Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1892-09-09
THE CHOLERA.

On Thursday of last week President
Harrison issued an order directing that all
immigrant ships be detained in quarantine
for twenty days.
The order read as follows, and indicates
that the states have some rights in the
matter:
To Collectors of Customs. Medical OficerS
Of the Marine Hospital Sergiee, FOR,
eion Steamship Companies, State ana
Local Boards of Healt':
1T having been officially declared that
cholera il prevailing in various portions Oh
Russia, Germany and France, and at GER
tain ports in Great Britain, as well as IN
Asia, and it having been made to appear
that immigrants in large numbers are com
ing into the United States from the inject
ed districts aforesaid, and that they and
their personal effects are liable to intro
duce cholera into the United States, and
that vessels conveying them are thereby
direct menace to the public health; and IL
having been further shown, that under the
laws of the several States, quarantine De
tentions may be imposed upon taese yes
sells sufficient length OF time 10 lnsare
against the introduction of contagious as
eases, it is hereby ordered that vessels from
any foreign port, carrying Immigrants;
shall not be admitted to enter at any port OF
the United States until said vessels snals
have undergone quarantine detentlo1 VI
90 davs. unless ch detention is forbidden
by the laws of the State or the regulation
made Hereunder, and of such greater num-
ber of dsys as may DE fixed in each spe-
cial case bv the State authorities.
This circular to take immediate eHect,
except in cases of vessels afioat at TINS
data, which will be made the subject OF
special consideration upo1 tho apphcatlon
to the department.
Two suspected cases we're reported IN
New York, Thursday.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company
has issued orders for the disinfection OF
all its stations and cars.
The conflict of authority in New York,
between the State and Federal anthoTltieS,
as to quarantine regulations was settled IN
favor of the State authorities.
On Friday morning eight ocean steamers
were lying at the quarantine in New YORK
harbor, awaiting the rigid inspection that
Dr.. Jenkins of the state force is giving all
vessels arriving from Europe.
1888 new cases were reported in Hamburg
that day with 201 deaths. In Russia ., 723
new cases were reported, and 2,122
deaths.
1t is said in London that the reason that
the steamships between New York and
Hamburg have persisted in carrying the
Russian passengers in face of the danger
of infection, and after the cholera had
spread not only in Russia, but in Hamburg
itself, is that the Hamburg American steam
ship company has a contract or under
standing with Baron Hirsch to carry these
people; and has hesitated to break the ar
rangement. There is no doubt whatever
that the Russian Jews brought the infec-
tion to Hamburg. The cholera travelled
clear across Germany in the trains in which
the emigrants we're conveyed without de-
Law from the frontier. This ofitself shows
how the disease can be kept within limits.
The trains which bore these emigrants
undoubtedly bore the cholera, b1t as the
emigrants were not permitted to leave the
trains, the disease did not spread. The
plague was, in effect, kept in quarantine
on the trains until the emigrants, reaching
their transfer depot at Humburg, were al
lowed to leave the trains and with them
the .cholera stalked forth to the city.
Hamburg is paying the price for having
been selected as the depot for Baron
Hirsch's colonization scheme. 1t has been
the Mecca in Europe of the Russian jew
ish emigration to America. For a while
this emigration brought some profit and
money, and now it has brought the pesti-
lence.
At quarantine station in New York Bay,
Sunday, six deaths from cholera occurred
in three of the vessels quarantined.
Nearly three thousand deaths from cholera
have occurred in Hamburg since the out
break of tho disease there; and the deaths
in Russia average six thousand day.
As the Canadian authori ties are taking
no precautions against cholera, a. twenty
days quarantine has been established at
Detroit.
Three deaths and five new cases were
reported at Quarantine, New York, Mon
day. The dead are being burned in
crematory erected on Swineburne Island.
The bodies are wrapped in sheets soaked
in bi-chloridc of mercury when they are
removed from the ships to protect the men
who handle them from infection. At the
crematory, when Superintendent Butler is
ready, another sheet soaked in alum is
wrapped. about the corpse, which is then
laid on an iron tray. When the retort has
reached temperature Of about 5000 the
door is hurriedly opened and the tray shov-
ed in. The alum checks combustion long
enough for the attendants to close the
| door. 1t takes two or three hours to reduce
the body to ashes. The retort can only
hold one tray, but one of the two in use at
the crematory is SO large that the body OF
a grown person and child can be placed
in it and burned together. So far, Super
intendent Butler has been able to dispose
of all the bodies brought from the ships
| without difficulty.
AT Quarantine, n. Y, Tuesday eleven
new cases were reported, and there were
| two deaths on the island.