The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-01-03
ELLIS ISLAND HOSPITAL
New Jersey Owns the Ter
ritory and Will Object
to the Erection of a
Pest House There.

The statement published in the JERSEY
CITY NEWS yesterday that bill would
be introduced In Congress before long
providing for the establishment of hos
pital for contagious disease on Ellis
Island, in connection with the emIgrant
station to be established there has aroused
the indignation Of people Of this city. 1t
was generally discussed last evening and
was heartily condemned by all. Men OF
all opinions agreed that IL would be most
disasterous to the health Of Jersey City.
DR. coNvERsE's OPINION.
/ called the attention of County
Physician Converse to the matter last
evening and he said that although he had
not heard of the matter before he neyerthe-
less was OF the opinion that the danger
would lie in the fact that some people
would insist upon visiting the island.
Others would sail around in close prox-
unity 70 the shore. in small sail or row.
boats Furthermore, excursion boats
would run near to the hospital In that
way disease could be carried into
homes.
The distance between the island and
the land would not of itself admit OF the
propagation Of disease; 1t Is the causes
above mentioned that are to be feared.
The doctor cited the hospital on North
Brothers Island and fits close proximity
to New York. He also referred to the
pest house at Snake Hill, which
Is only about two hundred yards from the
lunatlc asylum, and said that. counting
ten years, but three cases OF contagious
diseases had been in the asylum, and
these cases, he was of the opinion. were
carried there by a dog which had access
to both places. In conclusion DR.. Con-
verse gave it as his opinion that while
with proper precautionary measures the
i'll. .f 81 ttu
Island would not of itself be especially
dangerous. nevertheless he thought a
more isolated place should be procured.
& DIR. McNeal, who is also n member OF
the Board of Health, was also visited and
ne expressed the opinion that the hospi-
tai should not be established in such close
proximity to the city, and that steps
should be taken to have any scheme look
ing to that end nipped in the bud.
A STRUGGLE IMMINENT.
Whatever may be the outcome OF the
proposition to place hospital on the
island there is but little doubt that a
struggle will take place between the Fed
eral and State authorities 1t is gener-
orally conceded that Ellis and Bedloe's
Islands and Robbins Reef are in the same
system of formation. and are practically
one territory. 1t was also the general be-
lief that the Government took its title
to the islands from New York, although
it is not definitely known whether such
is the case or not.
ON February IA, 1850, Colonel j. C.
Duane. who was then in charge Of the
lighthouse district in which Robbins
Reef is situated, wrote letter to General
George b. McClelland, then Governor OF
New Jersey, in which he
said that, it having been ascer-
tanned in the investigation of the
matter of the grant for site for light
boraa af Great Rods in the Rarifap RaV
made by the Riparian Commission of this
State during the early part Of iS7e; that
the jurisdiction of New Jersey extended
over the site occupied by the Robbins
Reef lighthouse, according to the terms
of the Treaty concluded between New
Jersey and New York in 1888. he had the
honor 10 make application TO the State OF
New Jersey for the site occupied by the
Robbins Reef lighthouse.
NEW JERSEYS JURISDICTION ACKN0WL-
EDGED.
Colonel Duane, In the same letter, then
goes on to say that in 1874, in ignorance
of the scope OF the treaty referred to, ap-
plication was made to the l. legislature OF
New YORK for the title to the property and
an act of that Legislature was passed in
compliance with that request.
Colonel Duane also said that as New
York plainly never had any jurisdiction
over the territory the act of its Legisla-
tuf6 klfiD2 lu6 ItuctdA
jurisdictioa over it is invalid. and he
asked from New Jersey the jurisdiction
which she alone could give. OF course
the Legislature complied with the re-
quest.
This unmistakable acknowledgements
on the part of the United States Govern
ment of New jerseys title to the territory
in question will. it is argued by lawyers
who are acquainted with such
matters, stop the Federal authorities
from erecting any hospital on
Ellis Island without the consent
of the New Jersey Legislature. But if
they should ignore this State authority
which they have once acknowledged. the
Attorney General will, doubtless, take
matter into the United States courts
This is the second time an attempt has
been made to build hospitals for con-
tagious diseases upon New Jerseys ter
ritory III 1851, or about that
time, New YORK proposed to To-
cate its pest houses at Sandy
Hook without as much as asking "by
your leave, ma'am." of New Jersey. But
the people of this State defended theiI
territory so strenuously that New York
gave up the attempt and built the two
hospital islands, Swinbnrne ana Hof-
man Islands, III the lower bay.