Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-04-06

making IT posi- pie TO secure, II emergency
should require il, absolute isolation. The
extensive territory available. including the
woodland, would place detained passen-
gers or crews under the most favorable
sanitary conditions, avoiding all perils OF
overcrowdlng, while securing the advan-
tages of fresh wholesome food. pure water
for drinking purposes, and abundance OF
salt water for lavatory flushing and other
general sanitary uses. No difficulty would
be found in disposng OF refuse without
creating a nuisance or any sanitary dan
gers. The most favorable point for APP
proach is at Woodland Beach, which is
about the junction of the upper with tine
middle third of the island. At this point
there is sufficient water, even at low stages |
of the tide, for small tug boat, but for |
distance, ABOUT three.fourths Of mile, |
from the shore line To the ship channel, |
there is not at any point greater depth |
than II feet ut mean low water, and near
the shore there is much less than this.
"rhis point, the absence of q natural |
deep-water wharf is the only practical |
objection that can be brought against this
location as n quarantine station, and it
seems that this defect could be corrected
by an engineering operation consisting in
part of the dredging of ship channel for
d short distance and the building out
from the island proper of stone cause
way supplemented bv pier, the con
struction being such as TO permit vessel
| drawing not over 26 feet to come to a
wharf 1t has also been stated by an ex-
perienced pilot whose opinion as an
| expert was asked by the commission, that
| at rare intervals there might be some di Iii
Guilty in safely boarding vessels i'll the
channel opposite the island. This gentle
! man stated, however, that such interior.
ence would probably not be in larger pro-
| portion than say, ten days out OF every
| year. and most of these interfering eondt-
| lions of weather wonld occur in the
| winter season when the necessities for in
| spection and treatment of vessels arc
| much less momenturs. Should a deep
| water wharf be constructed even this diff
| Guilty would disappear. for il necessary to
| treat or examine the vessel, or discharge
| its passengers or crew, it could be brought
| alongside the wharf That the immediate
locality OF this island is satisfactory
place for anchorage is shown by the fact
| that it is very frequently used by pilots of
| both incoming and outgoing vessels.
The records of the Maritime Elk.
change OF Philadelphia will show
that it is very frequently the
at this point toward nightfa The com
mission is informed that this island is To-
Gated below points at which ice is trouble
sone-anothar advantagei in respect to loca-
ton not enjoyed BY some points further
up the river. Bombay Hook Island is, I'M
| IDupLeulyt iDCHttu DClUN All pbllits Nb
which, for many years to come any COM
merCial interests will develop. The shore
line on both sides of the bdy from this
point to the Break water is entirely I'M
suited for purposes of foreign commerce.
This is also point to be considered IN con.
neGtion with the location. Moreover since
| experience has shown that practically all
the vessels that stop at the Delaware Break
water station for quarantine inspection
are bound for ports on the Delaware river,
| there would appear to be feasibility OF
combining at Bombay Hook, by interstate
and international agreement, the entire
quarantine service for Pennsylvania New
Jersey and Delaware. should, for instance,
a portion Of the improvement at this
station be carried out by the United States
government, assisted by States bordering
on the Delaware river and bay, very
complete equipment could be furnished.
| Indeed the only expenditure Of any con-
siderable magnitude would be the construc-
ton of the deep water wharf
, The island needs no retaining; the
buildings for quarantine purposes should
be paratiyely inexpensive. Hospital
buildings, such are now located at the
Philadelphia lazarettO, are entirely un-
| satisfactory In such places us are ill.,
tended to treat exclusively vlrulent con
i tagiotls affections, the hospitals should be
of inexpensive material, the cheapest CON
Z | sistent with safety and comfort, 50 that In
| the event Of Il serious epidemic rendering
them infected the entire structure could
be destroyed by fire, When it is recol
lected that during the last summer the
. quarantine station at the Breakwater was
! insufficient as far as actual diSinfectlon
= detention and observation of passengers
= was concerned, on account of the diff
i Guilty of reaching vessels anchored III tho
: open roadstead, IL miles WIDE between
j Cape May and Cape llenlopen it will be
| a fFdtflIaDlp DtnthnI
y needed.
In discussing questions of Brealiwatel
, quarantine it must not be forgotten tina
u the Breakwater cannot be entered by deep
7 draft vessels. Since experience has showi
e that at least 80 out of every 100 vessels re
ceiving visits from the quarantine officer
I at Lewes are passed to their points o
u destination without delay, il would seen
u TO work no material hardship ii such yes
i sells moved to point 40 miles up the bay
/ and underwent there an inspection cover
? ing all the requirements and therefore
! final. Such US we're found to be infecte,
y or dangerous could be detained at once AM
!. treated. In very rare cases in which sucl
y vessels were not bound for Philadelph
u there would still be no hardship in tliei
=. passing up the bay In the one remaining
u class of cases in which vessels i'll GOO
II condition and from healthy ports ancho
le at the Break water awaiting orders, NJ
interference would be produced, sine
20 such vessels would be isolated from tn
s. shore and would have their quarantiil
&c examination at the port to which they wer
40 ordered.
,: "The Quarantine Commission of the In
y ternational Conference Of state Boards q
AZ Health which visited this station last Sep
81 TENDER condemned il for various reasons
lg THE Bombay Hook location has an in
Z portant practical advantage that does no
u belong to any of the other island site
~ along the Delaware, namely, that railroa
Is facilities from either the New Jersey G
J. Delaware side are such as would PERM
Il the transportation of cargoeS without della
or troublesome transhipmeht, since a lin
W Of track now extends to smyrna, Del. an
IL car floats could be carried to Bay Side, \
pr J. In modern quarantine practice, it
u often advisable to remove cargoes wthol
ne delay, since many articles are either 8
ny perishable that they cannot be detained ;
o. the quarantine station or are of such lie!
u ture and source that they cannot be su
Is pected of conveying infection. Since I'll
IN channel separating Bombay Hook Islam
rs from the mainland is not IL navigab
lef stream, an obstruction TO 1t BY means OF
Vi low causeway without draw-bridges woul
'e- not he objectionable This is not true
an any OF the other islands, since both Pt
Isl Patch and Reedy Islands are separated /
nc channels too wide to be crossed by any b.
~ high level Or draw-bridges, OF great e
y pense. The railroad facilities that a
Is easily obtuinable at Bombay Hook, won
permit of the handling of such cargoes
lin, iron, ore, china, clay, empty =
in truleum barrels, plaster, &C., without trea
la. ment or detention.
mt HENRY LEFFMANN,
TIL BENJAMIN LEE,
m ANDREW OSBORNE,
tar Commissioners "