The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-21

Yellow Fever Develops on Board a
Ship in Dock At That Point,

Developed Aboard a German Steam
ship From Vera Cruz at Port Tampa.
The Vessel Ordered to the Dry
Tortugas - Savannah Quarantiues
Against Port Tampa.
Mayor McDonough declareed quaran-
tined against the city Of Tampa, Fla,
and its suburbs, Port Tampa and Port
Tampa City, yesterday.
The reason for this action was informs-
ton received yesterday morning Of the
existence of yellow fever at Port Tampa,
The information did not come from the
health officials at the port or from the
surgeon general at Washington, but was
received here by the officials Of the Sa-
vannah, Florida and Western railway
from the agent Of the Plant system at
Port Tampa.
Superintendent Fleming, Of the Savan-
nah Florida and Western railway, re-
ceived a telegram about 9 o'clock yester-
day morning from the agent OF the Plant
system at Port Tampa, giving informa-
ton of the development of several cases
of yellow fever at that port, aboard yes
sci that had recently arrived from Vera
Cruz, Mexico.
EIGHT GASES REPORTED.
The vessel, the telegram said, was a
German steamship, which arrived from
Vera Cruz. She spent six days at the
Mullet Keys quarantine, and then came
up to Port Tampa where she was to take
on a cargo Of rock phosphate for the con
tinent.
The vessel had been in port
four days when a case of yellow
fever developed aboard of her. The tele-
gram did not say what action, if any, had
been taken to isolate this case.
A day or two later, the telegram read,
seven other cases developed. Whether
these cases were all aboard the steamship
or whether any were in the city the tele-
gram did not say, but it was inferred that
all were aboard the vessel.
SENT TO DRY ToRTUGAs.
The vessel was ordered Immediately to
the government quarantine at the Dry
Tortugas, whittier she went carrying
all her sick, lit is supposed. This was
on Saturday. The telegram said
quarantine had been declared by the city
of Tampa against Port Tampa and Port
Tampa City and a Gordon established,
completely shutting off the two latter
places from communication with Tampa,
Why no information had been given out
by the health authorities concerning the
existence of the fever a Port Tampa, is
not known, as the dispatch did not say.
SAVANNAH TAKES ACTION.
Capt. Fleming Immediately communica-
ted his information to Mayor McDOnough
and Health Officer Drummer, who at once
took steps to notify the sanitary inspec-
tors doing duty as quarantine officers, to
enforce the quarantine regulations against
all parties coming from Tampa and its
suburbs as well as against those coming
from Brunswick.
Mayor McDonough DR. Brunner and
Capt Fleming went out to Southover TO
meet the noon trains coming from Jack
SOnVllle and personally made an lnSpeC-
ton of the trains. Several parties were
found aboard from Tampa bound for
points further north.
There was no one on board from that
district bound for Savannah. The through
sleeping car attached to the train had
come direct from Port Tampa and Capt
Fleming ordered it detached from the
train and sidetracked to await the
north-bound train on the Atlantic Coast
Line, which was done.
CANNOT ENTER THE CITY.
The passengers from Tampa were not
allowed to enter the city, but were de-
tanned at Southover to await the arrival
of the north bound train. upon which they
ontinued their journey northward
The news of yellow fever at Port
Tampa was a surprise TO them, as they
heard nothing of it before leaving Tampa.
The sanitary inspectors were ordered
to keep close watch for all passengers
from Tampa or that neighborhood, and to
allow none from the infected district to
enter the city.
kilograms were sent yesterday morn
ing by Mavor McDonough and DR.. Brun-
ner to Surgeon General Wyman at Wash
ington, DR.. Wall, health officer of Tampa,
and other health authorities in Florida,
asking for information about the fever at
Port Tampa, but they had received no re-
plies up to late hour last night.
SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPORTED BEFORE
DR.. Drummer received a telegram from
Pensacola saying that DR.. Porter, state
health officer of Florida, had left that
city for Tampa, where he would arrive
to-day. DR.. Drummer will wire DR.. Por-
ter at Tampa to-day, and he is confid
that that official will give him all the in
formation to be had at that point.
1t Is thought strange that with the
fever in existence at Port Tampa for two
or three days no report of the fact was
given to the surgeon general at Washing
ton, or to any of the health officers in this
section.
An inquiry will probably be made on
this point by the marine hospital service
Supt Fleming of the Savannah, Florida
and Western Railway was seen by a
MORNING NEWS reporter last night, and
willingly gave all the information in his
EN9@N1oAbA
fever at Port Tampa, and the situation
there.
HOW THE LAND LIES.
Port Tampa, Superintendent Fleming
said, is about one mile out in the bay from
Port Tampa City.
The wharves and warehouses of the
Plant system are located there and it is
the place where vessels load and dis
charge. 1t is built on piers out in the
water, and very few people live there
There is a small hotel a that point for
the accommodation of steamship passeu-
gers who arrive TO late too take the rain
to the city at night.
Port Tampa City, one mile from Port
Tampa, is situated on the BAY IL is
big village, inhabited chiefly by railroad
and steamship laborers and fishermen.
Tampa, the main ci.j of that name, is
situated 10 miles further up the BAY
THERE'S a narrow neck of land running
down to Port Tampa city, forming a
small peninsula, making it easy to cut off
communication between the two places
by establishing a Gordon across this pen
insula. This has been done, and the
people Of Tampa are as anxious to cut OF
communication with Port Tampa city as
any one could wish them to be-
FAVORABLE FOR ISOLATION.
Capt. Fleming considers the situation of
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