The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-03-02
IMPORTED FEVERs.
New York.s Painful Experience in the
Early Days.


Especial Correspondence
NEW YORK, Feb. 25.-The quarantine
department. at the port of New YORK
lacks two years of being a century OLD.
In 1894 the citizens, having been repeat
eddy frightened by the importation OF con-
tagious diseases, demanded that quaran-
fine be established. The state responded
with an appropriation for the construc
tion of hospital and outbuildings, and
for that purpose gave Governors island
Four years later a yellow fever scourge
passed over the city, and before it passed
away New Workers demanded better
protection and the removal OF the station
to more distant point. In 1893 an act
was passed in the legislature authorizing
the purchase of a large plot OF land at
Tompkinsville, S. l., where the light
house department. is now located, and
directed that a marine hospital and
boarding station be established there.
Despite the protest of Staten Islanders
these directions were carried out not
long after.
A second disastrous yellow fever cpl
demic broke out in New York in 1903,
but the results were most serious on
Staten Island. From then on up to 1880
several others scarcely less serious in
effect followed. Frightened and indig-
nant at the risks thrust upon them, the
Islanders held frequent indignation
meetings protesting against the continu-
ance of the department on their shores.
No attention was paid by the legislature
to the petitions signed by residents of
the island alternately requesting and de-
manding the removal of the hospital to
some remoter place. The Indignation
was at fever heat in 1S4S, when yellow
fever in its worst form visited the island
with serious results.
The petitions became more numerous
and finally the tardy lawmakers APP
pointed a commission to secure a new
site. An attempt was made to buy a
portion Of Sandy Hook, but the state of
New Jersey refused to ratify the pur-
chase. Coney Island point was consid-
cred, but for some reason unknown the
propositicr to go there was dismissed.
Finally, after much waste of time, a
site was procured at Seguine's point, on
the extreme southern shore OF Staten
Island. Hospital buildings were erected,
but the neighbors being angry that a
plague should be sent to them, turned
out on the night of May 6, 1857, and
burned down every house which had
been constructed.
New Jersey again refused to allow
l. rs hr 1,cad fn,. oy.a,, q
purposes. Impatient over the delay, and
having discovered remedy to get rid of
the annoyance, east and north shore
Staten Islanders gathered on the nights
of Sept. and 2, 1858, and removed all
the patients from the hospitals at Tomp-
kinsville. They then burned down all
the state property which could be fred.
At their wits end for a station, and
having been practically driven off the
land, the steamboat Falcon was bought
by the authorities and anchored in the
lower bay, where she served as a fever
hospital. Subsequently the merchant
men Empire City and Illinois were pur-
chased for the same purpose. Plans for
an artificial island on the west bank
were formulated, and in 1868 it was con-
structed and hospitals built. 1t was
named Swinburne island. One mile
farther north, on the same bar, Hoffman
island, another of the same kind, was
also built and completed in 1872. In
1874 boarding station was established
on Staten Island short distance north
of the Narrows.
The two sshospital islands," as they
are called, are built on sand bar. A
heavy crib work was first constructed
and surrounded with large rocks extend
ing above high water mark. The in
terror of the crib work was filed with
sand and covered with asphalt. Since
the improvements in 1884, when 1000
immigrants were under observation on
both islands, new buildings have been
constructed On Hoffman island there
are four-two dormitories, the superin-
tendent's residence and building con-
tanning boilers for disinfecting. drying
and eating rooms. Stone and iron only
are used in the construction of these build
ings. The former have galvanized iron
walls, which are covered with fresco,
while the floors are made of asphalt.
The berths and bathtubs are of iron and
in keeping with all the appointments on
the island-germ proof.
All the hospitals are on Swinburne
island, and also the cemetery and NOR
tuary. Unless wish is expressed to
the contrary, all persons dying of CON
tagious diseases are invariably cremated.
When the crematory was built, all the
dead which had up to that time been
buried at Seguine's point We're disin-
TERED by order Of the commissioners
and cremated. This property is nc
longer used for quarantine purposes.
Four years ago the obi ship Illinois
having outlived her usefulness as float
ing hospital, the merchantmen S. D.
Carleton was bought, dismasted, and
fitted up for patients. During the win
ter months she is tied up in Erie basin,
and in the spring she will be anchored
in the lower bay several miles north OF
Sandy Hook, out Of the way Of inward
and outward bound vessels.
Health Officer Jenkins receives a sal
airy Of $4,000 year and a fine resi-
| dence. He is amounted by the governor