The morning call., 1892-09-18
GOOD QUARANTINE TEST.
It Was Made by " The Call :"
Last Evening.
A BAD OFFICIAL SHOWING.
Or. Lawler Out of Town and No Deputy Within
Call-No Response From the Health
0tice-No Safesuar

"The Call" made test yesterday of our
local Health officers ability to suddenly
cope tcith cholera.
1t scas a fair test and it tcas based 0n a
suspicious case.
What tcds the result?
The quarantine officer could not be found.
He toas out of toUn and no deputy scds on
duty.
The Health officer tcds not to be found
No6ody seemed to stand ready to cope tUith
the feU disease.
"Ihe Call" has offered the services of an
additional quarantine officer to tie city and
he aco,tid haze been tcithin reach.
Bat though the offer has been before the
Health Board for fourteen days it hds not
been acted upon.
That Quarantine Officer Ldtcter should be
oitt Of totcn and that nobody should be ready
to respond from. the Health Office sLotcS
hoW fnadequateIy oar city Is protected
against the Scotsr1e.
A CALL reporter was told at two differ
ent places along the city front by longshore-
men yesterday afternoon at 80 o'clock that
there was very sick man on board the
German bark OberOn.
The men declared he had cholera.
The first man described the sick person,
and although the case seemed suspicious
the reporter paid no attention to the matter.
But few minutes later the story was told
second time, and exactly the same way.
The man said he lad seen cholera pa
tients and felt sure this was one.
His description of the symptoms was cor
rect.
The man was vomiting violently and af-
fected with a terrible bowel trouble
The case seemed worth investigating, ana
the reporter visited the vessel
There was nobody to be seen when the re-
porter stepped on deck.
The first thing that met his eye was q
pile of not too fresh. looking fruit piled on
the cover of her midshi p hatchway.
1t was mostly grapes, and some of 1t was
In bad condition.
The deck of the vessel was very dirty.
After a while a man made his appear
ance.
He did not look any too clean, and spoke
English badly.
"W hero is your sick man?" asked the re-
porter.
The man appeared surprised, and
answered, mo sick man on board"
He insisted that there had been nobody
sick ON board the vessel.
Nobody had been sick and gone away,
nor anything of the kind.
Everybody was well according to his
statement
The reporter went away. but returned
shortly, and saw some flthy-loOking men
seated on the hatchway eating the fruit that
was there.
The Oberon is an old vessel and one that
was splendidly built, all hard wood being
used for the outside Of the panlonways
and cabin.
The deck had the appearance of being
washed occasionally.
But peep into some of the compart-
ments revealed filthy condition of things
1t seemed very mysterious that denial
should be made Of what two men said they
saw.
The men had given information to the
reporter before aud were trustworthy.
While there is not much likelihood tn at
the case spoken of is a case of cholera
these are cholera times and every thing sus-
picous should be looked into.
The reporter went TO inform the quaran-
tine officer. but he could not he found at his
Office, though three calls were made.
visit to his residence late in the even
Ing elcited the information that lie was out
OF town but possibly DR.. Williams might
know something.
A telephone communication brought the
intelligence that DR.. Williams was not at
home.
An attempt was made to get some one
from the health Office, but in vain.
1t was impossible to find anybody with
authority to Investigate the case.
There may be nothing in the case, but sup
pose it sh ould be one Of cholera.
Tat waste of time il would have been
and what great danger to the public.
And all because the authorities could not
be found.
The first call was made at the quarantine
office at little before 3 o'clock, and again
at little after T. Both times the Office
boy was alone and did not know where the
doctor was or when he would be in.
The next call was male at 8 minutes to
8 o'clock and the Office was closed
The call at the doctors house was made
at 80 o'clock, and DIR. Williams was tele-
phoned to at Z 40 o'clock
Efforts to find the health officer were con-
tinued TO 9 O'clock without snceess