New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-22
SMALLPOX IN THE STATE.
MANY TOWNS GUARANTEED.


AN EXTRAORDINARY OUTBREAK OF THE DIsEAm
IN SCHUYLER COUNTy-A NUMBER OF DEATHS
REPORTED AND TOWNS IN THREE COUNTIES
ouARANTINED-ACTIoN OF THE HEALTH BOARD.
FROM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRIBUSEJ
ALBANY Jan. 21.-There has been an outbreak Of
Sma'i-pox IN schuyler County of so extraordinary
nalure that its history Is worth relating IN detail:
James Watson ne'er-do-well resident of Troy.
in the fall of last year deserted his wife and children
and went to some Western State. He took with him
all the money that tho family had, some
| $3.50 Early in November he was taken sick
IN Cincinnati and rapidly grew worse. His illness
| at last became of so serious nature that he re-
solved to return to his home in May. He took
railway train at Cincinnati and started on. his
| homeward journey. When he reached Hornelsvile
in this State on November his ieliow-passengprs
the train who had discovered that he was suffer-
ing from some terrible disease resolved to summon
physician to prescribe for him. In he depot yard
| tn re happened to be at tho time DIR. Trumbeli,
an agent of the State Board of Health, who is
stationed at Hcrnelsvlle to inspect the emf grants
that reach that place from the East bound West.
Frequently some of these emgrants are discovered
to be suffering from contagious diseases which lave
escaped even the vigilant eyes of the Quarantine
officers at New-York. DIR. Trumbell was waiting
|
the eastward bound express train to see the sick
man. He no sooner looked at Watson than he ex-
claimed: This man has the smallpox; tue
| passengers must leave tho car" The passengers
| fled from the car, leaving Watson with the phys-
| can. The was then detached from the train
| and shunted into an engine-yard. Then the train
| went on eastward. At Elmra physician boarded
| the train under instructions from the State
| Board of Health. dispatches describing the Hor-
Dellsvle incident having reached this city. and
vaccinated all the passengers who had been IN the
| infected car.
Watson was kept in the car at Hornellsvile till
the pest-house the out skirts of the town had been
warmed and bedding provided for him. Then he
| was taken in ambulance from the car to the
house, where he afterward died. Ray Robinson. a
| railroad brakeman, who had the humanity to take
some coal and water into the infected while
Watson was still confined in it, was subsequently,
taken i'll with smallpox and he also died. So ar az
| known no other passengers or railroad employees
died from this exposure to infection. Apparently,
with the death of Watson and Robinson the seed Of
infection had died.
| In the infected car. however, there was an old
woman named Mrs. Hall, aged ninety years, who
was on her way from Bradford. Penn,
to visit some relatives in Schuyler County, New
York. When the character of Watson's illness was
discovered she hastily put a shawl which she had
been wearing into hand bag and left the car She
got off the train at Elmlra and departed northward
to Van Ettenvile, where she remained for several
weeks. Then she resumed her journey and came to
the house of a son by her first marriage-Sylyanus
Compton, farmer near Logan, apretty village
overlooking Seneca Lake in the township of Hector,
Schuyler County. Shortly after her arrival
there Compton, who was man seventy
This was thirty-tvo days after the discovery
of Watson in the car at III rnellsyIlle. Mrs. Hall
says that she thinks the infection carried in
the shawl which she put in her handbag just be-
fore leaving the car She had no occasion TO open
tie bag till she reached Logan. Then she took out
the shawl. The nature of COmpton's disease was
not discovered for several days In the meantime
lie had been visited by over 100 persons, relatives
ana friends. The attending physician considered
that the disease was malignant eryslpelas or some
other disease of similar character The day that
Compton died a DR.. Seely saw him and instantly de-
clarcd that the farmer had smallpox. The physi-
clans forbade attendance at the funeral and Comp
| ton was quietly buried.
The mischief had been done already however.
Among the visitors on Compton had been an old
caltlr drover named Abel lie was prostraed by
smallpox soon after Compton's death Many other
persons who had visited Comoton's house were
aken sick either with smallpox or vadoIoid.
Three persons died of smallpox IN
COmptons own family. Inc local
BOARD of Health swiftly informed the State Board
of Health of the outbreak and received orders 10
quarantine the town and neighboriug towns. Act
ing under these orders twelve towns about the town
of Hector have been quaranuned. The alarm felt
about the disease Is also felt IN the towns OF Yates
County on the opposite shore of Seneca Lake, aud
these also have been quarantined. Much apprehen-
sion is felt III the region that the disease
may spread, but the vigorous measures
taken by the Stale Board OF Health and tho
local health authorities it is believed will eradicate
il. there were twenty-One such outbreaks or
smallpox in the State last year and al were sub
dued by the State Board of Health. The towns or
Tompkins County adjoining the town of Hector IN
Schuyler County have also been quarantlned. Nat
uTally also there has been universal vaccination IN
Ilacl q well as LII the farming region about 1t