St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1894-05-26

CONVICTION La. MAY rs. 1894
The Leper Hospital.
FORT PIKE NOT SUITABLE.
Speaking of the selection OF Fort
Pike rs leper colony this moring Col.
J. G. Richardson said: 1T Is In my
opinion the worst place that could be
selected for such q purpose. l read
Dr. Hollis statement this morning In
regard to the selection, and ! agree
with DR.. Holt in everything, except his
opjpion that Fort Pike is > suitable
site for the purpose. I am very well
acousiuted with the locality In which
Fort Pike is situated, and I think. from
Dr. Holt 8 statement, that he must he
unfamiliar with that locality. That iep-
rosv and other diseases should be $50
lated and 1t the earliest possible mo-
ment. I agree, but think the authorities
are making = very unfortunate seiec-
ton when they pick out = place which
n situated on the line of travel"
Col. Richardson spread out . map
and traced the route of schooners leav'
ing this city for Mississippi SOUND
showing how they had topass very near
the proposed location of the colony. A
schooner leaving one Of the basins or
bavous here and heading for the Rigo-
let's sails in q northeasterly direction
striking the R.golets at . point very
near to the proposed leper hospital.
.These schooners," said Col. Rich
ari,on. care manned by negroes, and
many OF the lcpers here, 1 judge, are
ne,roes. In case of . storm these
.chooners are most likely to put
In shore, and the lepers seeing the
vessels and feeling that . chance OF
escape may be near will take any
measure to communicate with the
crews Of the schooners, and to escape
II there is any chance to do 80. we
III know how negroes are. They do mot
seem to be afraid OF such diseases. ana
would be very likely to take aboard any
one thew would take . fancy to and
land him ashore where he could spread
hin disease. This place Is not the
sroper location for such colony. II
il anything but isolated 1t Is stu
.ted on little peninsula on which Is
Fort Pike and the lighthouse Of the
Rieolets. As you see by the map
Fort Pike is on the east side OF the
hospitsl at the west, almost directly
opposite, and the lighthouse Il the
north. All are very near.
"Another thing; there Is not build
ing standing on the old hospital site.
All were burned two years ago. As
understand 1t, Fort Pike itself cannot
be used, as the government insists tina.
the lepers be kept inside the hospital,
and cannot 60 out. SO the buildings
will have to be rebuilt, and the lepers,
when they are in them, viii have NO
chance for exercise. That win be un-
healthy. The whole peninsula Is .
marsh. There are . few high places
and walks lead from one dry place to
smother.
Ibelieve Last Island win be the best
place that can be selected. 1t II posi-
lively isolated. No one lives there now,
and Il Is higher, dryer and healthier
than the other"
Major J. B. Quinn, who has charge
Of the government lighthouses in this
district, was seen in regard to the
matter. He did not want to speak and
the reporter could get very little out
Of him in regard to the effect the plac-
log Of the hospital near Fort Pike
would have ON the lighthouse people.
Naior Quinn said that he had nothing
to say ut all on the matter. He showed
the reporter an excellent map of the
locality, pointing out the quarters to
be used BY resident physicians and the
limits Of the leper reservation. The
lighthouse Is located 1t . point
about mile and half from the hos
pital. A large marsh. however, Is
between the two. But II . leper should
escape from his quarters he would sim
ply have to follow the road running east
to the quarters of the resident doctor,
which Is very near the fort, and then
70 northwest, follo~in the road to the
lighthouse This, however, Was not
Major Qninn's speculation. He re-
fused to speak on the matter 1t Ill.
REPRESENTATIVE MURPHY WILL
OPPOSE 1T.
Representative Murphy is opposed to
IN appropriation to the leper hospital If
the hospital is to be located 1t Fort Pike
AMI he would also be opposed to an
appropriation II the hospital Is to be
located in the city Of New Orleans,
unless the city really wants 1t. Mr..
Murphy believes that the hospital
ought to be established on some is0la-
ted island In the lake or at some spot
where there Is no valuable property
interests and few II any people.
Mr.. Murphy represents St. Tsmmapy,
which the Eedcrel census shows to be
oue Ut the healthiest sections Of the