Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-03-19
PESTILENCE in RAGS.
CargOes From Foreign
Countries.
New York Evening Post.

Countries.
New York Evening Post.
The order of the surgeon general oil
the United States marine hospital ser
vice, in relation to vessels coming to
America from foreign ports where con-
tagiOus diseases exist and having on
board and articles liable to convey in
lection, is published elsewhere.
At the sanitary department in this
city it was said this morning that New
York is subject to little danger on this
score, because few articles are imported
from places where the plague, or con-
tagious disease likely to be transferred,
exists. Rags, furs, skins, hair, feathers,
boxed or baled clothing are likely to
carry the poison Of contagion. OF these
articles furs alone would be at all likely
to bring the plague here from abroad.
Since Jan. /, 1879, 4,077 bales of rags
have been landed at the port of New
York, from Stellieo, Hamburg, New
castle, Bremen, Liverpool, London,
Hong Kong and Leghorn. They are all
shipped east to paper mills. The board
of health of this city has received let
ter from DR.. G. A. Lindsey, of the New
Haven board of health, asking whether
any restriction exists in New York on
the importation of rags from foreign
countries, adding that "for several years
past whole cargoes have been discharg-
ed at that port, chiefly from Alexandria,
Egypt. Both lines of steamboats,
from New York bring almost daily
bales of imported rags to be for
warded by rail to the various paper
manufacturers in New England. The
late outbreak of the plague has suggest
ed to many of our citizens the question
whether we are subjecting ourselves to
any danger of introducing that disease
by such means" The health authori-
Ties say that all articles making up the
cargo of a vessel are included in the
general term merchandise" with the
exception of rags, which are always
singled out and dealt with separately.
When captains are given permits to dis
charge their cargo the permits give
authority to discharge everything but
rags. If vessels cargo consists of rags,
a special permit is required before they
can be discharged. If a vessel comes
from Liverpool with cargo of rags she
goes to quarantine, and if she is passed
the captain receives a voucher from Dr.
Vanderpool, which is brought to the
sanitary department of the board of
health. A bond is given for 5000 not to
break the bulk of the bales of rags COM
posing the cargo The bales always are
pressed tightly and stamped with iron
hoops, and if they were broken up there
Ia II Il e
Grafton of disease. When the bond is
given and filed, in the sanitary depart
ment then the captain receives his per-
nit to discharge his cargo. In general
the cargOes OF rags arriving at this port
are consigned to some one out of the
city, On no consideration is q
permit given to discharge q
cargo without the necessary voucher
from DIR. Vanderpool. In the winter,
between the 10th Of November and the
18th Of April, rags can be discharged by
coastwise vessels along the Am erican
coast without permits; but in the sum-
mer, between the 25th of April and the
18th of November, these coastWise
schooners and brigs come under the law
that regulates the discharging of the
cargoes of vessels coming from foreign
ports. But, say the health officers,
many of these small crafts bring rags in
to this city and discharge their cargoes
''by chance" as it is called. They do not
go to quarantine, but go to port, and
discharge their cargoes of rags and run
their chances of getting caught by the
port officer. The penalty is $500. The
restriction on the importation of rags
from foreign countries lies in the thor
ougness which characterizes the work
done at quarantine. If there is any
possibility of disease being in or about
the vessel the cargo is taken out by sep
arate pieces, each piece, bale, ETC., is
swung in the air and put on lighters
for two or three days. When the YES
sci is emptied it is thoroughly fumi-
gated. 1t is said that no case of disease
in this. city has been traced to poison
introduced by rags which have passed
through quarantine.