New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-14
dENACE TO NETWORK.
REPORTS TO THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
on QUARANTINE
PROMINENT PHYSICIANS DENoUNCE THE
PRESENT sYsTEM-FEDERAL ADMiNIsTRA'

AT THIS STATION.
A special meeting of the Chamber or Commerce
WAS held yesterday afternoon to receive the report
Of the special committee on quarantine consist
ing Of Alexander L. Orr, Seth Low, Samuel ia
Babcocls, j. Pierpont Morgan and Austin Coroln.
Alexander r. Orr presided and the report was
presented by Seth Low The report and annexed
documents upon which the recommendations are
founded ill pamphlet of forty-eight pages All
the correspondence between the committee and
Health Officer Jenkins, the Advisory Committee
Of Physicians and the Governor, is reprinted; as
well as the committees appeal for funds and
statement of its accounts The committee gives
Ia detail the story of its Investigations and that
of the Advisory Committee OF Physicians, which
shows most careful and intelligent effort to become
acquainted with every phase of the SUBJECT Inc
expenses of the committee were 1888 a.
The most important letter annexed to the re-
port is that Of the Advisory Committee OF Physi-
clans TO Chairman Orr. 1t is as follows:
In response 70 your questions regarding the future
conduct of the Quarantine S0on your advisory
committee ether just inference from the iacs
forth s recent report TO you ana nom u'e iaV7
which are of general KNOWLEDGE than That "
continuance OF present quarantine establishment uhuef
It's present management would be Serious menace 10
the welfare Of the people OF Ne"'foR CV ana o. 'he
country at large.
The changes at Quarantine which have been proposed
by US and which are in part completed, are In the main
only such A. would render reasonably efficient uncer
pro.r management tho meagre facilities Of the station
a. row exists. Practically the detention place ct HON
man Island is not capable OF Accommodating more "sh
zoo or 500 immigrants once; capacity utterly naue
quate the needs Of such great pert as Ne"'io'N'
even II iudiciously and skully administered
Nor can we regard the boats the Sonington anu the
New.Hampsh4e which have been useful In the fece''
past as sale suitable places OF detention uhuef 'Ae
present management. While Fire Isahd mas go $50, t.,
useful purpose the recent emergency, IN our 0p'o ~
accsssbity In certain states OF the weather sets soi
Gus limit 10 usefulness as permanent qusN'""s
station. ,,., ,..,
We have stated you in our report our oehei u''s
1.-THE administration Of quarantine AFFAIRS IN gfeaV P''
Ike Nev-York should charge OF an oHcal Oh arg
experience Of sound Judgment Of tiled executive eo'y
quick In action end possessing vide knoWiease Oh HOue
san tltion." - .n -
We feel il our duty in response to your quesaoh 70
sa,tev sute what we believe lie unmistaksole ana
lust inference report nomey that N our opO"
Tho n escnt Health Oricer has not SHOWN eu'hSo'' -
t>s ability nor sufficient knowledge OF sanitary scie
- arr,,, tho belief that he IN the future manage
quarantine srairs in a satisfactory and saie manner
We sbare with YOU in tho grave concern with whlch
we look forward the coming year. ana 'ne pioos.
,,,o, ~ the useless personal suffering and the COM
nerc,al losse. Of the immediate past, some lao'o"'
change is not at instituted in the scope anu man
osemcnt Of the quarantine establishment oil inc to' VI
New-Yoik. -. ,a,u
oro ro, largely local but national and we believe mat
the Quarantine he;e can be most surely mane huin-o
,ronpt and eicacou by the establishment Of ha'ohai
quarantine. .,,.,,o TIM,
., ,s at tho utmost importance for the welfare OF inc
county that legislation shall be Instituted es si
put an end tho perpetual menace OF maScr'hine ia"
migration. - . p
STEPHEN SMITH, NJ D..
A. jacob. NJ. D..
+. @. JANEwAY, NJ D.,
ALFRED L. LOOMS, NJ. D.,
RICHARD II. DERBY, NJ D.,
I MITCHELL PRUDDEN, NJ. D.
ALLAN McLANE HAMILTON, NJ D.
The report proper as Rood by Mr. Low IS IN pS'' dc
follows: ,.,,,,,,oo .rs in
nsa % .am,, the contention that the Health Ohicer OF
the Port 10 be held wholly respons'o'e ior w IN
adequacy, OF New-York's preparations 10 cope "iV" ~
eholera when IT, appeared In this port on the MoaN''
go, 40 1892 though they are bound 70 say the plea
would be stronger II there were any evidence 70 snow .
he had made persistent effort TO increase he eVp"O
and had failed because his inability TO arouse ethef inc
authorities or the community 10 sense OK me eahsef anu
IN. need He might succeeded but 1t seems 70
tho committee clearly his duty 70 have 'eu
1t Ia not unreasonable however, 70 claim ulao 'ne oqV
pent actually 90 hand should have been In state Vi
umns, readiness By a reference the report OF the
Advisory Committee Of Physicians, 1t VIII appear 'na'
Hoffman Island in scandaous condition OF uhnVne'
for the use which IL was 10 be put auu IL ren""e
80 long after the emergency demanded The utot use "
90, ,.,ources although il is not your committee
whether the Health oncer the Quarantine Commissions
ers are blame. .
r,ol Of the Morya 1t Is instructive what happened
On the first OF September the President issued MS Ordef
imposing twenty days quarantine on oil vessels Df'"g
ing immigrants sailing after that date. instead Of WEI
coming this order the harbnger OF happy ehei 10 'hc
strain of the st,at Oh the officer reported as
declining at first recognize the authority Of the Pesi'
dent 70 interfere Happily he speedily changed MS otu-
tude The same tendency to strained relations was ex-
hbtcd subsequently with reference to the use oil camp
Inw Fortunately the Secretary Of the Treasury, Mr..
Foster subordinated everything to the public welfare
governor Flower threw his influence In the same oec'oh
and so the evil results were reduced 70 minimum Inc
,e tatenant q the facts however shows that all quar-
sntne arrangements should be under one authority AS
the United States Government IS All indispensable factor
an every crisis the interests at stake are National
not local that single authority ought to be the Federal
Government
Your committee call attention 10 another argument
in favor OF National Quarantine dawn from our recent
exnertenoc On Friday Septembe .. the hrst measure
49, vee taken for the OF Camp Low at
sandy Hook. saturday morning, September H. the
cahn was completed. This achievement was possible
only because the Secretary Of the Treasury under whose
orders the camp constructed was able 70 call On other
oeparments OF the for necessary cooperation
The Mar Department furnished tents ana soldiers I"
erect Tire Navy Department furnished boats Tor
the transportation OF supplies ana subsequently iof th'
uatro nv water OF the Quarantine grounds The Navy
Department furnished marines to maintain the Quar-
antlne on land Marine Hospital service OF the
treasury Department called upon tc furnish The
necessary medical superintendence When Dr. Hamil-
ton wished 10 be relieved, another surgeon inmc
diatsIy at assume his duties; ana when this
successor t. relieved Surgeon Hutton was
without assigned 70 duty at the camp ana a.
minstcred IL successfully long as the emergency
existed from this statement that the Federal
Government equipped for meeting an emergency as no
State board can hope be equipped Every man as
signed TO duty this connection was man who had
had Special training n; him for the duty 70 which he
was assigned Nothing depended upon chance. ana the
result was, ect satisfactorily Choca, I'M
-fsftnnately broke the camp bu. owing 70 the
prompt Intelligent precautions taken by the Govern
gcnt ia charge, no secondary case occurred
therefrom.
y This illustrates clearly the comparative dis