The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1893-05-02
OFFICIAL. VISIT TO THE LEPER
SETTLEMENT.
: Thorough Inspection is made by a
Scenes and Incidents.

Last Friday evening at :3C
o'clock the steamer Lehua left fol
the leper settlement with a COM
mittee of the board of health. The
party consisted Of Hon. w. O.
Smith, president of the board, DR..
Andrews, DR.. Day, ]. T. Waterhouse
Jr., c. B. Reynolds, agent of the
board, and Minister King of the
Interior department. Besides these
there went as invited guests Dr.
Simons of the U. S. S. Mohican,
DR.. F. J. B. Cordeiro of the U. S.
Adams, DR.. Dellameter and Miss
Carroll of the Queens Hospital.
After a somewhat rough passage
the Lehua arrived at Kalaupapa
at s 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 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 a large
congregation of people and the
band. After eating luncheon and |
enjoying a short rest, President w.
o. Smith made 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-
ations. 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
.he home is kept in the very best :
even to the minutest de- /
5ails, and they give the highest
praise to the care and devotion be- ""
slowed by the Franciscan sisters :
lpon their unfortunate charges. !
ut was an awful sight" said one =.
If the invited guests to an ADvER- . .
User reporter, and l hope l may :
lever be called to see such ano- :
her. As it is, it will remain before =
ny eyes to my dying day. Why,
III, 1 saw there lepers in every .
tage of the terrible disease, from :
hose showing scarcely trace to i
hose l could hardly believe were Il
human beings, so distorted were :,
hey-some so near deaths verge, -
hey were without hands or feet ?
md yet they would smile, actually :
mile as they greeted us"
In conversation with the presi- 7
lent of the board it was learned l
hat the contented condition of the = =
epers is largely due to the minis !
rations which the franciscan sis ::
ers devote to these helpless wards -
f the government. =
1T calls for our deepest graft y
ude," said President Smith, "and y
is our desire and intention 10 do ~ ~
Il we can in reason to relieve these y
oor creatures and make their de- =
lining days happy" .;
Leaving the Bishop home the -
ommittee returned to the Superin- !;
endant's house, where horses, pre- y
AIRED by the people of the settle v
lent, were mounted and the party y
roceeded through the new settle -,
lent at Kalaupapa to the old settle u
lent at Kalawao. Several places =,
'ere visited on the way. At Kalawao & e
ne physicians and C. B. REYNOLDS. n
Unnt of tho bon-l s-.-. IL