half
W carSe beao s
nothln' in the ould dart III go bail it's the dollar
head Swinburne looks for. and not to save US from
the smallpox" The whole institution OF quaran-
tine underwent pretty vigorous and not over polite
criticism al the hands OF the Hlbernisn.
Most OF those who came down went over with ''the
doctors boatmenn--who ought, upon the principle
pursued by their medical master, to be vaccnated q
dozen times day and washed all over with disin-
gers as far as the ships side go on board them
selves, come back with the required information for
their expectant freight, AMI then, mngiing with
their passengers and m.ngliug with the people on
Staten Island afterwards, they can Just as eectually
disease as If all the sick passengers were
showed ashore and accommodated In the village
boarding houses THIS shows the mockery OF quaran-
tine regulations. II ship Is to be kept away from
vented from landing, on the score that the seeds OF
disease may be developed and disseminated among
then 1t certainly holds good as an argument that
the quarantine boatmen should themselves be
and not allowed to run around
imong the natives OF Staten Island after coming
iirect from handling cases OF smallpox on board
The tugboat Fenton. Yet this Is the fact,
md an alarming fact also. These people
who went down 10 see their friends yesterday were
lot permitted on board, but the boatuen went freely
lmong the seething mass OF emlgrants, and II any
lisease was in their midst few were more likely to
BRING 1t away than these eDterprslng subordinates
" Dr. Swnburne. lie pays them such small
wages ana bLarVes LncHl SO HluCu III
inc that the poor fellows wear dreadfuly weak, |
scared and emaciated appearance and are certainly
he flttest looking sort or subjects TO bring away
Epidemic from on board vessel and carry |
& long way on shore. The doctor |
himself may be proof against raging aud CON- |
lined alliance OF cholera, fever and smallpox; but
hen he lives well, and the finest wines In the world
contribute to fortify HIS valuable health; but he |
,ught to throw bottle OF that vinous n0urishment
yhlch comes TO him at so cheap rate once in |
while to these famished and underpaid Doatinen OF |
lis.
within few days past new idea has entered the |
octor's mind. Heretofore he contcntcd himself |
yith vaccinating the passengers and crew OF |
esse but now he goes In for operating on the crew
nd captain OF any tugboat that may be found towing
snip to Quarantine, or the crew and captain OF any |
,iot boat that may chance to come up with any |
raft having similar destination. This, OF course |
/ their expense. lie caught hold OF the tug Rescue
owing the Cedar up from the lower bay on Tuesday |
nd gave the lads regular vaccine DOSE The pilot |
ell in for the same favor. lie next intends to hunt
ID those slippery customers the yacht reporters of
ne HERALD; but then he will be compelled TO get |