Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-09
THE IMPRISONED PASSENGERS.
A Portion Of Sandy Hook Allotted to Thei


Portion Of Sandy Hook Allotted to Their
Use.
Now ONES President Harrison to the rescue
of the imprisoned passengers in New York bay
He telegraphed the War Department today to
delay no longer in turning over Sandy Hook
to the health officers of New York.
The War Department today directed the use
Of a portion of Sandy Hook as a station of
refuge for the cabin passengers OF the quaran-
tined steamships in New York bay
This action was taken as a result of the stren-
uous efforts of Secretary Charles Foster and
Secretary Tracy to secure safe quarters for the
passengers and a release from their dangerous
proximity to cholera in the infected ships.
The War Department shipped 400 army tents.
borrowed from the q. 4. r.. by fast express
over the b. and o. railroad today to Sandy
Hook. The tents will be replaced by a ship
ment from st. Louis at once if the G. A. L.
committee decides that they will be needed
Gen. Grant said that telegram had been
received. after consent had been given for the
occupation of the Hook from the President at
Loon Lake. in which he stated that in his iudg-
ment the request of Secretary Foster for tempo
rary use of the land should be granted. From the
kilograms which passed between Gen. Grant and
Secretary Foster it will be seen that the War
Department opposed loaning the government
reservation. unless in a case of extreme neces-
sity, because of the great interference with the
work Of the ordnance and engineers bureaus
now going on at the proving station which would
follow the transfer of a large number of per-
sons from the steamers. Besides il was urged
by the ordnance bureau that great danger to
life would result through the testing of guns
ard the proximity of powder and other high
explosives in the magazines now on the island
However, the lower end Of the Hook which
ls loaned Is some distance from the dangerous
DO1nt. grounds ha ha civ
given for the use Of the temporary camp, and
it is expected that for time all work at the
proving ground will have to be suspended to
insure perfect safety to those ashore. This
necessarily means great interruption to the i'm
portant ordnance work now going on at the
station, but the government will have to delay
1t for a time.
The following is the correspondence that has
taken place on the subject:
NEW YORK, 7th.
Sec. of War, Washington:
Health officer has agreed to examine grounds
at SANDY Hook government reservation under
control your department as place for temporary
refuge camp for health cabin passengers from
ships now detained at quarantine. l strongly
recommend this course, as their situation is
periious. No sickness will be retained in camp,
but removed to Swinburne's Island. Please in
struct commanding general this department to
give temporary use Of reservation if neces-
cary. CHARLES FOSTER
Under the same date Secretary Foster also
sent the following: "If department consents to
occupation of Sandy Hook temporary barracks
will be Immediately constructed. As before
stated these will be used only for passengers
Meantime If 500 army tents could be loaned We
might secure immediate transfer. If shipped
please direct quartermaster to ship by express
or special train Baltimore and Ohio to Staten
Island direct to Health Officer Jenkins'
The following telegram from New York, under
GATE OF the 9Th. was sent by Secretary Tracy:
Ibid you receive Fosters telegram about use
OF Sandy Hook and tents sent last night. I'm
portant that request ia complied with at once"
Gen. Flagler indorsed Secretary Fosters
request as follows: The proving ground at
Sandy Hook is now in daily and constant use in
carrying out trials and tests Of the utmost i'm
portance. On these trials depends all Of the
important work relating to coast defense con-
struction.
The pressure Of this work is so great that all
the facilities of the proving ground are at
present insufficient for carrying on the work as
rapidly as needful.
temporary suspension Of work at the
proving ground would soon partially suspend
work at the construction establishments and
eventually suspend it entirely.
detachment Of troops and about 100 civil
ians are engaged In these trials and reside on
the reservation. Such use as that proposed
would make it necessary to remove all these
people and would leave valuable machinery and
large quantities Of powder and high explosives
without suitable care for their projection.
The engineer department has also large force
Of employees residing on the reservation which
would necessarily be compelled to suspend work
In al this work the deparrment has large and
Important contzacts involved, and the suspen
mon Of the work would make 1t impossible TO
carry out our contract obligations.
In my Judgment the loss to the government
Rreat hat Il ehould not e. narmifko6 exoenk =