New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-13
DEATH SAILED ON THE SHIP.
FATAL FEVER CASES ON THE ALLIANCE.

HER DOCTOR AND THREE OF THE CREW BURIED
AT sEA-oIHER PATIENTS SENT ASHFORD
WHY DID THE VESSEL PASS
QUARANTINE
The steamship Alliance. of the United States
and Brazil Mail Steamship Line. arrived here
yesterday, after a voyage from Santos. on which
the ships doctor and three men died from what
is supposed to have been yellow fever. Several
Of the crew were sent to the hospital in Brazilian
ports, sick with the same disease. The names OF
those who died and were buried at SEA were
DR.. II. R. Rosenthd twenty-eev years old;
Christopher Ruckh. the ships butcher. twenty
two years old; Frank Westfahl, fireman. thirty
five years old. and Thomas Lyons. second-pantry-
man twenty-five years old. All of them were from
New-York DR.. Rosenthal was recently graduated
from the College of Physicians and Surgeons. He
was unmarried and has father and mother living
in this city. This was his first trip away from
home. and when he sailed on the Allianca his
parents went TO the pier to see him off. Last
night notice was sent to them. announcing the
return Of the ship and the death Of their son.
The Alliance sailed from Santos, in Southern
Brazil. on October A. There was much illness IN
Santos The warm weather was setting in and yellow
fever was raging. The officers made every effort
to keep the ship Clean and it was scrubbing and
fumigating all the way up the coast. fireman
was taken sick and put in the hospital when the
ship reached Rio de Janeiro. This was the begin
ming Of series of illnesses and deaths.
The ship left Rio on October Is and several
cases of fever now showed themselves. There
was no doubt that yellow jack" was aboard,
always an unwelcome passenger. A sick bay was
rugged up in an isolated part of the ship and
w. ut
the disease DR.. Rosenthal was taken down the
day after the steamer left Rio, and by the time
Bahia was reached he was too ill to be moved
ashore. His fever seemed to be of most malig
nant type, std he suffered great agony.
couple of men were sent to the hospital in Bahia,
and two others were too i'll to be moved
The morning of the day after the
ship left Bahia the frightful groanings
and cries of pain Of the doctor ceased and he be-
came calm and seemed to be asleep. In couple
of hours he was dead. Before noon, his body
sewn in canvass and weighted with crate bars, was
consigned to the ocean, Captain Grfiths reading
the Office Of the dead. Scarcely had Dr. Rosen-
thall's body been buried, when 1t reported to
the officer of the watch that Christopher Ruckh
was dead. That night Ruckh was buried at
sea.
The feeling on the ship was Of great
soemnty, for no one knew who would be the next
victim. The work of yellow fever is swift and
sure, and it frequently strikes where least eX-
peced.
The port for which the Aliapca was now headed
was Maranham, and the day before she entered
that port Frank Westfahl, a fireman, died. That
night he was buried at sea. There were no new
cases on board now, and officers and passengers
hoped that the worst was over. The Alliance
left Marauham on October 2s, and steamed to
Para Here Thomas Lyons, the second pantryman,
became violently i'll from the fever, and several
other sailors were sent to the hospital The
Allianca left Para on October 81, and went to
Barbadoes, which place she left on November 5.
The next day Lyons died and was buried at sea.
On November the steamer touched at st.
Thomas, and then sailed for this port. No other
cases occurred on board When she arrived at
Quarantine yesterday she was fumigated and al
lowed to come up to the city She had twelve
cabin and twenty steerage passengers. When Dr.
Rosenthal died there was no other doctor on
board. One of the stewards named Fred"
had once been apothecary and did what he
could to fill the doctors place until fara was
reached. At Para n Brazilian doctor was taken
on board and remained with the ship until St.
Thomas was reached. Here Dr. Homer Clark
was taken on board. DR.. Clark reported only
been on board ir the course Of the ulp.
After the arrival of the Alliance at her pier
in Brooklyn yesterday, two stewards, Peter Brown
and John Hennesy, were turned over by the
captain of the ship the police of the Second Pre-
cinct They were charged with having caused
disturbance on board the vessel AT the police sta
ton Brown said that he came from yellow
fever ship and was full of yellow fever
He was evidently intoxicated and little
faith was put in his story. but word was sent
to Deputy Health Commissioner j. d. Young. At
almost the same time, the authorities OF the
homeopathic Hospital telephoned that the barber
of the Allanca had come there, saying he was
i'll and was from a yellow fever vessel Health
Inspector David Callghan was sent there. 1t
was said at the hospital last evening that Dr.
Caiighan had said he thought Ihe BARRIERS
disease a light case of yellow fever.
As soon as the Health Board informed of
the stories George V. Convery. Shipping Inspector.
went to the Alanca. No report OF deaths had
been made to him. lie went on board and asked
for the surgeon The officer said, Which doctor,
the one who died?"
This was the first hint of deaths, and the in
spector attempted TO follow it up. but as soon as
it was known that he was health Official all
information was refused. The captain and DR..
Clark the surgeon, were shore and took care
to remain there. All others on board had been
ordered to keep quiet. Or. Convery made two
more visits to the ship and talked with under
officers and with members of the crew.
lie learned that after the vessel left Bahia on
October 22 the surgeon fell i'll with yellow fever,
and died. Then the butcher died, and afterward
the fireman. Their clothes were thrown over
board.
Last evening the room where the doctor died
was being fumgated, but it could not be learned
that the hides which had lain in the warehouses
of infected Rio had been fumigatcd. The Health
orders were given TO allow no one 10 leave the
ship The permit TO unload revoked IL will
not he renewed until the action of DR.. Clark in