The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-03-26
TO KEEP OUT CHOLERA.
TALK WITH 1HE aEALTa OFFICER
OF NEW YORK.

Here Next Summer-Wetc the
European Ports Ciftcalt.es of Last
Year That Have Been Overcome.
CCopurtJh'J
New York, Aarcn 25.-It is idle to deny
that large proportion of the people IN
America. and especially those who reside
along the Atlantic seaboard, are fearful of
cholera epidemic in this country next
summer. While at this moment there is no
reason 10 believe that we shall have cholera
siege such as ragged in Europe last year, the
more conservative business people, ply.
sicians and thoughtful men of New York
are apprehensive that the warm weather
will bring the dread scourge TO our shores.
II cholera should be brought from Europe
| TO America next summer it is more apt to
gain foothold in New York city than any
| other place, for the other seaboard cities
can be protected much easier than can
! New York. Consequently the health
authorities OF this port have already
begun active preparations to prevent it's
| spread in this city, and indeed they are taxi
ing steps to prevent it coming here at all.
! The man more than any otner, who will
| have this great work la charge, is DR.. Will
! lam 7. Jenkins, health officer OF this port
! aud who was last year subjected to such se-
| we're criticism for his treatment Of the pas
! sengers who came from Europe in cholera
! ships l was seated next TO DR.. Jenkins at
dinner the other night and had an oppor-
tunity TO talk with him about the matter.
! Some DAYS later | visited him in his home
! on Staten Island, overlooking the quaran-
/ tine staLion and the lower bay. lie dis
! closed the plans he has adopted to keep
cholera out Of the city, and the difference
between meeting an emergency now
| and twelve months ago. The doctor,
! by name, is known all over the
civilized world. Mothers in Europe
brighten their babies by telling them they
! will be sent to New York in a ship and DR..
! Jenkins will put them on an island. Yet
| the health officer is a mild-mannered man,
a native Of Mississippi, has side whiskers
and is about medium in hight. He has the
| quick movements Of yankee, habit that
| he acquired when be was a coroner of
| Goth am. He has been described as an au-
| tocrat by those detained in quarantine, but
no man has more personal friends, as was
| proved by the great banquet given in bis
| honor recently. He is a brother-in-law of
Richard Croker, and receives a salary Of
| $l2,50J year.
| doctor, if cholera should rage in Europe
| next summer, are you fully prepared to keey
| it ont by quarantineF l asked.
! Yes" was the reply, II believe l can
| keep 1t out of this port. But before tell
| you what has been done since cholera came
| here last fall, it is necessary to recapitulRte
Il little. 1t must be remembered that up TO
| two years ago. the health officer received
his ray in fees. l suppose these fees often
| amounted to $75, 000 per annum. The re-
! publicans, owing to the fact that the state
! Senate had to confirm the appointment of
| the health officer, managed to keep in one
| Of their political faith for dozen years,
| although democratic governor had time
/ N..N.-
antine was in the hands Of republicans for
many years. They never talked
about national supervision and
| uniform regulations during that
time. Now all the employees are
| paid by the state except those on Hoffman
| and Swinhurne islands, who are appointed
| by the quarantine commissioners and paid
| with the fees collected ct this port After
the fire destroyed the quarantine at Staple
ton, s. l., it was decided to build on the
! two islands named, at a cost OF 81, 900, 600.
| In 1887 cholera was brought to this port In
a vessel from Italy, and that stirred up the
local authorities A committee Of the
Academy Of Medicine, in response to a CONS
| munication from the president of the New
| York board Of health, met Nov. Is, 1887.
| Mayor Hewitt instructed tho committee
! to make thorough and early investigation
| of the quarantine esta blishment and to point
! out its defects In order to bring il up TO
| the highest ideal standard of modern science
and medical knowledge. To estimate the
amount TO be appropriated by the state, in
order to complete necessary improvements
and generally to suggest whether the city
| of New York should provide any but tenn
| porery hospitals in case there should be an
| outbreak of cholera in our midst. They
visited quarantine and made a report in
| January 1888, but never suggested the ex-
tension Of facilities for meeting an emer-
gency."
"When you took charge OF quarantine as
health officer did you imagine you would
be as we'll known throughout the country
as you are now"
II had no premonition OF what 1 should
have to endure. Health Officer Smith, Iny
predecessor, said to me when l succeeded
him: Uneasy is the head that wears a
crown He stated the case mildly. When
ever have to speak words Of encourage
ment to my successor, l shall say found
my position living hades. with small
devils houndiug at me- IL is not necessary
to dwell upon the attacks made upon me by
the press. have been called everything
and accused of almost everything, but
can point to the great city Of New York
and say there is no cholera, and what's
more, l don't think there will be "
ITO return to the first question. The
state legislature appropriated 100000, a
sum it deemed necessary to put Hoffman
and SWinburne islands in excellent condi-
ton. The crematery for the dead, the ap-
paratus for disinfectinR by steam and other
things on the islands. the retiring health
officer declared to be in fairly good condi-
ton. A small tug that carried only sixty
pounds Of steam under the heaviest pressure
was all | had to board ships. By the by,
l should say there was sufficient space on
Hoffman Island to accommodate 800 steer
age passengers. The immigration commits
sioners took charge of minor diseases, and
the patients were sent to North Brother
Island. Smallpox patients are taken off
at quarantine and removed by boat
But there was no boat for this purpose,
snd | went to the legislature and se-
cured an appropriation to build boat, and
in the meantime | chartered boat, because
the small tug l had needed repairing When
tho cholera came to this port last fall had
no boat except the chartered one. had
been In office only 1--WE days when informa-
ton reached me that typhus fever had de-
1 veloped in New York. The ship, or ships
came in under my predecessor. l imme-
diately ordered that all Russian and conti-
mental baggage coming into this port should
be disinfeoted. The Baron Hirsch fund had
caused hegira from Russia TO this country
and the danger of disease coming was
greatly increased. IL the meantime sent
a man to Europe to notify the medical ex-
amtners Of the various ports and TO report
to me. | began to make a photographic
map from his reports and the reports l read