The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-05-07
a cHArTER OF soMpLAINas.
What Shipmsster Hss to Say Abou
ire Quarantine Station.

What a Shipmsster Has to Say About
tre Quarantine Station.
SAVANNAH. May 4--Editor Morning
Nelrs: arrived at quarantine about the
middle Of April l was ordered to lay in
quarantine until such time as my ballast
was discharged. / arrived with clean bill
Of health, no sickness on board, nor have
had any during the voyage. After mooring
at the wharf was detained two days, owing
TO there being no trucks there with which
TO remove the ballast from the ship.
On the third DAY trucks were
there, but we could not commence
on that day, as the employees
were required in town for tie Investigation
OF some disagreement among themselves.
Consequently | lay there idle three days
from no fault of my own, which means
considerable loss to the owners OF the vessel;
then again we we're subj ect TO two tumiga-
ClOus- On each occasion myself and crew
were compelled to sleep anywhere we could.
The nights were chilly ald damp. We had
to sleep around the decks or upon the wharf
without shelter Of any kind, and on the
occasion OF my second fumigation 1t was
blowing a gale from the northeast. Fortu-
nately there were no rains. We were ell
suffering more or less at the time from the
effects of the vaccination which had been
enforced upon us.
Again, in fumgating the vessel the offs
Gals had placed pan in the hold contain
ing burning sulphur, and upon opening the
hold In the morning we found the floors
badly burned, the flooring being burned
nearly through to the floor timbers. Now,
my object in bringing these matters before
the public is to know if it woul not be
possible to erect a house at each OF the
ballast wharves for the accommodat f
the crews of vessels while undergoing tuml-
cation. The expense would not be heavy, as
it would require nothing large or elaborate.
heard Of a vessel there some time since
where the captains wife was compe led to
walk the wharf half the night, aud would
have been compelled to walk or sit around
the whole night but for the kindness Of
one of the engine men in giving up his
room to her. and himself sleeping in his
engine shed. Then again ask that ordinary
precautions should lie taken against damag-
ing vessels by fire when fumlgating them.
Had been present myself when the pans
were placed / certainly should have had
something placed under them TO protect the
floors, and | think those whose duty 1t is to
place the pans should see they are so placed
as not to injure a vessel i'll any way. An-
other thing | would like to mention before
closing, is the charges for ballast and
method of determining the amount dis
charged. l have discharged ballast in many
ports both in the United States and else
where, but never paid SO high as % cents
per ton simply for hosting, where all the
crew have to be employed in filling and
wheeling away. 1t is considerably in excess
of the charges in town, when it is considered
that the contractors supply all labor Then
ia regard to method OF determining the
quantity, there is no difference be-
tween heavy and light ballast. A
vessel discharging 400 tons of heavy
sand ballast would pay no more than one
who discharged 800 tons of light earthly
ballast, as the bulk would be the same. In
my own case am charged with over forty
tons more than l ordered, and paid for at
my last port and las l know by the draft
Of the ship more than l had on board. I
trust the proper authorities will see their
way to remedying some Of the things of
which complain in the interest of shipping
A SHIPMASTER