New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-05
TYPHUS FEVER IN A PRISON.
II BREAKS OUT on BLACKWELLS ISLAND
THERE WERE TwENrY-ruREE NEW CASES AND

ola DlAIlS OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES BUSY.
In defiance Of the efforts to prevent it, the
typhus fever continued to spread yesterday The
New-iorl1 Board of Health, crippled by in
sufficient supplies ard Inadequate force is al
most powerlcss to cope with the disease That
the dreadful scOurge which now menaces the
whole metropolis is directly traceable to the ex-
listing system OF city government may be taken
aS q fact beyond dispute 1t has been aggra-
waited BY the incidence and want of cohesion in
the Health Department, which, after idly watch
ing through three weeks while the plague spread
with the hours. finds that its enemy is
stronger than itself. That incompetency care
lessness exists among the corps of visiting medical
inspectors appointed, all too late, BY the chief
of the Contagious Diseases Bureau, is plainly
shown in the stories that came from Bellevue
Hospital.
Twenty-thrce fresh victims of the plague were
found Yesterday. Six ont of the siXty-nine suffer
crs already uncar,hcl were put in their collins.
Now the total number of typhus fever patients
discovered since December has grown to ninety
two, and Of these ten have died.
Late last night word received that two
cases Of the fever had been discovered in the
prison on RlaclSwcll's Island The victims are
William Morrel fifty years old, and Pcrcival
Carney. twenty-cizht, who were sent TO the prison
supposed that they had been inmates of one of
the infected houses in this city 1t was also
learned that Anne Dity, nurse in the almshouse
on Baclswells Island, is suffering from the
disease A case found at No. Bowery about
midnight. The name OF the patient is John
Hubbard.
A glance at yesterdays list will show how
thoroughly the trampS are spreading the disease
10 every quarter Of the city. Orly five of the
cases wcre tIaccablc either directly or indirectly
to No "a Bayard-st The list also indicates the
probability that many hundreds Of persons, all
unconscious are IN constant and imminent peril
Of infection. The cases Of greatest interest are
those Of Jerome Badglcy. John Nlaher and John
w Henry. Badslcy, n general helper ana eTrand
man, who was employed by Stephen Merritt, the
undertaken and lived with his wife and three
children on the top floor Of No. 2G2 West Nlno-
tcenth-st., became sick on Saturday night Ills
illness wa. at first supposed to bc simple prostra-
tion But when Yesterday his temperature rose
70 fever height and the Characteristic rash showed
on his skin, the physician in attendance on HIM
thought that the Health Department had better
take him in charge. At Il glance it could be
sccn thnt Ba lglcv had a wcll-dcvcloprd case OF
typhus and lie is now on North Brother Island.
Tadclcy Lad l1toly bc"E employed IN Nes'-s''
distributing circulars of invitation to Mr McrrlttN
mission meetings in Scycnih-ave., ana Il" han
rivcn ont soup 10 the hundred tramrs who nightly
flock I, Mr. Ncrritts mission sIppors. From 'he
,ramps he probably caught the disease
John Nlahcr Il cahdriVcr. lived at no IL 'alicN
Place. and was employed by n livery stahi" man
~ lics,cr and BaXtcr-sts.. or rght IN thr mart
-, ,lc "trn,np colony" He had been i'll since
Sunday. but il was not until Monday nlgh' 'ra'
,bc doctor who attended him sent conlmunica-
ifpl
taken because the man WAS poor and was unable
,o my the cXpcnsc Of his Illness not because the
obvsician had any suspicion regarding the real
rotrrc Of the malaly. He had diagnosed tie
case as one Of pneumonia, and the anbulanc"
surgeon accepted his view. But the house physi-
clan Of ST. Vincents Hospital looked at the paticll;
for few minutes. and after brief cNamination
decided 10 place him in closet near ward.
IIo kept the man there under constant watch
until this morning when he, too, showed the rash
ivphus and he is now on North Brother Island.
homes Of these men have been thoroughly fumi-
gntcl and PIT under u strict quarantine. Yes
terlay 81 Vinccnt's Hospital too, was rrdolcnt
Of sulphur. All the nurscS and patients were
panic stricken. The physicians are carefully
watching tie chances of an outbreak in tile hos
pital.
Tho Bruce Memorial Home. known to all
~
Lodgine-Ilouse. has given shelter 10 many
thousand homeless lads and at the present time
il the only refuge OF 400 Orphans. Among the
number was II colorcd boy John W. Henry sin
teen years old. II was late on Tuesday night
when Henry walked into the Chambers Street
Hospital and complained Of u severe cold. sol"
throlt, headache and high fever. SuspcctInS the
real nature of the disease tho doctors carefully
isolated him and men Kept strict watch on the
hoy until yesterday, when, satisfied that ne lah
dcvcl,pcd an undoubtid case of typhus, they
sent him TO Bellevue Hospital. At Bellevue
the physcians would not positively dlasncS"
the case. and pending the appearance of the
eruption have lodged III" patient IN the large fcV'r
tent erected On the bulkhcad OF tho pier. For
come undsroycrablc reason this case was rot re-
ported to tho Health Board
James Ward, fftyhvc years old, entered
Bellevue Hospital on Monday suffering from
what seemed TO he acute alcoholism AS time
went on hc displayed STRONGER and stronge:
evidences Of typhus. but in answer to the
doctor. questions denied that he had ever been
a lodccr in the Bayardst house. When at last
ne found that typhus held him, he confessed
that he had conc to the hospital direct from the
most hole He explained his lie by saying that
,hc hosnlta authorities would have turned him
,dr,ft if they had known the truth. Frank
Price twcnty-six years Oh. who had been taken
90 Bellevue Hospital from the lodginG-houSe NO
II Bowcry, was another Of the suspects trans
l.rrcd 70 tic Reception Hospital
The throng quarantncd at NO. 81 Bayard-s'.
were greatly frightened when Henry Amen, thirty
five years old, and William Dowd, for'y-nine
wears old, displayed all the strongest symptoms of
the plague an / were carried away in the Health
no,artmcnt WAGON One Of Or. Robcrs'S twenty
iosnectors had the lodging house No. 100 Park
Pow ON lis list and in his tour among the cots
found Daniel V. Earl and Michael Cullen, partners
in business, lying in adjoining beds. Both COM
rIoincd Of headaches fever and sore throat, and
both car,icd the red marks on their faces. Earl
had sprrt several nights At No. 50 layard-st.