The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-14
OLD QUARANTINE RIOTS.
Passengers Were Landed Under the
Protection of Guns in 1860.
From the New York Herald.

SrOtecDlOn or Guns In 1868.
From the New York Herald.
The opposition of the Fire Island clam
diggers to the landing there Of the unfort-
innate passengers of the Normannia is a
REPETITION of the attitude assumed by Staten
Islanders many years ago.
The health authorities Of the state and
city have always experienced a difficulty
in caring for the we'll and sick during
cholera epidemics. The objection of Staten
Islanders to welcome passengers to their
shores has upon several occasions resulted
in force and incendiarism.
When the plague was threatened in 1858
the islanders organized band, called sepoys.
Its members swore TO raze the quarantine
buildings, which were then on the island
near Tompkinsville On Sept. l, 1858, they
carried their threat into execution. Masked
and otherwise disguised, and under the
cover OF night the sepoys scaled the quar-
antine Enclosure and fred the building
1t was brutal act, for the hospital con-
tanned many helpless inmates some of whom
were at the point OF death. Many were
carried out by rescuers. One person was
burned to death. The New York militia
was ordered to the scene. and the 50.gun
frigste Sabine went down the bay, anchored
off Tompkinsville aud threatened to bonn
bard the town.
BURNED AGAIN.
Driven from Tompkinsville the authori-
ties removed the quarantine hospital to
Seguine's Point, the south westerly extremity
of Staten Island, Temporary hospitals and
outbuildings were erected there, but before
the place could be put in order the sepoys
again assumed their DISCUSSES, lighted their
torches and fired that place also.
The authorities the following year pur-
chased the ship Falcon to serve as a hos
pital. They were actually driven from the
land to the water to care for the unfort-
unates The Falcon served the purposes
fairly well until 1865, when the cholera
again arrived in New York. The lower
bay was crowded with pest ships. The Vir-
ginia. the England, the Union, the Peruvian
and the Hevetia, all carrying first cabin
and Storage passengers. arrived within
short intervals of each other.
EXPERIENCES IN 1866.
The Falcon could accommodate but sew
enty-five patients, while hundreds of per-
sons stricken With the infection were arriv-
ing on each steamer The United States
sloop Illinois was pressed into service to ac-
commodate the healthy passengers, and an
other ship was sent down as hospital boat.
After while the passengers on the ships
and the citizens OF New York, as now,
clamored for some relief for the quaran-
tined ones. The authorities were at their
wits ends Finally the board OF health de-
cided to remove them to the old grounds at
Seguine's Point. The arrangements were
made In secret, for fear Of the Staten
Islanders. On Wednesday. June 8, large
squad Of police of New York and Brooklyn
was marched at night on board the harbor
policeboat Deer The force was under this
command of Police Captain HolbroOk aud
six police sergeauts.
They proceeded down the bay accompa-
MED by the revenue cutter CayuRa. When
the inhabitants of Staten Island awoke
next morning they found the police in pos
session and the United States ship Cuya-
hoga, with shotted guns. in 1.-THE offng, to
secure the police from any organized attempt
to dislodge them.
Barracks and temporary habitations we're
hastily constructed while the police watched
day and night The United States fur-
nished part of the material for these tempo
rary homes from the old soldiers barracks
then on Bedloe's Island, Fort Wood and
Fort Schuyler.
ovRRAwED BY FORCE OF ARMS.
The passengers were disemberked under
the guns Of the CUyahoga and were hsppY