Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1892-09-21
PLAGUE SHIPS TN A GALE.
Passengers Detained Steamers Pass
Terrible Night.

passengers on Detained steamers PASS q
Terrible Night.
New YORK, Sept. 1.-two kings
fought tor supremacy in the lower bay
last night-the cholera king and the
storm king. Around the hospital sheds
on the two plague islands, around the
brick buildings reeking with sui
phur fumes, through the ch1mneys
of the crematcry and over the emil
grant barracks, the southwest wind
blew in furious gusts, while huge waves
drove against the rocks. The sick and
diving turned uneaslly IN their cots and
moaned in terror. Oven the nurses
were uneasy. Half mile oft the chOl-
era fleet tossed restlessly at anchor,
each ship with its chief officer on the
bridge, peering out anXiously through
the sheets of rain into the darkness.
The steamers strained at their moor
ings, heaved and rolled IN the troughs
of black water and now and then their
keels grated on the sand bars. That
was the danger, not serious now, but
serious If the storm grew into gale
very serious. The fleet was riding in
water far too shallow. The ships had
been crowded over little by little to
make way for the stream of incoming
vessels. In their desire t6clear the chan
mel, the quarantine officials had forgotten
how the bays bottom heaveS up there IN a
sharp shoulder. They had not counted on
. storm sweeping III like mad giant and
humping the lr0n keelS against the shall
lows each time that giddy pitch down
ward followed the break Of some ire
mendOuS wave. That was what worried
the captains through the night
At a late hour DR., Byron, on SWinburne
Island, teleGraphed DR.. Jenkins that the
surf was running so high as to make it eX-
ceedlngly dangerous to put OH IN their
small tugs for the usual tour Of inSpac-
tiOn. He did not feel sure that the little
boats could live in such sea, and asked
for Instructions Dr.. Jenkins wired back
orders not to make the attempt, which
means that for period of hours, per-
hapS for a day or two, all communication
is cut off between the sick on the
infected vessels and the doctors on Swim
Durne and Hoffman islands. Those who
may die during that period on the Scandal,
Rugia, Wyoming or MOraVia must remain
on board their dead bodies in danger of
breeding contagiOn about them; and those
who are taken i'll can only be isolated in
the ships hospital, and must content
themselves with such care as the
ships surgeon can give them. 1t is
thought the storm will last over Thurs
day and Friday. If the cholera tend be-
gins his raVages again Just at that time
WITH Il ucdIu VI TWO per udy Oh cdcH sup,
and as many more new cases, what I'M
thought of horrors might result. The dead
could not be removed, for no boat, large or
small. would be able to approach these
great iron sides in storm without being
dashed to pieces. Even at the present mo-
ment there are two dead bodies lying in
the Wyoming waiting for the waves to 90
down SO that they can be transferred to
SWinburne Island and burned.
The steamers Belgenland, MaaSdam and
Diadem were released at Ii :23 p. NJ. to-day.
DR.. Jenkins arose this morning refreshed
after the first decent nights rest undiS-
turbed by worry or by being awakened by
midnight callers. Things are very quiet
at quarantine after the last few days of eX-
element. The news he gave out to-day
ought to cheer the NOrmannla'S cabin pas
SengerS. He said he would almost certain
~ release them tomorrow. AS regards
the cabin passengers of the Rugla he
would, ii nothing developed transfer them
to the New Hampshire, and thence land
them on Fire Island as soon as accommo
dauOnS could be arranged. No arrange
mentS have yet been made for
the tWenty-Seyen cabin passengers
OF the Scandal, but Health Officer
jenkins says he is considering the feast
bility of putting them on board the Ceph-
Gus and anchoring her in the lower bay.
She has ample accommodation COR such
small number. No cabin passengers will
be landed at Sandy Hook. Dr. Jenkins
said this morning that all the cholera pa
tents are getting on well at Fire island,
although one. of them died last night, but
not from cholera.
The tank steamer Heligoland, Capt.
DOnklage, which arrived last night from
Altoona, on the Elbe, a little below Ham
burg, and is now anchored in the lower
bay, had two deaths on board among her
crew from cholera.