The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-06-29
A Romance of the Old Hulk.
FOUNDED ON FACT.

From the time of the Quarantine
riots, when the hospital buildings on
Staten Island were destroyed by fire,
to that of the erection of houses on
made land III the lower bay for the re.
ception of cases Of contagious fevers, the
old steamer Illinois, stripped of masts
and spars, lay rocking below the mar.
rows, the only hospital where patients
from infected vessels were admitted.
. This floating pest house, with yellow
flag waving at its stern, was anchore
within sight Of the southeastern shore OF
Staten Island. 1t was regarded with
curiosity and dr., ad by excursionists up
and down the bay, and with horrible
interest by those on board vessels ply
ing to and from Southern ports. AL
though christened at one time the
"Florence Nightingale, it was usually
known by officers of the quarantine SER
vice and mariners of the harbor as the
Old Hulk. This dreary looking black
hulk, anchored in an unfrequented spot
iu the bay, was really comfortable and
capacious hospital, quite as agreeable to
those transferred from ships and accus-
toned to their motion as would have
been accommodations on land. With
machinery and staterooms removed, the
long cabin was enlarged and fitted up
as the main ward, while the upper
saloon was partitioned into apartments
for the use of the physician, assistants,
and nurses. At the period our story
opens every cot in the fever ward of the
Old Hulk was filed with young men
the flower of our land-smitten with vel
low fever in its most fatal form. Dur
ing the past three years ample accom-
modations for patients have been made,
aud the Old Hulk is now used only as a
reception place, where patients are ex-
amined, and from thence removed to
the island hospitals.
In the summer of 1868, when DIR.
Swinburne was health officer of this
port, he resided in a cottage ON Staten
Island, in the inclosure.so long known as
"Quarantine grounds" and distinguish
ed by the remains of the stone wall
which formerly bounded the hospital
buildings. Below this officers residence
were the houses of his deputies, Drs. M.
and r., the cottage of the latter being
quite adjacent to the long pier used ex-
clusively for the boats in the service of
the quarantine department. Small
boats employed in boarding vessels
We're moored to this dock, and the little
steam tug Fenton, familiar to boatmen
on the bay, was always waiting here,
with steam up, to convey the health
officers wherever duty called them.
Vessels entering the port of New York
are obliged to be quarantined in the
lower bay when there is contagion on
board; otherwise they pass down to
Staten Island, where they are boarded
and examined before proceeding to the
city. Although there was a resident
physician on the Old Hulk, DR.. Swim
burne or his deputies visited there
daily, Watching the patients with anxious
interest, Evening was the time usually
selected for these trips, which were
made in the Fenton, when letters or
packages for those confined in the float
ing hospital were conveyed to them.
The rules of quarantine are necessa-
rily very severe when the city is threat
ened with an epidemic from fevers
brought by vessels from infected ports.
Ship and yellow fevers are more dreaded
by health officials than other forms of
contagion. On vessels where these dis
eases are epidemic, sinfection hangs
about their corners and crevices like
verdigris on an old copper. No one but
officers of the service are permitted to
visit the sick, relatives or friends never
in any instance being allowed to ap-
proach the hospital. This is trying
deprivation to,, those learning that kin
dred are detained in the lower bay, iso.
lated completely, and stricken with O
deadly disease. 1t has required hearts
of stone in the officers in authority to
deny petitions of wives, mothers, and
loving friends who would gladly have
risked their lives for the privilege OF
nursing their beloved.
1t was a distressing season for the
quarantine service. when, in the June
of 1868, the schoolship Saratoga en-
tered the lower bay with officers, mid
shipmen and crew attacked by yellow
fever. The Saratoga had been Oh long
cruise with an advanced class of mid
shipmen from our Annapolis school, un
der Lieut.. Commander Ralston, a young
officer of bright promise, With q lacl
OF wisdom and reckless disregard o.
eessequsness unaeseuntahle, the ss,s