Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-14
NO FEAR OF CHOLERA
Worlds Fair Managers Laugh
at Attempts to Make a
Scare of the Disease.
A EUROPEAN EPIDEMIC
Not Likely to Affect the Columbian
Exposition Unfavorably.
NO BRIDGES ARE TO BE CROSSED
Until the Directory Is Certain 1t Has Them
Right Before It.
A EUROPEAN EPIDEMIC
NO BRIDGES ARE TO BE CROSSED
PRESIDENT BAKER on TIE SUBJECT

CHICAGO, July 13-The fact that cholera
is prevalent in Europe and that New York
and other seaboard cities are taking precau-
tions to prevent the plague getting foot
hold in this country has caused much an1-
iety as to its probable effect on the Worlds
Fair, should the disease spread to Chicago.
A reporter called on several Worlds Fair
officials yesterday and got an expression of
opinion on the matter.
George r. Davis, Director General,
laughed at the idea of anyone supposing
cholera could get a foothold in Chicago.
Being pressed for more definite statement
of his views he said:
Cholera, like everything else that inter-
feres with the public health, would be in
furious to the Fair. / have no apprehen-
the healthiest cities in the world. The
effect of cholera on the Exposition would
be governed entirely by the extent of the
epidemic. / believe with care we can
avoid it entirely. They have practically
stamped out yellow fever in New Orleans
by care and attention. If care be taken and
cholera should reach us it would be held
down to a minimum
"An epidemic in Europe would not
largely affect the Fair. Our exhibits from
abroad will be delivered here in the winter
and be in place by May /. These foreign
exhibits are what will attract people to the
Exposition.
''What would be the effect of an epidemic
IN Europe?"
Home People Mostly Depended Upon.
"The financial success of the Fair depends
largely upon the attendance of people who
i've of If rhar
the Fair is held The number of people
that could possibly come from Europe, if
the entire carrying capacity of the steam
ship lines was devoted to that purpose,
would be small percentage of the aggre-
gate of admission. The notable people
coming from abroad and the exhibits which
come from those countries which are rich
in resources that make fair attractive are
invaluable to us, and 1 hardly think any
cholera epidemic which may occur in Europe
is likely to interfere with them"
'Would foreign visitors be likely to
bring contagious disease with them if it
were prevalent abroad?'
mo, 1 don't think the visitors from
abroad would introduce disease any more
than people who take care of themselves in
trOduce epidemics anywhere. They will be
a different class OF people from that in which
contagious disease usually gets hold. In
my opinion the question of quarantining
against disease will never be brought before
the Exposition Board Should the oues-
tion become important enough to attract
the earnest attention of our people the dis
ease will be stamped out without regard to
cost. When the citizens of Chicago are
aroused they seem able to cope with any
thing"
VIII Not Borrow Trouble.
President W. T. Baker was of the opinion
that chorera plague must have a serious
effect on the Worlds Fair. 81 have read
with some alarm the reports of the spread of
cholera in Europe" said he, ''but / am in
hopes the disease may be checked before it
becomes epidemic. The effect of an epidemic
OF cholera on the Exposition could not be
toretold. 1t would do harm undoubtedly,
and if it should become at all general it |
would prevent Europeans from visiting
Chicago
Nothing has been done by the Worlds |
Fair officials, and 1 can see no reason why |
anything should be done at present. Work |
on the buildings will go on as before. We |
shall not cross any bridges before we come |
to them. So far, there has been no news to |
cause us to fear for next year. except the |
course the cholera has taken in Europe. |
Heretofore the spread of the disease has |
been comparatively slow, but this time it |
jumped with lightning-like rapidity. From
Astrakhan it has passed to Kostromo and |
81. Petersburg, a distance of more than
]. 900 miles, Then, too. its appearance in
Paris makes its spread through Continental |
Europe more probable. If it should once |
cross the Atlantic and find an abiding place |
IN America then its effect on the Exposi- |
tion might be great.
Little to Fear From Cholera.
Gas to its effects on European travel. I |
think there is little to fear, at least from a |
financial point of view. NV idea is that |
the total number of visitors from Europe |
Will exceed the average attendance for one |
day. The failure of Europeans to come |
would have no appreciable effect upon the |
receipts ofthe Exposition. With the cholera |
in this country, however, the effect would |
be to keep many people at home. Any |
thing that will increase the danger of trav- |
cling will keep the people away from the
Worlds Fair. Exhibits will not begin to |
arrive before November, however, and if |
the authorities succeed in checking the raw
ages of the disease the Exposition will suf- |
fer no i'll effects from it. -
When asked for his opinion as to the |
probable results of a cholera plague on the |
Worlds Columbian Exposition Moses P. |
Handy, Chief of the Department OF Pub |
hcity and Promotion, said:
''The result would be disastrous The |
only two things that can interfere with the |
success OF the Fair under present conditions
are European war and an epidemic. A |
year ago there was danger of a
European war, and year from now |
II is hoped cholera will be as far away as |
the war now seems. OF the two, war |
would be the more immediate in its |
effects, using the strength of European |
Governments and directing the thoughts of |
the people to their home affairs If cholera |
should be general over the world, Chicago |
would be as safe as any other city to live in. |
As regards attendance there is some danger, |
Tor this would be center to which all |
countries would come.
Not Likely to BE Cholera People.
"But the people who will come are not of |
the class to be much affected by this disease, |
as it is the poorer classes who live in filth |
and amid poor sanitary conditions, who will |
be the ones to suffer. These people would |
only get here by being under contract to |
take part in such shows as "A Street of Con- |
"A Hindoo Village or an |
Oriental entertainment of some sort.
If there is to be general spread of |
cholera 1t is better that we should have this |
long notice, as it gives us time to put our |
houses in order. While there has been a |
great neglect of sanitary precautions here,
as In all large cities of rapid growth, there |
is no city in the world which little care |
would not make safe from epidemics. The |
broad streets, the numerous alleys, the |
many breathing places which we have in our |
boulevard and park system and, above all, |
the great lake, which tempers the heat, and |
the lake winds, which ventilate and purify |
the clty-all these are immense advantages.
They constitute combination OF safeguards |
which no city in the world can rival With |
these advantages and the care which the