Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1892-09-22
PLAGUE SHIPsllN A GALE.
Passengers on Detained Steamers Pass
Terrible Night.

Passengers on Detained Steamers Pass
Terrible Night.
New YORK, Sept. 1.-two kings
fought for supremacy in the lower bay
last night-the cholera king and the
storm king. Around the hospital sheds
on the two plague islands, around the
brick buildings reeking with sui
phur fumes, through the chlmneys
of the crematory and over the emil
grant barracks, the southwest wind
blew in furious gusts, while huge waves
drove against the rocks. The sick and
diving turned uneasily in their cots ana
moaned in terror. Oven the nurses
were uneasy. Half a mile OFT the chol-
era teet tossed restlessly at anchor,
each ship with its chief officer on the
bridge, peering out anNiously through
the sheets of rain into the darkness.
The steamers strained at their moor
ings, hesved and rolled ID the troughs
Of black water and now and then their
keels grated on the sand bars. That
was the danger, not serious now, but
serious if the storm grew into gale
very serious. The fleet was riding In
water far too shallow. The ships had
been crowded over little by little to
make way for the stream of incoming
vessels. In their desire to clear the chan
mel, the quarantine officials had forgotten
how the bays bottom heayes up there III q
sharp shoulder. They had not counted on
storm sweeping in like a mad giant and
humping the iron keelS against the shall
lows each time that a giddy pitch down
ward followed the break OF some tire
mendous wave That was what worried
the captains through the night.
Ir,4- ~, 1xr,- CS1rs.1 r,sry,o
Island, telegraphed Dr.. Jenkins that the
surf was running SO high as to make it ex-
ceedingly dangerous to put Off in their
small tugs for the usual tour OF lnSpac-
ton. He did not feel sure that the little
boats could live in such sea, and asked
tor instructions. Dr.. Jenkins wired back
orders not to make the attempt, which
means that for a period OF hours, per-
haps for a day or two all communication
is cut Off between the sick on the
infected vessels and the doctors on Swim
burne and Hoffman islands. Those who
may die during that period on the Scandal,
Rugla, Wyoming or Moravia must remain
on board. their dead bodies in danger Of
breeding contagiOn about them; and those
who are taken i'll can only be Isolated in
the ships hospital, and must content
themselves with such care as the
ships surgeon can give them. 1t is
thought the storm will last over Thurs
gins his ravages again just at that time
with death or two per day on each ship,
and as many more new cases, what I'M
thought of horrors might result. The dead
could not be removed, for no boat, large or
small would be able to approach these
great iron sides in storm without being
dashed to pieces. Even at the present mo-
mcnt there are two dead bodies lying in
the Wyoming waiting for the waves to 90
down SO that they can be transferred to
Swinburne Island and burned.
The steamers Belgenland, Maasdam and
Diadem were released at II :23 P. NJ. to-day.
DR.. Jenkins arose this morning refreshed
after the first decent nights rest undis
turbed by worry or by being awakened by
midnight callers Things are very quiet
at quarantine after the last few days of ex-
element. The news he gave out to-day
ought to cheer the Normannla,s cabin pas
sengers. He said he would almost certain
~ release them tomorrow. AS regards
the cabin passengers OF the EugIa he
would, il nothing developed, transfer them
to the New hampshire, and thence land
them on Fire Island as soon as accommO-
mcnts have yet been made for
the twenty-spyen cabin passengers
OF the Scandal. but Health Officer
jenkins says he is considering the FEAST
biliLy OF putting them on board the Ceph
Gus and anchoring her in the lower bay.
Slle HAS ample ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -OI SUCH Il
small number. No cabin passengers will
be landed at Sandy Hook. DR.. Jenkins
said this morning that all the cholera pa
tients are getting on well at Fire island,
although one of them died last night, but
not from cholera.
The tank steamer Heligoland Capt.
Donkage, which arrived last night from
Altoona, on the Elbe, a little below Ham
burg, and is now anchored in the lower
bay, had two deaths on board among her
crew from cholera.