Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-25
Another Interior Department Em-
ploye Stricken With Smallpox.
INVESTIGATING SEVERAL SUSPECTS
Fumigating Interior Department:
and Vaccinating All Clerks.
THE SCHOOL CHILDREN

The center of the smallpox epidemic, if
| 1t can be called epidemic, still remains
| at the Interior Department. There was one
| additional case of the dread disease, OF which
| there could be no doubt, reported up to
| o'clock today. This was another unfor-
| tunate from the patent Office, George An
| derson, a messenger, who resides at G32 q
| street northwest His case reported
| today and he was Immediately removed to
the hospital and placed under DIR. Nevitt's
| care.
| At a late hour two additional suspected
| cases were reported.
| This afternoon Health Officer Woodward
| did not think the situation was alarming,
| although he would venture no opinion as
| to the progress the disease may make
| within the next few days. The process Of
| incubation, he says. is about twelve days,
| so that ii any Of the persons in the 18th
| street boarding house contracted the dis
ease from Judge Rucker 1t will not assert
| itself for more than a week at least. Then.
| too, with only one case, that of George AM
derson, reported today the health officer
| thought the indications were favorable.
| DIR. Woodward was also pleased to know
| that this case is easily traced to the Co.'S
| ton family because Anderson was a mes
| senger In the Interior Department and had
| seen Mr. Coston. Besides this case how-
| ever, two suspected cases were received.
| These reports were received over the tele-
phone and the inspector had not had time
to investigate them One of them was
| reported on b street northeast and the
| other ON 4th street northwest, not far from
| Florida avenue.
There are now five patients confined in
| the hospital, and, as heretofore stated,
| there have been two deaths, one in the
| hospital, Mary Mundel. colored and the
other at her home. Ruth Coston, the young
| child.
| Those in the bosnitaI pow ara Mor,.
| Thomas, Mary Brown, both colored, and
| Judge Rucker, William Owens and George
Anderson, and DIR. hewitt says they ara
| all dong well.
| Center of Infection.
The office of the Assistant Attorney Gem
| eral in the Interior Department is the CEN
| ter Of infection. Ruth Coston, the original
| case, is the child of Law Clerk Porter ].
Coston, employed in room No. 5. z. NJ.
| Rucker, another case is law clerk in
room No. 8, William Owens is a messenger
Of that division. and Geo. Anderson is q
messenger in the building. These rooms
1 face the corridor connecting the main r.
| street entrance with the office of the Secre-
| tary of the Interior. All these have been
| closed and are being fumigated with BIZ
| chloride of mercury and sulphur by Assist
ant Superintendent Mills of the Department
Of the Interior and DR.. O'Malley of the
| District board of health.
| The Secretary of the Interior has order.
| ed the 200 PEOPLE in the building to be vac
| cinated, and appointed a corps OF physi-
clans for that duty These are Drs. d. NJ
| Mcpherson, w. c. Upham. E. A. Gibbs J.,
| g. Eddy and F. j. Woodman. They were
| ordered from the pension office in the fore,
| noon, and at once began the work. Virus,
| sponges, knives and towels are In general
| use, and everything possible is being done
| by the officials to stamp out the disease.
| The hall on which the rooms occupied by
| the cases already discovered face is one
| Travelled n he an
| oiiice building, both by visitors and em-
| ployes. There is a very uncomfortable feel,
ing around the building, but nothing that
| savors of panic. Chief Clerk Daniels is at
| his post. and has held consulta ton with
| the health authorities of the District Ass
| sistant Superintendent Mills and force are
washing the suspected points of danger
with bichloride of mercury, and the fumes
| or sulphur are sitting in the suspected
| rooms.
| Commissioners ut Work.
| If the health authorities do not succeed
in stamping out smallpox 1t will not be the
fault of the Commissioners. The greater
part of today was devoted to the considera-
| ton OF the subject, and the health officer
was given absolute authority to do every-
| thing he thought necessary in accomplish-
ing the eradication of the disease, which
| during the past week has assumed such
| large proportions.
Commissioner Ross called a meeting Of
this morning. 1t evident from tho
| serious look on their faces, as they took
| their seats at the large table, that the
matter to be discussed was one of great
| Importance.
Health officer Woodward came in answer
to summons, and the doors were closeds
indicating a secret session of the board.
| The discussion lasted several hours, and
| was productive of many good results. This
| is what they decided upon:
| To rent the large frame dwelling and
| a ID
| southeast and transform 1t into a quaran-
| tine station. Here will be stationed tha
workmen engaged in the service of disin-
| fection, with all of their paraphernalia.
| Several rooms will be fitted up comforts
| ably, and every suspicious case dlscov-
cred will be transferred there until the
nature of the disease is definitely deter
| mined. If 1t develops into smallpox, the
patient will be carried to the contagious
hospital, and turned over to Dr., hewitt.
| 1t was decided to press one of the policd
| ambulances into the service to convey tha
| sick. Major Moore heard of ii and came
| at once to the District building to protest
| my force is already severely crippled,
and the loss of one of the ambuances Will
work great hardship. You have taken ond
of my best surgeons and put him in charge
| of the contagious hospital, and i hardly
| think it is fair to cripple the department
any more"
The Commissioners saw the force of ths
| majors argument, and voted unanimously
TO buy a new ambulance and turn ii over to
L
utilizing the one on hand. They could not,
| however, restore DR.. hewitt to the police
| service at present. His intimate knowl-
| edge OF smallpox and recognized ability In
| the handling of such cases made that lm-
| possible The major went away sausheds
| although Health officer Woodward told him
| nerhaps he would call upon him for de-
| tail of policemen to help out should occa-
| sion demand.
| Must BE Vnccinatcd.
| Perhaps the mcst important action taken
| was that forest allowed in The Star several
DAYS ago. to the effect that the public school
| children would have to be vaccinated az
| once. That is, those who have not been
| vaccinated during the past five years.
| Superint andent Powell was sent for, and
| Commissioner Ross con mrDicated to him
| the action Of the board. No child Will be
allowed to come to school who does not give
satisfactory evidence of having been vac
cinated during that period.
| The Commissioners also ordered the COM
plete fumigation Of the Cuttings, Arthur
| ana Carbery school buildings. After school
| closes today the buildings will be tightly
| closed and sulphur freely burnt. The roomss