The morning news., 1889-01-30

the Plant Steamship CompanY, has au-
swered. th.ocgn the Times Union, the
charge made by DR.. joseph Holt last Au-
gust. that the epidemic in Jacksonville and
other + orida towns was the result Of a
combination Of Ignorance, seldshness and
concealment-the ultimate consequence Of
"A servile subordination to the interests of q
railroad and steamboat line" At the time
Of making this charge DIR. Holt was the
health officer Of New Orleans.
Col Haines explains that the reason he
did not answer the charge sooner is that it
was made at a time when he was
fully occupied with extraordinary duties
which the epidemic imposed upon him in
connection with the vast interest of which
be is the manager. Besides, it is probable
that he felt that an answer at that time
would not command the careful considera-
ton it would after the epidemic. when the
public mind was calmer, and in a condition
to give facts their full weight
Col. Haines answer is long, and in it he
gives not only the sanitary regulations
which are enforced by tho Plant Steamship
| Company, and the circumstances under
which the South Florida railroad came to
be built and the steamship line 20 be estab-
/ lishe3 but he points out also how. the yellow
fever might have been introduced into
| Tampa, where it was epidemic in 1897, and
from which place it is generally admitted it
reached jacksonville
From what Col Haines says the conclu-
sion is irresistible that the Plant Steamship
Company is not responsible for the intro
duction Of the fever into Florida. In the
construction OF the steamships every prin-
ciple Of sanitary science, so far as it relates
to the transportation in ships Of infectious
or contagious diseases, was carefully OBJ
served. The ships are ali the time under the
supervision Of a competent health officer.
They do not remaiu in Havana har Dor after
ightfall-reaGhing Havana after daylight
and leaving by noon of the same day.
Passengers are received on board only after
they have passed a careful inspection, and
shown that they have not been exposed to
any infectious or contagious disease and
that their baggage has not been in an in
fected locality. The SHIPS before leaving
Havana are fumigated and their bilges
purified.
There has never been case of yellow
fever on the ships This in itself would seem
to be quite conclusive that the precautions
taken to keep item free from 1T are sulfl-
cient. If it could be shown that cases OF
fever had developed on them there might
be some reason for asserting that they were
sources Of danger.
The yellow fever appeared in Key West
in May in 1887, and il is believed that it
was carried from there to Tampa, and from
Tampa to Jacksonville. Col Haines, how
ever, shows that it did not reach Key West
from Havana by the Plant steamships, and
that those steamships did not carry it from
Key West to Tampa. There are pretty
good reasons for thinking that fruit
schoouers brought it from Key West
to Tampa. Tropical fruit was sold in abun-
dance in Tampa IN 1887, and it could only
have reached there by sailing vessels. The
Plant steamers do not carry tropical fruits
as freight. The sailing vessels are not
subject to any sanitary regulations. What
is more reasonable than that they intro
duced the fever into Floridal There have
been several yellow fever epidemics on the
west coast of Florida, all of them, except
the last one, occurring before the establish
meat Of the Plan. steamship line The
fruit vessels have been trading along the
coast since there were trading points there.
1t looks as If DR.. Holt ought 10 have at
tackled the fruit vessels instead OF the steam
ship and railroad companies
Col. Haines denies that the fever that
afflicted Florida last summer has been
traced to the Plant steamship He saws:
''In the face of the assertion contained in
DR.. Hollis communication, l deny it, and. |
to those who know me, my word is as good |
as his. He says that he holds in his possess
sion the specifications to prove his charge. |
call on him to produce them or else re- |
main convicted slanderer of men as honest |
as he is in the discharge of their duties to |
their fellow citizens"
In the face of this denial it is difficult to |
see how DR.. Holt can remain silent. II he |
can prove his charge, he ought to 90 so. II !
ne cannot, he ought to say so frankly. The |
fact that no has never attempted to prove |
his charge would seem to indicate that he |
has doubts about the correctness of it.
An epidemic in Florida is disastrous to |
the Plant Railway and Steamship compa-
MES, and from pecuniary standpoint they
are more interested than anybody else in
keeping the yellow fever out of the state
II they believed their ships were likely to !
introduce the fever into Florida, they would |
doubtless discontinue their line to Havana.
1t would be for their interest to do so.
Until there is some evidence, however, that
they neglect proper sanitary precautions,
or that notwithstanding these precautions
their ships transport the fever, it is unfair
and unjust to mold them responsible for last
summers epidemic, or to insist that their
ships are a menace to Floridas health.
Some Of the ultra republicans object to
ex-Goy. Bullock's plan of requiring that
shall receive not less than