New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-24
OJTEER STORY OF A NURSE.
alleged ABUSES ON SwIYBURNE ISLAND

CHE sUis FOR WAGES AND MAKES GRAVE
cu,cGES AGAINST QUARANTINE EMPLOYEES
Adelaide Norres professional nurse. Of No. 60
,nue A. has sued Dr. William f. Jenkins in the
S,,Dre,ne Court, through y. p. WAGNER No. ~
sacond.avc. for SEQ wages for recent services on
s,,nburnc Island to the chocI;. patients
Nd ir her sworn statement makes some most peculiar
s,o,emens. she saws In part
IL am thrtvSix years old on the Sd Of August
La. Dr. Jenkins engaged me for the cholera patients
a, swinburne Island l engaged staten
island and sent To DR.. Jenkins by President
uYsop l used TO work a nurse for the Board Of
Health for typhS fever patients Dr.. jenkins agreed
:, give ne SEQ month.
~Tbr,c days after | commenced work ] was taken
with the cholera and sick siX days. bu;
,acoycrcd ! got my first months wages al right ;
,nt al my clothes were burned, and never got any
more stayed on until September 5. when / was
discharged l expected another months wages and
sskcd for t.. DR.. jenkins declined 10 pay me. ard
es,d | ought to be glad to get away with my life.
The state OF things on Swinburnc Island while
, was there was most dreadful. Drunkenness WAS
common. The wines and other things that were sent
IN The sick and for the of the never
reached them. but used by male attendants. or
were otherwise disposed Of. some attendants We're
nearly always drunk that they could not properly
attend 10 their duty. We had patients Tor thirteen
10 wear ;hcrc nothing but sheets. some Of The
immigrants were five weeks without taking their
clothes OF or changing them. and they never went
near any fnigating place in any way
Mi, Hill Who is row in the Presbyterian II spal
ca9 bear out What say and trn yOu more about II.
/ was without clothes 60 wear and sent TO Mrs.
williamson. # The Kings Daughters. no IL Jackson
st.. Mount Vernon. TO ask her for some. She sent
six sets of clothing for children and some for me, but
7 never got thcm. sent word to her that | had
not received Them and she asked for them 10 be
e,urned Toe only satisfaction she coull GET was
The statement that perhaps one of the doctors had
orlerd heln To BE- destroyed by mistake Cur letters
70 our own people burned and letter, - lis We
never got.
"Tlc work was almost unenduahle l used to
work twenty or twenty-onc hours every day. The
men were not allowed Il battle themselves When
the bodies 81 the dead crematcd, the Od clothes
which came of them given - the convalcsc"hlS
The ashes were gathered mp in a heap rcmcm-
bey when six men, women and children were
cremated, and the ashes were Just soraped together
and PAT Into SIX bottles ana labelled to correspond
with the six persons who Lad been crclnaici. We
had no help. There were only thrc, Of lis. Miss
Ill., mother woman and myself. and We hal to wash
our own dishes and do vcrytmng.'
PLENTY OF clothes were received for ourselves ana
III. PATIENTS saw lots In the cupboar's, bNt IL was
locked up and soon removed. \ gentleman at 40
=. Broadway toll NE that h!eh piIcfi 'iO''H7 "''
sent for the nl,cs' Use. but never saw any 0 H.
| Wish to say. however that Dr. Byran always De-
haved as a gentleman. II things were wrong on rs
part think it was because lie could not help H. rs
he often seemed sorry. When we LEFT the island M.
orr bundles were opened By the captain OF the
steamer which took MS OFF am now without cioti
ing without tho means of paving NY rent. anl with
out an occupation. as one seems 10 care iof N"
because have been cholera nurse.
Efl crf IlOeuig
Y NJ C. ~ branch in second ave-, gave his testimony
rs follows: q a passenger on board TIE Nor
MAMMA and was taken 80 the island SICK. was
three weeks sick with the cholera. know MISS
Norres As a nurse on the island. ana can fully bear
ort what she says a. to the drunkenness Of the at
PENDANTS and other things. ON one occasion SIC"
man was calling fevcrishly for water He called
oraln and again. but the men nurses were OUTSIDE
drum. and making love to The girls. NJ chE'h y,
dcSDerotelv tret get Out of lis bed 10 get 10 lh'
atnr bu fell out s,ruck his head against an IRON
zinc He fractured his skull and dlei an houI alter
The FIRST thing they did at the island was To iahc
away all my property 1 had two complete new
uutfts boots and everything. These were taken
away rom me BIZ the Dr. Byran told M
should have them all back al Hoffman Island, but