The New York herald., 1879-07-15
STRICKEN DOWN WHILE AT WORK.

THE ILLNESS WHICH FRUSTRATED SEVERAL To-
TALK WITH THE PHYSICIAN IN CHARGE.
The statement published in yesterdays HERALD
of the appearance Of new and dangerous disease
among the employees Of the tobacco factory in Jersey
City created the greatest excitement throughout
city and also in Brooklyn. where great many
Of the hands reside. The factory is the largest
one OF the kind in the country. and employs
at present in the neighborhood Of three
thous md Ave hundred hands. Necessarily
the report that disease which threatened to be-
come an epidemic in 80 large an establishment.
created considerable alarm, not only among the
hands. but among the residents of the entire city
HERALD reporter yesterday visited the factory and
found the official in charge very indignant at the
sensational turn given to the reports published
in some Of the papers. DIR. Leonard j. Gordon
who is the physician at the establishment,
declared that the only ground ror the re-
port that few days ago young
woman was found lying in Bay street in convul-
sions. He had her carried into his Office in the
building. where restoratves applied, and after
a while he caused her to be taken in OF the com
pany's wagons to her home. The girl. he said was
u stranger and not employed in the factory In an.
to the reporters questions he said there were
cases of sickness in the building There could
not tail to be where many were en-
ployed. especially in the warm weather. but none
of the cases were serious. II OF the girls be-
came i'll he Immediately treated her. and after
while il she felt strong enough to resume work she
put at it: if she did not she allowed to go
home Up to yesterday afternoon he had attended
only three cases. and he said rarely averaged over
live OF sickness day. The sufferers generally
troubled with headache. Sometimes they
fell in fit or had convulsiops. He denied
that thrty-ive were sick Saturday and
that any of the patients were in danger In answer
there hiteen or sixteen who taken sick on
the day mentioned. The sickness, he said, was not
the result oil working in tobacco. There nothing
ridiculous than the suggestion that the tobacco
from the South and probably contained the
germs of yellow fever. The tobacco not from
yellow fever district. and the Illness complaint with
which the girls were afflicted perfectly
natural in such an establishment. during the sum-
mcr months and particularly when the girls are
sometimes, owing to the great press of business
worked until nine o'clock at night. The girls who
were sick on SATURDAY. he said were at work yester
day and several were shown to the reporters who
called and SAID they had entirely recovered.
THE DRY FILLING DEPARTMENT.
The HERALD reporter subsequently visited two
ployes OF the factory at their homes. They both
said hat ALL or the majority. of the sufferers
those employed in the dry filling department. This
Is the floor next to the top. un Ter the supcrnten
dence OF Mr.. Ferkim. The windows, they said, were
never allowed to be open from one end of the week
the other. to prevent the tobacco from becoming
dry. and IN keeping the filters moist
steam was used on that hoor than on
the others. There about two hundred
girls at present employed on this foor which is far
more than usual. AT their work they pick up the
STAINING hlers from a steam chest carry them in
their aprons to their bench and there work over
them. inhaling the steam. Besides this they are
greatly crowded and the heat is unbearable Another
cause OF the sickness is the quantity of ice water
they drink. Notices have recently been posted
throughout the floors cautioning the es about
drinking too much water. Oatmeal has been mixed
in it, and yesterday so the girls said. quantity OF
ginger added.
Tessie Lynch the girl who yesterday reported
as derious. was partly unconscious all day yestei-
day aud could converse with NO one. Annie Lynn.
the grl living In henderson street. who was taken
home Saturday was yesterday reported among the
girls in the factory dead but inquiry Mt house
resulted IN tho denial OF this report Her condition
is. however, very low. No new of a serious
nature reported yesterday. those who we're
taken sick returning to thor work soon as they
had rccO