The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-09
SMUGGLERS FROM CUBA.
FLORIDA's COAST PICTURED AS
sWARMING WITH THEM,

Ex Mayor Cobb OF Pensacola Notifies
Surgeon General Hamilton of the
Menace They are to the States
Health-An Effort to Compel sus-
pected Vessels 20 Go to Dry
Tortugas.
WASHINGTON. Aug. s--Dr. joseph Y.
Porter, state health officer of the state of
Florida, has addressed a letter to the sur
geon general of the marine hospital bureau,
concerning disinfection Of foreign vessels.
1t is as follows:
Referring to my telegram to you from Cedar
Keys requesting that tine revenue cutter Nc
Lean should take the seized Spanish schooner
Aontezuma TO Dry Tortugas for dsinfection,
would respectfully request further that you
will do the state board of health of Florida
with the treasury aepartment aepa aeiitsnto to
order in the future that all foreign
vessels seized by the revenue officers, where
they are from Infected ports be taken 10 Dry
Iortugas and there Thoroughly disnfected and
cleansed before being brought TO any of tho
custom ports IN their several districts in this
state.
Dr. Hamilton has transmitted the letter
to the Secretary of the Treasury with a
favorable recommendation.
a COMPLAINT OF SMUGGLING.
DIR. Hamilton, surgeon general of the
marine hospital service, is in receipt of a
letter dated Pensacola, Aug 2, from Sewall
Z. Cobb, ox-mayOr of that city, in which
the latter says that while the legislature
was holding an extra session and enacuing "a
law to establish a state board of health, he
gave a member of that body some notes OF
warning as to weak points in the sanitary
defense OF the state, and asked him 70 have
them covered in the statute. He con-
tinues.
It seemed as though the board had ample au-
thonty to prevent the communication with law
breaking people, especial by sea Imagine
my surprise to learn ON this first day of August
1SSg, thaCthere is no defense or protection at
tempted against the thousand and one SNUG
glers coming from Cuba with textile fabrics
bed bugs and such diseases as a constant state,
of Filth, animal and vegetable eugenders In
every hour OF the day some person or persons
was made
A LACK OF VESSELS.
The United States customs department should
prevent 1t, but they virtually have but one tub
for GOO miles of coast, and she Of such draught
as to be compelled TO keep gun shot away
from nine out OF ten Of the localities
used by the smugglers. 1t is a very poor
tarce,.a poorly played How not to do it -
When they see the smoke Of the steamer in the
dlstance, they Wrbuously fish for groupers.
Nhen The danger is past they run in aud see
their friends You will say this Is all talk. No,
L saw some Of IL in March in the neghborhoOd
sailing up the coast saw five vessels grown so
bold as to fish within two TO four miles of the
coast 80 as to be hard by" when night came
CAPTURE.
One of them landed his cargo at Cedar KEYS
(withOut entry. Another was bold enough to run
in and anchor behind Anc.ote Keys He tnen
proceeded toward Csdar Keys, and was seized
by the cutter within four miles of land, fishing,
probably 10000 pounds on board, and had also
lots of Florida wAtermeons on board. Not one
or the latter could be caught in the deep water
A RAP AT THE STATE BOARD.
The writer says that the state board Of
health has been useless, and asks DR.. Ham,
thon If he cannot do something in the mat
ter. Mr.. Cobb says that small sailing
vessel, armed with crew of ten men,
in thirty days will rid the place
Of these smugglers, and if re-
ward were offered for the smugglers
seized and vessels captured safety would
soon he assured. lie says that he has full
proof of these facts, and has heard parties
boast Of smuggling persons into Florida
without health certificates from the Spanish
authorities The price received was 300
each for twenty-one persons, and all was
accomplished in twenty-four hours The
communication has been referred to the
Secretary Of the Treasury