Evening journal., 1893-03-01
FEDERAL QUARANTINE APPROVED

the Report OF Its Quarantine Com
mittee.
HARRISBURG. Pa, March 1.-The re-
port Of the state quarantine committee
was submitted to the Legislature yester-
day and approved.
The committee approves the plans Of
Surgeon General Walter Wymsn, of the
Marine Hospital service Of the United
States army, for complete quarantine
service In the Delaware bay and river.
lt points out that there are accommoda
tions at the United States Marine Hos
pital, at Lewes, Del, for LOO immi-
grants, and that provision can be made
at this point in an emergency for the care
of several hundred additional patients.
Attached Ito the hospital are a small
steamboat, equipped for the fumigation
of vessels with sulphur, and another
vessel provided with apparatus for steam
{ disinfection.
lowing to the great breadth Of harbor
at Breakwater and the difficulty ex-
perienced in even boarding vessels In
rough weather there Surgeon General
i Wyman has suggested the establishment
s Of subsidiary disinfecting station by
the Federal Government on Reedy Island,
which is in the Delaware river, in salt
water, about forty-six miles below Phila-
delphia.
"The intention of the United States
i Marine Hospital Service is TO fit up per
q feet disinfecting and fumigating plant
Z at this point. The advantages of this plan
Z are manifold Vessels arriving at the
Il Delaware Breakwater announcing by
signal that there is no sickness on board
: may be passed up the bay without stop
ping at Lewes, Del If upon inspection
at the proposed Reedy Island station the
masters report about the condition Of
pass engers shall be confirmed, such craft
many be continued up without further
& delay If vessel with sickness on board
g arrives at the Breakwater the patients
y may be transferred to the hospital at
Lewes and the ship ordered up to Reedy
b Island, where vessel and cargo may be
f thoroughly disinfected. No expense TO
4 the State of Pennsylvania, the vessel
Owners or the passengers is contemplated
in this complete Federal service.
Your committee have had opinions
from eminent health authorities and
Representatives of maritime and com
mercial interests that with the exercise
of due discretion and caution by a super
visory agency on behalf of the State OF
81 Pennsylvania this proposed Federal
quarantine will afford ample protection
& from the invasion of disease from foreign
H ports With this extension of the
q Federal service in mind, we have had
& numerous aud strong protests from
N citizens of Pennsylvania ident fed with
8 shipping interests against any move on
& the part Of this state for independent
#quarantine service on the Delaware.
1--WE recommend that the State OF
81 Pennsylvania be represented by port OF
II quarantine physician, whose duty it shall
be to inspect vessels aud passengers
after they shall have undergone inspec.
tion by the proper officials of the Federal
quarantine service aud bsen given
permission to pass up from Reedy Island
''When satisfied that the condition Of
n such vessels, crews and passengers jus
tify it, this port or quarantine physician
shall iudorse or approve the permit o.
the Federal authorities to proceed; but
under no other circumstances shall sucl
vessels, crews or passengers be allowed
up the river.
"If satisfactory arrangements can b,
made with the Federal authorities thi
physician representing the common
wealth Of Pennsylvania shall be pro
vided with headquarters on Reed,
Island.
In view Of this close connection O.
state and Federal quarantine, the com
mittee opposes the selection of Bombay
Hook Island, about fifteen miles below
Reedy Island for state quarantine
establishment. The committee thinki
the Bombay Island plan would be costly
and of doubtful utility, and that the us
of Reedy Island is much the better solu
tion Of the problem of quarantine iD tn
bay. The committee says
practical engineers hold that by blow
ing dredgings from the surroundings upoi
Reedy Island, much additional available
solid land space could be obtained if de
sired. The construction of protecting
sea walls and judicious riprapping woul,
entail but q comp paratively small addi
tional expense. Reedy Island, it i
stated, has au area of about 130 acres
The area of Swinburn Island is but on
and once eighth acres aud that of Hofi
man Island but one and one half acres
These islands are in the harbor of New
York, about a mile and a half apart, ani
were built by dredging about a SAN
bar at total cost Of S2.p00, coo. Al
additional expense Of 50 0, 600 has hesi
incurred in the construction and main
tenance of hospital buildings, detentio
barracks, dlsinfecting plants, a crema
tory and other appurtenances of con
plete quarantine service.
In conclusion the committee recon
mends the Legislature to approve th
plan Of Surgeon General Wyinan and I
adopt the folloWing resolution
while standing ready to assist an
cooperate with the Federal authoriti,
in preventing the entrance Of the threa
ened cholora scourge. and being dete
mined TO leave nothing undone 20 o tai
lish a thorough and vigilant quarantiu
guard at the port of Philadelphia. v
respectfully request the President Of n
United States 90 see TO It that proml
and sufficient measures are taken to pl
into effect the plans of the United Stat
Marine Hospital Service for the improv
ment of the quarantine system in d
Delaware Bay and river
An important Difference.
To make it apparent to thousands, WI
think themselves i'll. that they are II