The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-05-01
.sLAND OF GRIEF
OFFICIAL VISIT TO THE LEPER
SETTLEMENT.
\ Thorough Inspection IL made by a
CoJnn1Ittee OF the Board Of Health.
scenes and incidents.

O'CLOCK the steamer Lehua lett 10
the leper settlement with a com
mittee Of the board of health. TIL,
party consisted OF Hon. w. o
Smith, president of the board, DR.
Andrews, DR.. Day, J. T. Waterhoust
Jr., c. b. Reynolds, agent of the
board, and Minister King of the
Interior department. Besides these
there went as invited guests DIR
Simons of the L. S. S. Mohican
DR.. F. J. +. Cordeiro of the L. S
Adams, DIR. Dellameter and Miss
Carroll of the Queens Hospital.
After somewhat rough passage
the Lehua arrived at Kalaupapa
at A. NJ, several hours behind her
usual time. The party was met at
the landing by acting Superintend-
ent Hutchinson and his assistant
VIM. Motley, both inmates of the
settlement, together with a large
number of lepers and Father Wen
delin of the Catholic mission. The
band of the leper settlement was
in attendance and a cordial well
come was extended both the COM
mittee and visitors. The party
were at once taken to the house
of the permanent superintendent
where they were followed by large
congregation of people and the
band. After eating luncheon and
enjoying a short rest, President w.
O. Smith made a brief address of
greeting in which he told the lepers
the board of health delegation
would meet them in the afternoon
upon returning from Kalawao.
The party then proceeded on
foot to the Bishop home for leper
girls, presided over by the Mother
Superior Marianne, assisted by
several other Franciscan sisters.
The mother superior showed them
over the establishment, consisting
of the school and industrial rooms
and ten or more separate dormitory
buildings, having accommodation
for eighty or ninety inmates.
The dormitories are about twenty
by thirty feet each, containing an
aggregate Of ninety single iron bed
steads. The rooms are as amply
and neatly furnished as any to be
found in first class hospitals.
Cleanliness is a conspicuous fea-
ture and each bedroom is hung
with pictures and small decora-
atoms. At present the dormi-
tories are filled nearly to their
utmost capacity with leper girls
from three to eighteen years of age.
One or two of the rooms are occu
pied by helpless old leper women.
The kitchen, laundry and work
rooms were also inspected.
The visiting committee report
the home is kept in the very best
condition, even to the minutest de-
tails, and they give the highest
praise to the care and devotion be-
slowed by the franciscan sisters
upon their unfortunate charges.
at was an awful sight" said one
of the invited guests to an ADvER-
User reporter, "and I hope L may
never be called to see such ano-
Their. As it is, it will remain before
my eyes to my dying day. Why,
sir. / saw there lepers in every
stage of the terrible disease, from
those showing scarcely trace to
those I could hardly believe were
human beings, so distorted were
they-some so near deaths verge,
they were without hands or feet
and yet they would smile, actually
smile as they greeted u.s."
In conversation with the presl-
dent of the board it was learned
that the contented condition of the
lepers is largely due to the minis
trations which the franciscan Sis
ters devote to these helpless wards
of the government.
"It calls for our deepest graft
tude." said President Smith, land
it is our desire and intention to do
all we can in reason to relieve these
moor creatures and make their de-
clining days happy.
Leaving the Bishop home the |
committee returned to the Superin-
tendant's house, where horses, pre-
pared by the people of the settle
ment, were mounted and the party |
proceeded through the new settle
ment at Kalaupapa to the old settle
ment at Kalawao. Several places
were visited on the way. Athalawao
the physicians and G. B. Reynolds,
agent of the board, remained to ex-
anime the boys home under the
guidance of DR.. Oliver, resident
physician and David Dayton, agent
of the Board.
President Smith, J. a. King,
Minister of the Interior, ]. T.
Waterhouse and Mr.. Hutchinson
went two or three miles further to
the valley of Waikolu to examine
TO the settlement water works. The
trail led down and along the foot
Of an immense cliff rising directly !
from the sea to q height of 1000
feet. The main is a four-inch
water pipe and at this point runs
for two or three thousand yards
along the face of the precipice,
being fastened with chains to the
lava face near the
point where it meets the ocean.