Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-07-28
Fighting Yellow Fever.
TIE CRY OF WAsHIxerox's DEADLY
VoYAGE Across THE GULF.

The steam ship CITY Of Washington, of the
Alexandra Line, which put into Havana with
a number Of yellow fever cases on hoard on
July 10, arrived at Lover Quarantine yester-
day afternoon She will be detained there
until this afternoon, when she will be allowed
70 come up the Bay a. far as Robbins Reef.
where she will discharge her cargo. Her
passengers, of whom there are 35. will come
up to the city this afternoon Capt Key
uolds said that while at Vera Cruz the steam
er lay at anchor three or four miles out from
the town. bot the air of that harbor was so
deadly that the yellow fever gained fIot-
n Id on the vessel notwithstanding this pre-
caution. The City Of Washington left Vera
Cruz on July ID. Soon after~ard the
disease broke out among the crew. DR.
Caro-, the surgeon, was among those laid up
Gen. Ord was the only one OF the passengers
who was taken sick. The patients were Is
oIated a. much as possible from the passen-
gers The latter remained in their state
rooms great deal Of their time and rarely
veatured on deck. Before Havana was
reached p persons had been taken sick with
yellow fever.
The following named persons died of yell
low fever during the voyage TO Havana. and
were bnried at sea DIR. Caro-, the surgeon;
James Daniels the butcher; William Black
man. the baker. and Fritz Gitzchof, coal
passer. The crew very short handed
but fortunately there were a few men left TO
stoke the furnaces and to steer the ship.
The hospital was not enough to aecommo-
date all of the patients. On July 18th,
Charles Rouse died of consumption and was
buried at sea When Havana was reached
the folio wing persons were sent ashore and
pllced in the hospital: Gen, Ord, who sub
.equently died; James Watson. Henry Nance
and William Burns, walters; Edward Sheri-
dan. first cook; Thomas O'Brien, third cook,
Patrick Ryan, pantryman; Oscar Sundberg,
quarte ruaster, and Thomas McClue, seaman.
The other patients were in fair way of re-
covery when Havana was reached. New
hands had to be shipped there to fill the
places Of those who had died OF had been sent
TO the hospital. A new surgeon was also
procured at Havana. After leaving that
port there WAS no sickness on board the City
| Of Washington. The Health Officer found
that the vessel was not infected when she
| reached Lower Quarantine. She was detain.
ed there merely on account of the law which
requires vessels from Havana to be quarantin-
| ed until they have been five days out from
that port. Alexandra & Sons, the owners
of the City of Washington sent the tug Mil
| lard down TO her last evening for the mails.
These were thoroughly fumigated before be-
ing sent up to the Post Office.
| Health Officer Smith said last evening that
he did not apprehend that any contagious
diseases brought by vessels from foreign ports
would gain any foothold here,as the qnaran-
tine regulations are very strict. All vessels
from suspected ports are detained at Lower
Quarantine and thoroughly examined. Yes
sells which are not obliged to stop at Lower
Quarantine still have to undergo an examina-
ton at Upper Quarantine. The dispatches
received from Washington to look out for
certain vessels were of little value, because
the same vessels would have been closely ex-
amined under any circumstances. The sus-
pected ports included those of the Mediter
ranean, where the cholera is now prevailing.
| A vessel from one of these ports would be
| inspected with unusual care. Cholera broke
out usually about five days after the expos
ure, SO that when vessel arriving
from a cholera port after long
voyage had no sickness on board the
chances were that her crew were free from
| infection. The disease, however, had been
! known to break out on vessels at sea which
| had not been near airy infected ports. This
was undoubtedly owing to poison which had
been borne about in the air for long time.
Cholera is a very peculiar disease in this
spcct but DIR. Smith was of the opinion that
the quarantine regulations now observed
would prevent it from gaining an entry into
this port. The rag laden vessel which
expected here from the Mediterranean would
probably give the Health Officer trouble, but
it would do the people of New York no harm
Rags from infected countries were doubtless
dangerous, but the disease was not likely to
pass Quarantine by any such means.-N T.
Times 26h.