Smyrna times., 1892-10-05
Shall Bombay Hook Island Become
q Quarantine Station?

This is the question that exercises
the people of the island and to GER
tain extent those of this town and the
intermediate country. 1t is known
that J. Thomas Budd and f. r. Coch-
ran, of MiddletOwn, the latter owning
a considerable tract of land at the
lower end Of the island, which he
wants to sell, and for which the first
named is agent, desire to locate the
quarantine here, and they are quaran-
tine commissioners for Delaware.
Tomorrow the Board of Health of
Chester, Pa, will visit Bombay Hook
in company with the quarantine COM
missiOners of Pennsylvania and Della
ware, for the purpose of inspecting the
proposed site for the new United States
Quarantine Station. The present sta
tiOn IS located on the PENNSYLVANIA
Shore, a few miles above Chester. The
necessity for removing the station to a
point further away from thickly set
tied communities than the present
station, cannot be disputed, but so far
as we know, there have never been
any serious results In the way of sick
ness, to the people living near the
quarantine station, due to its prox-
unity.
Whatever be the reason of the
change, the people of Kent county do
not like the idea of pest house on
their soil. On Saturday, George w.
Reybold, of Delaware City, who, as an
owner of Woodland Beach, the "Atlan-
tic City" of our bayside, feels an intense
interestin the question, was down to an
tagOnize the project of the Health Com
mlssiOners, and in company with
Mr.. Campbell, the proprietor, and
Thomas A. Reese, President Of the
Kent county Levy Court, called at
the TIMES office.
The statement of Commissioner
Budd that Bombay Hook Island is
isolated from the mainland by wide
stretches of marshes, is, Mr.. Reybold
says, misleading, the fact being that
while the marsh exists, the separation
that constitutes it an island is only q
narrow creek of water, over which
direct roads and bridges pass in two
places, making it entirely accessible by
foot and carriage travel, the distance
from this town in a straight line being
only six or seven miles, This is not
|
this should feel, on the direct line tc
the railroad Instead of being semi
deserted island, as has been represent,
ed, it has valuable wharfage, fertil {
farms, and, rs Mr.. Reybold puts it, il
has been visited this season hy, in
round numbers, $500 Wilmingtonians
by about $4,000 people from Philadel
phia, Chester aud other points, by the
steamer Thomas Clyde. From Bridge
ton, N. j., just across the bay, between
5000 and 1000 people representing
Sunday-schOols and churches from tha
vicinity, have made it practically thei
summer resort.
At times from 800 to 1000 carriage,
may be seen on the occasion of any
particular gathering. The claim o
inaccessibility is fully refuted in th,
fact that about 10000 people from
Dover, Leipsic, Smyrna, Clayton, and
elsewhere, have visited Bombay Hool
for holiday purposes during the pas
summer
The owners of Woodland Beach
represented by George w. Reybold
are anxious to place themselves in {
true light before the people of Ken
county. They wish publicly to disa
vow al sympathy whatever With tn,
propose movement in converting Bonn
bay Hook Island into lazaretto
They have authorized no one to effe
It for sale for that purpose. Nor d.
they propose to sell It or any portior
OF 1t for any such purpose.
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