Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-04
.GOTHAM'S GREAT DANGER,
Cholera at the Door OF the
Metropolis.
Newly Infected Steamships in
the HarbOr.
The Rugia and NOrmannia Detained
at Quarantine.
Five Deaths on Each from Cholera on
the Voyage from Hamburg and
Cases of the Disease Still
on Board.

OA poaHus
By the Associated Press.
New YORK, Sept. 3.-Nothing can now
save the metropolis from a great plague,
but absolute compliance on the part OF
every member of the community with
the instructions of the board of health
and the quarantine authorities. The
danger is real; it cannot be over-esti-
mated. Newly infected steamships ar
rived in the harbor today, with awful
stories of death and suffering. They
were the Rugia and Normannia, both
from Hamburg. The Rugia buried five
steerage passengers at sea and had five
living cholera patients still on board
when she cast anchor. The Noimannia
buried four steerage passengers. and one
cabin passenger. She had four patients
etill alive, one being member of her
crew. 1t is claimed that the cabin pas.
senger who died on the NormanniR was
suffering from diabetes only.
The convalescent cases are considered
very serious, and further deaths are
likely 10 occur.
Health Officer Jenkins Immediately
ordered both ships to the lower bay, ae
soon as the captains of the vessels noti-
fed him OF the condition Of affairs.
DEATHS ON THE NoRMANNIA.
The first death on board the Norman
mia occurred on August Goth. Carl He
CERT, 81 years of age, second-class pas
senger, had been taken down with a
disease which the ships physician dag.
nosed as cholerine. A SIM
liar case was discovered about
the same time in the steerage,
in the person of Otillie Harm. child
IL months of age. Cholera symptoms
developed rapidly in both cases, and
left no doubt in the mind of the ships
surgeon as to the nature of the disease.
When Hegert's death, ON August Goth,
was followed by the death of the other
patient, child in the steerage, August
3Oth, the surgeon Of the ship recognized
the serious condition of affairs. He at
once took all possible precautions to
prevent the disease from spreading
among the other passengers on the ves7
several other illnesses Of like nature
were soon discovered. The surgeon
carefully isolated all patients, and per-
sonally saw that the utmost care was
exercised by the persons engaged in
nursing them, to avoid communicating
the disease to others.
PANIC-sTRICKEN PASSENGERS.
There was great alarm among the
passengers when they learned that the
dread disease had appeared on board
the vessel. The ignorant steerage
passengers were completely panic
stricken upon learning that cholera had
appeared among them. They lost their
heads entirely, and appeared to be in
capable to help themselves in the
slightest respect.
The captain and surgeon ordered a
careful watch kept over the steerage
passengers in order that they might not
heedlessly run into danger OF catching
the disease. But in spite of all ths pre-
cautions they took, more cases soon de-
veloped. The symptoms in nearly
all were alike. Five more were taken
ill in the steerage, four being
children -Adolph Scholtz, year old;
Willie Harm, 8 year old; Rudolph
Hernishe, IL months old; and Selma
Hern, years old. The cholera symp-
toms developed rapidly in these cases,
as in the previous onee, and in each the
diagnosis of the surgeon showed the
disease to be what he termed cholerine.
There was no further appearance of
anything resembling cholera among the
first cabin passengers, after the death
OF Hegemann, but another death oc-
Cured in the steerage from cbolerine on
the following day. Adolph Schultz and
Morris Bonhelser. steerage passengers,
showed symptoms of cholerine, and
were promptly isolated. One of the
crew, also, Heinrich Frankheiser, was
taken i'll with the disease. No further
deaths occurred on the voyage. All
who have been taken down with the
disease, however, were still kept iso-
lated, when the Normannia arrived at
port early this morning.
THE RUGIA's EXPERIENCE.
The Rugia, the other pest ship of the
Hamburg-Americsn Packet company,
which arrived in port today with chol-
crime, left Hamburg August 2lst. The
first death occurred week after leaving
port. Carl and Bertha Koenig were
taken ill about the same time. Their
symptoms were alike, and such that the
ships surgeon Immediately pronounced
the disease cholerine. The commander
OF the Rugia and the surgeon did every
thing. to prevent the spread of the dis
ease, but the ignorance and recklessness
OF the steerage passengers made their
efforts of no avail. Other cases of
similar kind soon appeared, and seven
more passengers were taken down with
the disease. Elem Pogaski, Paul Koe-
mig, Johanna Bust, Aurion Peters and
Kosmio Dispalo were still in the hos
pital when the Rugia was sighted off
Fire Island, at IL :15 O'Clock this morn
ing. IA
DIR. JENKINS STATEMENT,
1t was 11:45 at quarantine when DR..
jenkins received the reporters. He
said: Gentlemen, according to nv re-
ports there were nine cases of cholerine
on the Rugia and four deaths. On the
Normannia there were five deaths and
there are now four convalescents. On
the Moravia there is one additional case
today, an 8-year-old boy. All the dead
were buried at sea. All the GONZALES
cent cases are serious and further deaths
are expected today. These patients
have been isolated in the ships hospi-