Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-01-04

IL NlNif'NilI-Nl lO Ashth N1GGltlNLN
Edmund b. Frazer Of the State Board
of Health to inspect the station and
bring along with him his friends inter
estcd in general sanitary matters.
Quite a large number of those invited
were unable to be present, having gone
on down State to attend the funeral of
Ex-Governor Biggs, Thursday
Those present were: Dr. Alexander
Lowber, DIR. w. I. Skinner of Glasgow,
Secretary Edmund b. Frazer of the
State Board of Health, DIR. A. Il. Frantz,
president of the city Board of Health;
Frank Roop Smith, Thomas N. Stayton,
w. II. Alexander, Henry Cleaver of
Port Penn and representatives of the
city press.
The staff at the Reedy Island station
comprises DIR. A. II. Glennan lin charged,
surgeon of the Marine Hospital Service;
DIR. A. b. Mcdowell, assistant ana
boarding officer. There are three quar-
antine attendants, including watch
man. The steamer Charles Foster, a
l2-knot vessel, belongs to the station.
She hae crew of IL men. The Foster
is detailed for permanent service at this
point
There is a general idea existing among
Delawareans as to the fact of the es-
Enlistment of the quarantine station
at Reedy Island, but there is no exact
knowledge upon definite features of
the station, its function and purposes.
In the first place the Reedy Island
station is not an hospital station at ALL
1t is exactly for disinfecting purposes
and nothing else. There are no build
ings for the reception of fever patients
or suspects and they would not be
landed at Reedy Island. The hospital
station is at Lewes, opposite the Break
water.
Thursdays visitors left Wilmington
at 8.15 a. IN. and reached Delaware City
in about an hour. Here Secretary
Frazer escorted his guests to the steam
boat pier where tho steamer Charles
Foster, with her big and somewhat
startling yellow flag, indicating the
United States Hospital Marine Service,
lay at the wharf. The quarantine sur
geons, Drs. Glennau and Mcdowell,
then took charge of the visitors and
from that moment until in the evening
when the Delawareans said good-by to
their hospitable hosts, it was a most
delightful record of substantial cour-
tesy and hospitality received from the
Federal medical officials.
From Delaware City to Reedy Island
is short 90 minutes ride of only seven
miles. Several vessels were met on the
way. The Foster has the distinction of
possessing the loudest steam whistle on
the Delaware. A big tanker CT iron
tramp steamer would salute the hospital
marine boat, when the latter replied
with deep bass below which made
everything aboard tremble with the
sound vibrations. In comparison to the
toot of the big tanker the Fosters boom
ing salute was more like the roar of one
of thc'Philadelphia Zoo lions at dinner
time.
The Delaware is about j miles across
at Reedy Island. At this point the
main ship channel hugs the Delaware
shore. The quarantine pier stands or
10 feet above the water at high tide, and
there is depth of about 81 feet inime-
diately at the wharf side.
Last summer the British Prince, the
largest steamer entering the Delaware
lay alongside the wharf for disinfecting
purposes. For vessel of her cargo ca.
pacity the estimate is that it would cost
about $4,000 to undergo the disinfect-
ing process.
AT Reedy Island there is rise and
fall of from 8 to z feet, on account of
the tides.
The government has erected stout
wooden pier running out into the river
at right angles to the shore line about
500 feet. This pier is entirely isolated
from Reedy Island There is a wide
channel way, several hundred feet be-
tween the island and the pier, making
the latter literally an i;land itself, lying
out in midriver, or more exactly mid
channel from the shore of Reedy Island.
At present the Marine Hospital station
has nothing to do with this island.
During u big storm Reedy Island
would be subject to almost total sub.
mersion. This has happened on
several somewhat recent occasions. A
boat might traverse it at such time with
out any trouble, At low tide the island
has an area of 100 miles, almost all
mud. The Reedy Island lighthouse is
at the lower end and here is the higher
ground. Uncle Sam possesses go acres
Of the territory and the remainder still
belongs to the State of Delaware. The
island is literally nothing but wilder
ness of weeds.
Since the establishment of the govern
ment station a brisk little business has
started up between it and the neighbor.
ing points Of Delaware City and Port
Penn.
The latter place contributes an item OF
$500 worth of coal monthly, together
with goodly quantity of farm prod.
ucts. The hospital steamer Foster
consumes an average of 20 tons of coal
a week.
Exclusive of the cost of the steamer
the government has already expended
the sum OF $4,000 on the pier and
buildings of the station.
The structure is large wooden one
covering almost the whole river face oil
the pier about 300 feet. 1t is divided
into three apartments. These are
room for storing Cargo, the disinfecting
room and the room for storing disin-
fected articles.
THE DIsINFEOTING PROCESS.
A visit to the disinfecting room re.
veals at glance the general principles
of the system Of germ killing.
There is tramway along the piel
upon which are cars into which the in,
fected cargo is readily placed from the
vessel lying alongside. The cars arc
then run into the dislnfecting room.
Upon each car is arranged series Of
wire mattresses, four of them, one on
top of the other. The articles to be dis.
infected are placed on them and when
arranged suitably the car is ready to be
run into the disinfecting chamber.
The latter is big air tight iron cham.
Der, very suggestive of a crematory. Its
maln wall is double iron jacket into
! which is first driven the hot air. When