Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-10-25
N0FEVER ON THERESERVE
THE GORDON TO BE ABANDONED
TODAY.

Warrington the Scene of the First Death
of the Late Epidemic-The Origin of
the Plague Probably Found in Infect
ed Articles Which Were on Hand Dur
ing the Previous Epidemics.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 24.-Surgeon Gen
eral Hamilton, of the Marine Hospital
Service, to-day received telegram from
John b. Guttman, President of the Pensa-
cola Board Of Health, announcing that
three deaths from yellow fever and five
new cases were reported from the navy
yard. DR.. Hamilton replied that if the
information was correct the Gordon would
have to be continued. He also requested
Lieutenant Commander Welch to tele-
graph as to the correctness of the dis
patch. In reply to this request the fol-
lowing dispatch has been received:
PENSACOLA NAVY YARD, FLA. Oct. "a
10 Surgeon General j. b. Hamilton.
forward the following statement of the
surgeons and physicians here: sWe. the
undersigned surgeons and physicians of
the navy yard and reserve, do hereby de-
clare that there have been no cases nor
suspicious cases of yellow feveE on the
naval reserve since the last case tsas con-
valescent, on the 11th Instant
Signed GUITERAs,
MARTIN.
GARLAND.
POLLOCK.
LEHMAN.
MILLS.
The last cOnyalescent case was treated
by DR.. Guiteras and reported GONZALES
cent on the 1lth and discharged on the
18th instant. WEIGH.
Upon the receipt of this telegram DR..
Hamilton gave directions to djSband the
Gordon on the 25th instant.
The report of the court of inquiry ap-
pointed to Investigate the origin of yellow
fever at the naval station at Pensacola.
Fla, has been received at the Navy De-
partment. 1t says that the following
facts are established by the evidence ad-
duced:
sit does not appear that there were
any cases Of yellow fever or any cases Of
suspicious nature on the naval reserVa-
tiOn prior to August /.
while we are not prepared to say that
yellow fever really existed in Pensacola
this season, it is not unlikely that the fur
nlture and bedding that We're not DESTROY
ed during the epidemic of 1882, generated
mild sporadic cases which eluded the
vigilance of the attending physicians, and
owing to the constant communication be-
tween the city of Pensacola and the naval
reserve the fever may have been introduce
ed either through the medium of persons or
furniture. Persons are known to have
visited more or less between the two
places, and some have been emploVed in
Pensacola during the summer. There is
possibility that marines NAV have visit
Ell Pensacola. although there is no evil
dence that they did so. 1t is ascertained
by the evidence that the marine barracks
lately occupied by them had at least
one case of yellow fever in
them i'll 1879. There are quantities
Of equipments stored in the equip
ment storehOuse which have been there
for many years, and were probably there
during the years 1867 and 1874, and have
never been taken out and opened until
this year. On August 3, Of this wear, a
labOrer i'll the equipment stOrehOuse and
on August Il storekeeper in the cngi-
neerS stOrehCuSe Sickened with symptoms
sufficiently suspicious to be classified as
yellow fever, although Not so diagnosed
by the attending physician. The first
death from yellow fever was that of Chas.
III. Thompson, Il child living in Warning
ton, who died August H. The attending
physician then believed the case to
be Inflammation of the bowels, but
since then has concluded that it was vel
low fever. The funeral of this child was
very largely attended by adults and chill
dren of Warrington and WOolsev. bv
spread, more especially to the latter vii
iage. The lower room in the house in
which the child died was used as an ice
cream saloon, which was visited freely by
the young people of the villages, includ-
ing some of the marines. Having re-
viewed the evidence we are now of the
opinion that the epidemic of yellow fever,
now near its close, prevailing on the
naval reserve may be traceable to one or
more of four origins. viz:
'First. Possible infection from Pensa-
cola by the communication of persons and
by articles brought fromthat city.
''Second. Articles in the equipment and
steam engineering stOrehOuse. Possibly
infected in former epidemics.
''Third. Possible infection in the marine
barracks since 1875.
Fourth. Probable infection from ballast
used and handled at Lieutenant McRae's
jetties by men who lived in and visited
the villages of Warrington and WO0lsey
weekly and semi-weekly in their working
clothes.
''The first case of yellow fever having APP
peared in the marine barracks within the
navy yard previous to the death of the
first case in Warrington, and not finally
diagnosed and decided to be yellow fever
until three days after the attack, any pre-
cautions that could haYe been taken at
that time to prevent the introduction of
the disease into the navy yard would have
been unavaillng, as the marine guard and
Surgeon himself were already infected"