The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-09-09
4 SANITARY HOLOCAUST.
Sailors Clothes and Bedding
Set on Fire.
RED TAPE AT WASHINGTON.
The Cholera Scare Has No Local Foundation,
but the Quarantine Tug Should Have
Been Ready Weeks Ago.
at wouldn't be a bad plan to wake up
ha anfhnrities al Washington. They need

ut wouldn't be a bad plan to wake up
the authorities at Washington. They need
1t. The quarantine tug is badly wanted.
That was what DR.. LawOr, the Quaran-
tine Officer. said to CALL reporter yester-
day, when the subject of the Frank Pendle-
ton and the cholera was brought up.
DR.. Lawlor happened just then to be taxi
ing a spell of rest on the lounge in his Office.
He wanted it as badly as the State wants
the quarantine tug.
He had been out since A. NJ. and bad
done good deal of fumigating before lunch
time.
Between the early rising and the fumes
OF chlorine have a bit of headache" said
the doctor. ''Sit down and will give you
an idea of my mornings work.
''Of course the last cholera scare is all
wrong" he said. the Pendeton did not
come from a cholera port There Is MOTH
ing to show she had cholera on board. Still
/ took no chances. 1t is most improbable,
not TO say impossible. that vessel could be
four months on q trip with recent case OF
cholera on board or anything likely to con-
vey the disease.
'Still made up my mind TO take extreme
measures. l went into the foTecastle OF the
Pendleton, had all the sailors clothing and
all their bedding brought out. saturated
them with coal oil, burned them up and had
the ashes thrown over board.
This was in addition to thorough fumi-
CATION of the ship. All the closets and
every possible source of Infection were
flushed and disinfected.
''When had finished the work Captain
Nichols protested vigorously, but ended by
ordering fresh clothing and bedding for the
crew. That ends the matter so far as am
concerned"
Replying to a question as to when the
new quarantine tug would be ready for
service, Dr. Lawlor intlmated that this was
a case in which red tape was master Oh the
situation.
The joint State and local Boards OF
Health, he said, have united In an urgent
telegram TO Washington, asking Tor the tug
to be put il service.
No answer has been received.
1t seems that the appropriation has been
exhausted. and there is not even money to
hire a crew; but how easy to take the
money from some other fund, especially as
the amount required is so small.
Look at the amount that is being ex-
pended in the East" said the doctor.
"Choera may get in at the back door
while the front door is closed and barred.
$50 far | have been able TO make things
safe by a thorough fumigation with chlorine
gas. developed by mixing sulphuric acid.
common salt and black oxide OF manganese
In suitable vessels. But it takes a lot of
time, and the tug, with the apparatus on
board ready prepared, could do the work in
an hour"
The doctor was asked about the City of
Puebla, which arrived Yesterday morning
and was held al MeiggS Wharf.
'She had no immigrants on board, 50 |
contented myself with fumigating the pas
sengers' baggage, and allowed her to dock
at noon. She had clean bill of health, too.
"Where ship comes in with case of
infectious sickness on board | should not
only fumigate the baggage, but have the
passengers transferred to Angel Island.
their clothes removed and treated by heated
air and themselves put through disnfecting
baths. That is an extreme step, of course.
"The Presidents proclamation does not
include ships which do not carry immi-
grants, and this is why | did not put the
British ship Candida from Rangoon in quar-
antine. She, too, had a clean bill OF health.
Here il is.
This national cholera scare has done
good in San Francisco In one respect" said
Dr. Lawlor in conclusion. I'VE have had
good clean up.
THE CALL made point in showing that
Chinatown is not by any means ths only
filth spot in this city,"