Evening journal., 1893-07-14
YELLOW FEVER IS HERE
But the Government Can
Treat the Sufferers
AND THERE'S NO CAUSE FOB ALARM

Surgeon General wyman Tells What
Uncle Sans Physicians and Nurses Are
Doing with the Infected Brig Darma
From Havana with Her Crew Down
With the Yellow Fever-Two Hundred
Tents at Fisherman's island.
WASHINGTON, July IA Concerning
the arrival of the British brig Darma
from Havana and Hampton Roads with
her captain dead and three of her crew
down with yellow fever, Surgeon Gen
eral Wyman of the Marine Hospital
service, has this to say;
"The Cape Charles quarantine station
is ample to handle any invasion of that
kind. 1t consists of house, tents and
nurses on Fishermsn's Island, which is
twenty miles from Old Point, and mile
CT so from the seaward extremity of
Cape Charles. The boarding of incom-
ing vessels is done from the steamer
Dagmar which lies at Old Point.
Anchored a mile of Newport News is
the receiving ship Jamestown, capable
of accommodating from 500 to 600
persons. She will be used for housing
persons taken from infected vessels and
held the proper number of days We
have also the ex-revenue cutter Ewing,
which lies in one of the fresh water
creeks and may be taken some distance
from the mainland at a moments notice.
The last on the list is the disinfecting
steamer Robert Koch, called after the
celebrated German Physician She is
fitted up with sulpher blast furnace,
tanks for holding a bi chloride of mercury
solution, with steam pump etc.
Can Deal with Yellow Fever OF Small
pOz.
The Cape Charles quarantine station
is in charge of Dr. T. Perry with DR..
Bullock as assistant. They have hos
pital steward. In addition to these two
we can send physicians and nurses from
Norfo k and nearby points at any time
in numbers sufficient to meet any emer
gency. The present force aud their
facilities are ample to meet any demand
no larger than that Of the present There
is not the slightest danger that the dis
ease can spread inland to Washington,
Baltimore or any of the cities In touch
with part of the coast The arrange
ments at the Cape Charles station are
thorough and ample for handling arrivals
of yellow fever or smallpox.
Could Not Handle Cholera.
TN handling cholera they are not
ample A comparatively limited number
of cases could be handled, but in case Of
the arrival Of an infected ship containing
1000 to 500 immigrants the station
would be utterly swamped
Delaware Breakwater Has Ample Facil
tiles.
Even then, however, there would be
no danger. Some of the patients would
be cared for on Fisherman's Island anG
on the Ewing, which we could use for &
hospital ship The infected vessel, Will
the others, would be sent to the Della
ware Breakwater station, which is dis
tant but four or five hours sail and hai
ample facilities.
Two Hundred Tents Ready.
The work of placing Cape Charles
station in condition to handle any mum
Der Of patients and SUSPECTS is proceed
ing rapidly. It will be completed il
thirty days. Two hundred tents are a
Fisherman's Island. We are building
pier there which will hold the steam dis
injecting plant.
Pure Water for the Patients.
1--WE are, too, boring an artesian wei
on the island with the object of course
of obtaining the purest possible waite
for the patients and suspects. as we'll a.
a constant supply of it. When com
Pile ed the Cape Charles station will b.
one of the most effective in the country
AS I said before there is no danger o
the pestilence. You will understan
that even in the case of the boarding
steamer Dagmar no direct contact be
tween the vessels occur. Questions at
asked by hailing and the quarantine
physician is carried to the infecte'
vessel in a boat.